Queen of Sheba

Solomon apparently did everything exactly as he was commanded in constructing the Temple and, as promised, God rewarded him with riches. His success was noted and his alliance was sought-after by prominent rulers. He was given luxurious gifts from other kings, which partly explains his immense wealth. Once such gift included many towns given to him by King Hiram of Tyre. This king had supplied all of the cypress and cedar timber for the Temple and had been given 20 Israeli towns in compensation. The Bible notes that he was not pleased with these towns, calling them "worthless". So it seems that he returned them to Solomon as a gift. Solomon was also an excellent businessman, working shrewdly within the trading industry. It was perhaps a trade mission that bought the Queen of Sheba to see him. She is well-documented historically in the Koran, the Bible, the writings of Josephus, and in Turkish and Persian paintings. However, the exact location of Sheba is disputed. It seems likely to have been in modern Yemen, some 1200 miles from Israel. The Queen may have been seeking a business or military alliance with Solomon and the "hard questions" that she asked were probably diplomatic and ethical, in order to determine his fit for partnership.

Ethiopian tradition holds that the royal family of Ethiopia hails from the Queen and Solomon. They claim that he fathered a son through her named Menelik and that Menelik returned to his father and stole the Ark of the Covenant. There is a cathedral in Ethiopia called St. Mary's that claims to house, under guard, the authentic Ark. As a result, they apparently believe themselves to be God's chosen people. None of this can be proven but it does lend credence to the historicity of the Queen herself and the Biblical account of her encounter with Solomon.

Tomorrow's reading:1 Kings 4:1-34; Ps. 72, 127