Queen of Sheba in the Hebrew Scriptures
The Queen of Sheba is one of the most famous figures in the Bible, yet nobody knows exactly who she was or where she came from. Since the political and cultural ties between ancient Yemen and Ethiopia seem to have been incredibly strong, it may be that each of these traditions is correct, in a sense. The Queen of Sheba may have reigned over both Ethiopia and Yemen, but of course she couldn't have been born in both places. An important component of Yemen's claim on the Queen of Sheba is the name. A great kingdom called Saba existed in Yemen during this period, and historians suggest that Saba is Sheba. Islamic folklore holds that the Sabean queen's name was Bilqis.
Who was the Queen of Sheba?
Makeba, Ethiopian Queen
Ethiopia's "Glory of Kings," tells the story of a queen named Makeda from the city of Axum who traveled to Jerusalem to meet the famous Solomon the Wise. Makeda and her entourage stayed for several months, and Solomon became smitten with the beautiful Ethiopian queen.
In ancient Ethiopian civilisation and a powerful kingdom.A large part of the history of Ethiopia is centred on the legend of the Queen of Sheba of Ethiopia and King Solomon of Israel.
Many Ethiopians believe that the relationship between Sheba and Solomon resulted to a son who founded the Solomonic Dynasty in Aksum. According to Ethiopian traditional history the Queen of Sheba learned about the wisdom of King Solomon from a merchant called Tamrin, how he worshiped God and his skills building a great Temple in Jerusalem. The Queen of Sheba decided to visit and see for herself King Solomon's wisdom, how he worshiped God and his many skills.
The Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the covenantis the most reserved holy relic of God's incarnate and became part of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Christian belief. The presence of the Ark of the Covenant in every Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the belief in it, exert a profound influence on the imaginations and spiritual lives of many Ethiopians.
According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, this priceless treasure (the Ark of the Covenant) still exists and rests in a small chapel in the monastic complex of Saint Mary of Zion church in Aksum. This makes Saint Mary of Zion the holiest sanctuary in Ethiopia.
It does seems likely that the Ark was brought to Ethiopia when Menelik returned to Aksum from his visit to his father, King Solomon. Ever since the Ethiopian monarch claimed to be a direct descendant from the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, and ruled Ethiopia.
The power of an intelligent woman.
The Queen acts as Solomon’s equal. She knows her own worth.
she was from Ethiopia, a queen in her own right – a royal woman used to getting her own way and confidently sure of her worth.In Sheba, women played an important role in society and were equal to men in nearly all spheres, with civil, religious and military rights and duties much like a man’s. Polygamy was rare in Sheba.The Queen’s statement to Solomon ‘happy are your wives’, is ambiguous to say the least, and according to ancient tradition, the queen took a child back to Sheba – hers and Solomon’s. The emperor of Ethiopia traced his direct lineage from this baby. The Bible does not mention it.
Reason for visiting was business
The Queen of Sheba decided to visit and see for herself King Solomon's wisdom, how he worshiped God and his many skills.when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind.
During the visit she is said to have asked Solomon ‘hard questions’. These were probably riddles or tests of practical sagacity, to see just how quick his mind was. He apparently answered to her satisfaction. She also tested his practical wisdom by setting him a series of ‘what-if’ dilemmas, to gauge his administrative skills.
She was not only satisfied with his responses, but impressed.
Solomon was lavish in his hospitality. He was clearly trying to impress this exotic queen.
The visit seems to have included a diplomatic ceremony. Sumptuous gifts were exchanged – the Bible mentions gold, spices, precious stones and almug wood, which was probably sandlewood or pine. The Bible says this wood was made into supporting beams, (possibly for Solomon’s palace), lyres and harps – ancient musical instruments (remember that Solomon’s father David had been a gifted musician).
According to some Jewish scholars
Jewish
According to Josephus (Ant. 8:165–73), the queen of Sheba was the queen of Egypt and Ethiopia, and brought to Israel the first specimens of the balsam, which grew in the Holy Land in the historian's time.Josephus (Antiquities 2.5-2.10) represents Cambyses as conquering the capital of Aethiopia, and changing its name from Seba to Meroe. Josephus affirms that the Queen of Sheba or Saba came from this region, and that it bore the name of Saba before it was known by that of Meroe. There seems also some affinity between the word Saba and the name or title of the kings of the Aethiopians, Sabaco.
Justifications for the divinity of Haile Selassie
Rastafarians use Biblical names such as Lord of Lords, King of Kings and Conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah for Haile Selassie. These terms had been used throughout history to describe Ethiopian Emperors, but with the crowning of Haile Selassie I they were seen as evidence that supported his divine status.
Lineage
Many Rastafarians trace Haile Selassie's lineage back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. They believe that the Queen of Sheba's visit to King Solomon found in the Book of Kings (1 Kings 10:1-13) provides further proof of the divinity of Haile Selassie I.