Who Is the Queen of Sheba in the Bible? Investigating the Queen of Sheba and her kingdom

Biblical Archaeology Review ^ | Saturday, October 13, 2018 | Megan Sauter

[SunkenCiv]

Who is the Queen of Sheba? In the Bible we are introduced to an unnamed queen from the land of Sheba who travels to Jerusalem to meet King Solomon (see 1 Kings 10; 2 Chronicles 9). Accompanied by many attendants and camels, the Queen of Sheba brings a large quantity of spices, gold and precious stones with her. She is drawn to Jerusalem because of Solomon's fame, and she tests the king with hard questions. Solomon is able to answer them all.

Impressed by Solomon's wisdom -- and by the riches of his kingdom -- she proclaims, "Your wisdom and prosperity far surpass the report that I had heard" (1 Kings 10:7). The Queen of Sheba gives King Solomon 120 talents of gold, precious stones and the largest quantity of spices ever brought to Jerusalem (1 Kings 10:10). In return King Solomon gives the Queen of Sheba gifts and "every desire that she expressed" (1 Kings 10:13). After receiving these gifts, the queen returns to the land of Sheba with her retinue.

The Biblical account of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon ends there, but later Jewish, Christian and Islamic sources have elaborated the story -- adding details to the famous queen's visit...

Archaeological and historical sources document a Kingdom of Saba (Sheba) during Biblical times in modern-day Yemen. Those in ancient Ethiopia were fully aware of the Kingdom of Saba in southern Arabia -- and sometimes even appropriated aspects of their culture.

[SunkenCiv]

Is this the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant? Many Ethiopians believe that the Ark of the Covenant resides within the Chapel of the Tablet next to the Church of Maryam Tsion in Aksum, Ethiopia. They believe that the Ark traveled with Solomon's firstborn son, Menelik, from Jerusalem to the land of Sheba. Where is the land of Sheba? According to the Kebra Nagast, it is ancient Ethiopia. Photo: Maryam Sion in Axum Nebenbau Mit Der Bundeslade 2010 by Jensis65 is licensed under CC-by-SA-3.0

[SunkenCiv]

King Saul was a contemporary of kings Kamose and Amose—and lived not 540 years after them; similarly. King Solomon was a contemporary of Queen Hatshepsut, and Thutmose III of Rehoboam of Judea and Jeroboam of the Ten Tribes; and Amenhotep II of King Asa; Amenhotep III of Omri and Ahab; Akhnaton also of Ahab of Samaria and Jehoshaphat of Jerusalem, and of Shalmaneser III of Assyria. Therefore if we can compare material from two areas contemporaneous in my reconstruction but separated by 540 years in the conventionally written history, we may receive the carbon answer as to which of the two time tables is correct and which is wrong. The ivory of the Shalmaneser III fort near Nimrud and the ivory of Tutankhamen’s tomb must yield very close dates.

The Pitfalls of Radiocarbon Dating by Immanuel Velikovsky

[SunkenCiv]

The question of whether frankincense was grown in Palestine is of historical importance for the problem of identifying God's Land, the place to which Queen Hatshepsut traveled. Because of the frankincense, the produce of the land, the place was thought to be in southern Arabia or Ethiopia.

I maintained that in Biblical times frankincense grew in Palestine. [Ages in Chaos, pp. 141, 172-173]. The recent excavations at Ein Gedi disclosed that frankincense actually was grown in the tropical climate on the shores of the Dead Sea...

The Greek Septuagint ("translation of the Seventy") that dates from the third century before the present era and similarly the Vulgate (the earliest Latin translation) see in Shwa (Seba) the personal name of the Queen, not the name of a region (Regina Seba).

As to some Egyptian reference or references to Punt as located in the south, a point brought up by a few of my readers, the following needs to be said: the opening passage in the History of Herodotus tells that the Phoenicians came to their country on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean from their original home on the shore of the Erythrean Sea, by which the Red Sea and also the Indian Ocean are known to have been meant by the Greeks. This would explain such early reference. But in another Egyptian text Punt is referred to as being to the north of Egypt.(19) Besides, we should be mindful of the fact elucidated in Worlds in Collision that in historical times the cardinal points have been -- and more than once -- reversed, or, as it is out in a hieroglyphic text, "the south becomes north, and the Earth turns over."

The statement of an Egyptian official from the time of the Old Kingdom that he visited eleven times Byblos and Punt should not be interpreted, as some scholars wished that he went this number of times to South Arabia or Somaliland, and as many times to the Phoenician coast. Actually, the ships which in the New Kingdom traded with Punt were called "Byblos-ships" [Cf. also E. Danelius, "The Identification of the Biblical 'Queen of Sheba' with Hatshepsut, 'Queen of Egypt and Ethiopia,'" KRONOS I.4 and II.1 (1976)].

Finally, the written account of Thutmose III's campaign to Phoenicia-Palestine uses the same geographical name: Divine Land, that we found in the travelogue of Queen Hatshepsut, from whom Thutmose took over the throne.

"New Evidence for Ages in Chaos: The Queen Of Sheba And The Land Of Punt" by Immanuel Velikovsky

[SunkenCiv]

Archaeological and historical sources document a Kingdom of Saba (Sheba) during Biblical times in modern-day Yemen. Those in ancient Ethiopia were fully aware of the Kingdom of Saba in southern Arabia -- and sometimes even appropriated aspects of their culture.

Name one. Can't? Not surprised. The claim is outright BS. One of *those* topics.

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[SunkenCiv]

[SunkenCiv]

The imposing Judahite fortress of Khirbet Qeiyafa has been securely dated by pottery and radiocarbon analysis to the early tenth century B.C.E. and the reign of King David. Faced with a date for Qeiyafa that confirms the traditional high Bible chronology, the low chronology "minimalists" now desperately argue that Qeiyafa was a Philistine fort tied to the kingdom of Gath, not a border fortress of the early Judahite state. But archaeology says otherwise.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

She is BOSS. That’s what she is. I have always loved the lore surrounding her.

[SunkenCiv]

Heh... she was an inbred trollop with bad health, but one of the few worthwhile documentaries *starring* Zahi "Zowie" Hawass chases down the correct mummy of the late Pharaoh Hatshepsut.

[SunkenCiv]

Hatshepsut: Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

SC...would you add me back on your ping list please? For some reason I got dumped. TY.

[Yosemitest]

First, find the land of "Sheba" from the Bible. Sheba
Then learn what history has to say about the Queen of Sheba. Encyclopaedia Britannica: "Queen of Sheba - 'QUEEN OF SABAʾ "

What does Daniel Chapter 11 and Zephaniah chapters 2 thru 3 teach you about Ethiopia ?
And WHY do you think the "Queen of Sheba" is worth your time to research ?
It's a distraction from more important studies.

[SunkenCiv]

Then it must be a distraction to post in the topic, so I'll ignore your ignorance.

[SunkenCiv]

Will do.

[ZULU]

I thought the Romans first imported camels to North Africa from Arabia? If so, Sheba was really Saba in Arabia.

[mindburglar]

Thanks. Enjoy your posts.

[sauropod]

I have heard about this. Fascinating.

[Dr. Ursus]

You can tour Egypt with the good doctor; but you have to buy your hat.

[Adder]

Um,,,can someone unlock the door and have a look? Should be easy to find out if the Ark is there or not...

[Hootowl]

According to Velikovski’s revised middle east chronology, the queen of Sheba was Egypt’s female pharaoh Hatshepsut.

[BeauBo]

Neighboring civilizations were in contact in antiquity. Just as through hikers on the Appalachian Trail today can walk 2,000 miles in a season, people could back then as well. With horses, camels and sailboats; it was even easier and quicker.

Royalty always faced the problem of finding the best marriage partners for their kids, and the economic and military advantages of joining with another kingdom are always strong.

Ancient Ethiopia and Yemen (and Israel) are close together physically. A days sail (more a matter of hours really, with slaves rowing). It would be common for them trade and visit regularly. Occaisional intermarriage and competing personal interests would probably draw them together and push them apart many times through history.