She was a exotic and intriguing woman, immortalized in the worlds greatest religious works, including, the Muslim Qur'an and Jewish Torah. She also appears in Turkish and Persian paintings, written accounts in Afghanistan and early Christian mythology. Throughout Africa and Arabia her story is told to this day and indeed it has been told by many people throughout the world for nearly 3,000 years. However sources and history of her legend are evasive. Trying to figure out who the Queen of Sheba is a formidable task because of the sparse sources that she is described in. How you may ask, does a woman who we know next to nothing about become so prominent, how has her legacy been passed down through history?
In Jewish tradition, her first appearance is in a short verse in the Old Testament, that describes her encounter with King Solomon of Israel, who she'd payed a visit to, after hearing of his vast wealth. Bringing a long caravan of camels laden with, incense, precious gems and spices. This a very hard account to verify but there a few clues. Only a few countries boast a ready supply of the incense, gemstones and spices described in the bible. Those include Somalia and Ethiopia on the Horn of Africa and Yemen and Oman on the southern Arabian peninsula.
The most popular interpretation of Sheba comes from the Arabic term "Saba", which refers to the kingdom of Saba, which was in what is now Yemen. Even though there's very little proof of the existence of the Queen of Sheba, there's plenty of written proof of the Sabean kingdom. In Assyrian texts, the names of kings like Itamru and Karib-ilu have been tied to possible rulers of Saba.
The most compelling archeological evidence of the Queen of Sheba was unearthed at a temple in Marib, Yemen. The temple is known as the Mahram Bilqis or the Temple of Bilqis, Bilqis was the name given to the Queen of Sheba in later Islamic tradition. Early in the Qur'an it is written she is nameless. In this passage, we are told that God has given Solomon the ability to talk to birds, one day he notices one of his birds his missing, the Lapwing. When she returns, she tells him she has been traversing a foreign land ruled by a queen with immense wealth, that sat on a gold and silver throne. Captivated by the bird's story, he decides to invite this queen to meet him. On her arrival she entered the palace he'd built for her, the walls and windows were made of glass and there was a stream flowing across the floor, as she approached Solomon's throne, she lifted her skirts and stepped over it. She admired this unconventional architecture as a feat of genius.
However the most enduring version of her story, is the one told in Ethiopia. There she is given the name, Makeda. Her story is recorded in their holy book, the Kebra Negast. Similar events are described including, Solomon's first encounter with the Queen of Sheba and their ensuing romantic relationship. But this version goes even further, recounting how the queen returned to her capital, Aksum, in northern Ethiopia, and gave birth to her son, Menelik, which means "son of the wise". It's said Menelik returned to Jerusalem to visit his father, Solomon is delighted to see his son and invites him to stay on as the next king after Solomon passes on. Menelik refuses and journeys back to Aksum, taking with him a precious relic, the Ark of the Covenant. Which now resides in a specially-made vault in St. Mary of Zion's Church, Ethiopia.
The importance of Makeda, the Kebra Negast and the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopians, can't be overstated. Through reading the holy book, Ethiopians see their country as God's chosen country- as the final resting place of the Ark. It was through Makeda and her son that it came there and therefore is seen as the mother of the nation and all kings in Ethiopia are her direct descendants.
Even though her legend has been retold many times over the centuries there is almost no solid evidence she actually existed. The ruins in Aksum date 1000 years after the queen and Solomon were supposed to have lived. There are lists of kings in southern Arabia who ruled at the time Sheba was believe to have held power. Interestingly there are records of powerful queens in northern Arabia in 7-8th centuries, when historians roughly place the period of Solomon's rule. Though she remains an enigma to this day the key behind her enduring popularity may be found in her description as a woman of power, an adoring mother and a secretive lover. After all people are often fascinated by things they can't quite explain or know very little about.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/cultures/sheba_01.shtml
ŞİMDİ OKUDUĞUN
Women who Ruled
Kurgu OlmayanThese women were rare examples of women holding power in a male-dominated world. Many went on to became beacons of hope, strength and perserverance to their respective peoples. They are remembered for their beauty, intelligence, bravery and unwaveri...
