| Queen of Sheba | |
|---|---|
 Betty Blythe as the queen in The Queen of Sheba (1921) | |
|
Other Names |
Makeda, Belqeys, Bilqis, Nicaula, Shaba |
|
First Appearance |
Hebrew Bible |
|
Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
The Queen of Sheba, named Makeda in Ethiopian tradition, is a figure first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In the original story, she brings a caravan of valuable gifts for the Israelite King Solomon. This account has undergone extensive Jewish, Islamic, Yemenite and Ethiopian elaborations, and it has become the subject of one of the most widespread and fertile cycles of legends in Asia and Africa.
The Queen of Sheba, whose name is not stated, came to Jerusalem "with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones" (1 Kings 10:2). "Never again came such an abundance of spices" (10:10; 2 Chronicles 9:1–9) as those she gave to Solomon. She came "to prove him with hard questions", which Solomon answered to her satisfaction. They exchanged gifts, after which she returned to her land.
One legend has it that the Queen of Sheba brought Solomon the same gifts that the Magi later gave to Jesus.
The most extensive version of Queen of Sheba legend appears in the Kebra Nagast (Glory of the Kings), the Ethiopian national saga, translated from Arabic in 1322. Here Menelik I is the child of Solomon and Makeda (the Ethiopic name for the queen of Sheba; she is the child of the man who destroys the legendary snake-king Arwe) from whom the Ethiopian dynasty claims descent to the present day. While the Abyssinian story offers much greater detail, it omits any mention of the Queen's hairy legs or any other element that might reflect on her unfavourably.
Based on the Gospels of Matthew (Matthew 12:42) and Luke (Luke 11:31), the "queen of the South" is claimed to be the queen of Ethiopia. In those times, King Solomon sought merchants from all over the world, in order to buy materials for the building of the Temple. Among them was Tamrin, great merchant of Queen Makeda of Ethiopia. Having returned to Ethiopia, Tamrin told the queen of the wonderful things he had seen in Jerusalem, and of Solomon's wisdom and generosity, whereupon she decided to visit Solomon. She was warmly welcomed, given a palace for dwelling, and received great gifts every day. Solomon and Makeda spoke with great wisdom, and instructed by him, she converted to Judaism. Before she left, there was a great feast in the king's palace. Makeda stayed in the palace overnight, after Solomon had sworn that he would not do her any harm, while she swore in return that she would not steal from him. As the meals had been spicy, Makeda awoke thirsty at night and went to drink some water, when Solomon appeared, reminding her of her oath. She answered: "Ignore your oath, just let me drink water."
That same night, Solomon had a dream about the sun rising over Israel, but being mistreated and despised by the Jews, the sun moved to shine over Ethiopia and Rome. Solomon gave Makeda a ring as a token of faith, and then she left. On her way home, she gave birth to a son, whom she named Baina-leḥkem (i.e. bin al-ḥakīm, "Son of the Wise Man", later called Menilek).
After the boy had grown up in Ethiopia, he went to Jerusalem carrying the ring and was received with great honors. The king and the people tried in vain to persuade him to stay. Solomon gathered his nobles and announced that he would send his first-born son to Ethiopia together with their first-borns. He added that he was expecting a third son, who would marry the king of Rome's daughter and reign over Rome so that the entire world would be ruled by David's descendants. Then Baina-leḥkem was anointed king by Zadok the high priest, and he took the name David. The first-born nobles who followed him are named, and even today some Ethiopian families claim their ancestry from them. Prior to leaving, the priests' sons had stolen the Ark of the Covenant, after their leader Azaryas had offered a sacrifice as commanded by one God's angel. With much wailing, the procession left Jerusalem on a wind cart led and carried by the archangel Michael. Having arrived at the Red Sea, Azaryas revealed to the people that the Ark is with them. David prayed to the Ark and the people rejoiced, singing, dancing, blowing horns and flutes, and beating drums. The Ark showed its miraculous powers during the crossing of the stormy Sea, and all arrived unscathed. When Solomon learned that the Ark had been stolen, he sent a horseman after the thieves and even gave chase himself, but neither could catch them. Solomon returned to Jerusalem and gave orders to the priests to remain silent about the theft and to place a copy of the Ark in the Temple, so that the foreign nations could not say that Israel had lost its fame.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
All published appearances of the Queen of Sheba from before Janurary 1, 1929 are in the public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
- The Bible
- The Quran
- On Famous Women
- The Gift of the Magi
- The Book of the City of Ladies
- Doctor Faustus
- Voyage to the Orient
- Just So Stories
- Kebra Nagast (Glory of the Kings)
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- La reine de Saba (1913)
- The Queen of Sheba (1921)
- Le berceau de dieu (1926)
Public Domain Comics Appearances[]
- Four Color #1070 - Story of King Solomon & the Queen of Sheba adapted from the live action film.
- Judge (1881 series) #2215 - In the Scrambled History cartoon, the Queen of Sheba helps Benjamin Franklin discover electricity.
- Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact #162 - Adaptation of the Biblical story of King Solomon & the Queen of Sheba.
Public Domain Comics Appearances inspired by the Queen of Sheba[]
- Speed Comics #8 - In the story Slave Traders of the Secret Kingdom, Shock Gibson deals with Queen Sheba and her Black Knights.
- Daredevil Comics #2 - Forty years after he and his partner discovered the tomb of Princess Sheba, Dr. Pierce, knowing the Princess was buried alive, discovers a secret hidden inside the golden cobra buried with her: a serum which can bring her back to life! Sheba tries to take control of Daredevil, but he refuses the kiss. She is later tricked by Daredevil to throw her cobra containing the venom at him, smashing it against a wall. She reverts back to her mummy state.
- Top-Notch Comics #27 - Sheba, Empress of Ethiopia, ruled her land during ancient times. She lost her kingdom because of a weak King. She then wandered through time searching for a bold warrior to replace him using her hourglass. Because Firefly was the strongest, she demanded him to go back to ancient times to be her new King. He agreed in order to save the lives of the other men, and they traveled through the sands of time to reign together.
- Jungle Comics #142 - A safari finds its way into the Kingdom of Ra, descended from ancient Egypt and ruled by Queen Sheba. Sheba, following the suggestions of her advisor, Toru, imprisons the safari. Toru also advises the sacrifice of Sheba's sister, Landra. Landra flees into the jungle and meets Ann. Sheba's forces take Landra and Ann back to the kingdom; Kaänga follows. Using the mammoths trained for use by Sheba's forces, Kaänga destroys the kingdom's walls and kills Toru. He and Ann depart and Sheba promises to be a better queen.