Princess of Sheba. Queen of Sheba and King Solomon

The Mysterious Queen of Sheba

“The Queen of Sheba, hearing about the glory of King Solomon, came from a distant country to see him.” This is the famous biblical story. Standard historiography does not give a clear answer to the question of what kind of country this was. Most often they say it in a streamlined way: “Queen of the South.”

Immanuel Velikovsky proposed a completely unexpected, daring, but extremely fascinating hypothesis. According to his chronology, it turned out that the only contender for the role of “Queen of the South” was Hatshepsut, the ruler of Egypt, daughter Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose. Queen Hatshepsut has always been a highly visible figure for historians. After her reign, many buildings, bas-reliefs, and inscriptions remained. Velikovsky had to mobilize all his art of almost detective identification and scrupulous interpretation in order to convince specialists and ordinary readers that he was right. And he succeeded.

A key episode of Hatshepsut's reign was her trip to Punt, the "Divine Land", the location of which has been debated by researchers for centuries.

Velikovsky compared even the smallest details - from the queen’s travel route to the features of the appearance of the warriors depicted on the bas-reliefs of the Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahri. The researcher’s conclusion sounded confident: “The complete consistency of the details of this journey and many accompanying dates makes it obvious that the Queen of Sheba and Queen Hatshepsut are one and the same person, and her journey to the unknown Punt was the famous journey of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon. And King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba everything that she desired and asked for beyond what King Solomon gave her with his own hands. And she went back to her land, she and all her servants.” By the way, linguists claim that the “Queen of Sheba” is the “Queen of Thebes,” i.e. from Thebes, the then capital of Egypt.

If you believe Velikovsky, then Hatshepsut, who during her lifetime was called the “builder pharaoh,” asked for drawings of a magnificent temple. The irony is that historians who adhere to the standard chronology of Egypt think the opposite: that Solomon copied the Egyptian temple pattern. It turns out that Hatshepsut copied the temple of the unknown “Divine Land of Punt”, and Solomon, who lived six centuries later than the queen, copied her temple for the Holy Land and the Holy City of Jerusalem?

The heir of Queen Hatshepsut, Pharaoh Thutmose III, made a military campaign in the land of Retsen, which he also calls the “Divine Land,” and plundered some temple in Kadesh. The location of Kadesh is unknown to historians, as you can guess. Meanwhile, the images of utensils on the bas-reliefs of the pharaoh are very reminiscent of the utensils of the Jerusalem Temple. In Velikovsky, this is all so convincingly detailed that it leaves no doubt: Hatshepsut’s son Thutmose III, who was jealous of his mother’s friendship with the Jewish king Solomon, and hated her so much that after her death he ordered the portraits of Hatshepsut to be taken off the bas-reliefs. It was he who was the mysterious pharaoh who robbed the Jerusalem temple.

Of course, for the 15th century BC. identifying Kadesh with the Temple of Jerusalem is unthinkable, but if we abandon, as Velikovsky did, the standard chronology of Egypt, and move events six centuries forward, then a synchronicity is revealed between ancient Jewish history and the neighboring Egyptian one, and, moreover, between Egyptian and Greek. Those. the artificial (with certain ideological goals!) extension of Egyptian history over six centuries distorted the entire historical picture of the ancient world.

Go ahead. The famous pharaoh of the 18th dynasty Akhenaten was the founder of a new religion that recognized only one god - Aten. Many Egyptologists considered Akhenaten almost a harbinger of biblical monotheism. Akhenaten's religion, however, lasted only two decades in Egypt. Scholars have found striking similarities in style and expression between the hymns to the Aten and the biblical psalms. In their opinion, the Jewish psalmist, and this, we know, was King David, imitated the Egyptian monotheist king. Even the famous Sigmund Freud, who wrote “This Man Moses” in 1939, repeated this misconception.

But how could the author of the Psalms copy the hymns to the Aten, which had been completely forgotten in Egypt several centuries earlier? Is it possible to imagine that in two decades, a still “fledgling” religion made such an impression on the Jews that they began to adopt its features? Oh, that's unlikely. According to Velikovsky’s chronological reconstruction, Akhenaten is a contemporary of the Jewish king Jehoshaphat, who ruled several generations after David, the creator of the psalms. Akhenaten's "Monotheism" was undoubtedly a failed copy of Jewish monotheism, and not its harbinger.

In 1971, radiocarbon dating was carried out in the laboratory of the British Museum in London to date the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, son of Akhenaten. The analyzes confirmed Velikovsky's thesis about the need to revise the standard chronology, giving a discrepancy between the carbon date and Velikovsky's calculations of only 6 years. It would seem that the truth has triumphed? Well, so much the worse for the truth!

One of the most respected modern archaeologists, Zahi Hawass, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, spoke out against the use of radiocarbon dating in archaeology. In his interview with the Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper, the scientist said that this method is allegedly not accurate enough. “This method should not be used at all when constructing a chronology Ancient Egypt, even as a useful addition,” he said. The method for which its author W. Libby received the Nobel Prize does not suit the Egyptian scientist. Is it because it proves over and over again the reality of biblical stories and changes such a familiar, established science - Egyptology?

Online magazine of Evgeniy Berkovich

Hatshepsut had only one sister Akhbetnefer, as well as three (or four) younger half-brothers Uajmose, Amenos, Thutmose II and, possibly, Ramos, the sons of her father Thutmose I and Queen Mutnofret. Uajmos and Amenos, Hatshepsut's two younger brothers, died in infancy. Therefore, after the death of Thutmose I, she married her half-brother (the son of Thutmose I and the minor queen Mutnofret), a cruel and weak ruler who ruled for only less than 4 years (1494-1490 BC; Manetho counts as many as 13 years of his reign , which is most likely wrong). Thus, the continuity of the royal dynasty was preserved, since Hatshepsut was of pure royal blood. Experts explain the fact that Hatshepsut subsequently became a pharaoh by the rather high status of women in ancient Egyptian society, as well as by the fact that the throne in Egypt passed through the female line. In addition, it is generally believed that such a strong personality as Hatshepsut achieved significant influence during the lifetime of his father and husband and could, in fact, rule in place of Thutmose II.

Thutmose II and Hatshepsut had two daughters as the main royal wife - the eldest daughter Nefrur, who bore the title of “God's Consort” (high priestess of Amun) and was depicted as the heir to the throne, and Meritra Hatshepsut. Some Egyptologists dispute that Hatshepsut was the mother of Merythra, but the opposite seems more likely - since only these two representatives of the 18th dynasty bore the name Hatshepsut, it may indicate their blood relationship. Images of Nefrura, whose tutor was Hatshepsut's favorite Senmut, with a false beard and curls of youth are often interpreted as evidence that Hatshepsut was preparing an heiress, a “new Hatshepsut.” However, the heir (and later co-ruler of Thutmose II) was still considered the son of her husband and concubine Isis, the future Thutmose III, married first to Nefrur, and after her early death - to Merythra.

Coup

Some researchers believe that Hatshepsut concentrated real power in her hands during the reign of her husband. How true this statement is is unknown. However, we know for sure that after the death of Thutmose II in 1490 BC. e., twelve-year-old Thutmose III was proclaimed the sole pharaoh, and Hatshepsut as regent (before that, Egypt had already lived under female rule under queens Nitocris from the VI dynasty and Sebeknefrur from the XII dynasty). However, 18 months later (or 3 years later), May 3, 1489 BC. e., the young pharaoh was removed from the throne by the legitimist party led by the Theban priesthood of Amun, which elevated Hatshepsut to the throne. During a ceremony in the temple of the supreme god of Thebes, Amon, the priests, carrying a heavy barge with a statue of the god, knelt right next to the queen, which was regarded by the Theban oracle as Amon’s blessing to the new ruler of Egypt.

As a result of the coup, Thutmose III was sent to be raised in the temple, which was planned to remove him from the Egyptian throne, at least for the duration of Hatshepsut's regency. However, there is information that subsequently Thutmose III was allowed to resolve almost all political problems.

The main forces supporting Hatshepsut were the educated (“intellectual”) circles of the Egyptian priesthood and aristocracy, as well as some prominent military leaders. These included Hapuseneb, the chati (vizier) and high priest of Amon, the black general Nehsi, several veterans of the Egyptian army who still remembered the campaigns of Ahmose, the courtiers Tuti, Ineni and, finally, Senmut (Senenmut), the architect and teacher of the queen’s daughter, as well as his brother Senmen. Many are inclined to see Senmut as the queen's favorite, since he mentioned his name next to the queen's name and built two tombs for himself in the likeness of the tomb of Hatshepsut. Senmut was by birth a poor provincial who was initially considered a commoner at court, but his extraordinary abilities were soon appreciated.

Official propaganda

After ascending to the throne, Hatshepsut was proclaimed pharaoh of Egypt under the name Maatkara Henemetamon with all the regalia and the daughter of Amun-Ra (in the image of Thutmose I

The legendary ruler of the Arabian kingdom Saba (Sheba), whose visit to Jerusalem to the Israeli king Solomon is described in the Bible.

The Secret Love of the Queen of Sheba
Hundreds of legends from Africa, Asia and Europe, biblical parables and suras of the Koran speak of this amazing and mysterious woman. Bilkis, Lilith, Almakha, Makeda, Queen of the South - they called this woman as many names as possible. But the Queen of Sheba is not a fictitious mythical image, but a very real historical person. Who was this woman who amazingly influenced the course of world history?

Where was Sabea?

The Sabaean kingdom was located in South Arabia, in the territory of modern Yemen. It was a thriving civilization with rich agriculture and complex social, political and religious life. The rulers of Sabea were the "mukarribs" ("priest-kings"), whose power was inherited. The most famous of them was the legendary Bilquis, Queen of Sheba, who became famous as the most beautiful woman on the planet.

According to Ethiopian legend, the Queen of Sheba's childhood name was Makeda and she was born around 1020 BC. in Ophir. The legendary country of Ophir stretched across the entire eastern coast of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the island of Madagascar. The ancient inhabitants of the country of Ophir were fair-skinned, tall, and virtuous. They were known as good warriors, herded herds of goats, camels and sheep, hunted deer and lions, mined precious stones, gold, copper, and made bronze. The capital of Ophir, the city of Aksum, was located in Ethiopia.

Maqueda's mother was Queen Ismenia, and her father was the chief minister at her court. Makeda received her education from the best scientists, philosophers and priests of her vast country. One of her pets was a jackal puppy, which, when it grew up, bit her severely on the leg. Since then, one of Makeda’s legs has been disfigured, which has given rise to numerous legends about the allegedly goat or donkey leg of the Queen of Sheba.

At the age of fifteen, Makeda goes to reign in southern Arabia, in the Sabaean kingdom, and from now on becomes the Queen of Sheba. She ruled Sabea for about forty years. They said about her that she ruled with the heart of a woman, but with the head and hands of a man.

The capital of the kingdom was the city of Marib, which has survived to this day. The culture of ancient Yemen was characterized by monumental, building-like stone thrones for rulers. Relatively recently, it became clear that the sun deity Shams played a very important role in the folk religion of ancient Yemen. And the Koran says that the queen of Saba and her people worshiped the sun. This is also evidenced by legends in which the queen is represented as a pagan who worships the stars, primarily the Moon, Sun and Venus.

It was only after meeting Solomon that she became acquainted with the religion of the Jews and accepted it. Near the city of Marib, the remains of the Temple of the Sun have been preserved, then converted into the Temple of the Moon God Almakh (the second name is the Bilqis Temple), and also, according to existing legends, somewhere not far underground there is a secret Palace of the queen. According to the descriptions of ancient authors, the rulers of this country lived in marble palaces, surrounded by gardens with flowing springs and fountains, where birds sang, flowers fragrant, and the aroma of balsam and spices spread everywhere.

Possessing the gift of diplomacy, speaking many ancient languages ​​and well versed not only in the pagan idols of Arabia, but also in the Deities of Greece and Egypt, the beautiful queen managed to turn her state into a major center of civilization, culture and trade.

The pride of the Sabaean kingdom was a giant dam west of Marib, which backed up the water in an artificial lake. Through a complex network of canals and drains, the lake supplied moisture to the fields of peasants, fruit plantations and gardens at temples and palaces throughout the entire state. The length of the stone dam reached 600 meters, the height was 15 meters. Water was supplied to the canal system through two ingenious gateways. I wasn’t going behind the dam river water, but rain, brought once a year by a tropical hurricane from the Indian Ocean.

The beautiful Bilquis was very proud of her versatile knowledge and all her life she tried to obtain secret esoteric knowledge known to the sages of antiquity. She had the honorary title of High Priestess of the Planetary Conciliarity and regularly organized “Councils of Wisdom” in her Palace, which brought together initiates from all continents. It is not for nothing that in the legends about her one can find various miracles - talking birds, magic carpets and teleportation (the fabulous movement of her throne from Sabea to Solomon's palace).

Later Greek and Roman myths attributed unearthly beauty and great wisdom to the Queen of Sheba. She mastered the art of intrigue to maintain power and was the high priestess of a certain southern cult of tender passion.

Journey to Solomon

The journey of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon, an equally legendary king, the greatest monarch, famous for his wisdom, is told in both the Bible and the Koran. There are other facts indicating the historicity of this legend. Most likely, the meeting between Solomon and the Queen of Sheba actually took place.

According to some stories, she goes to Solomon in search of wisdom. According to other sources, Solomon himself invited her to visit Jerusalem, having heard about her wealth, wisdom and beauty.

And the queen set off on a journey of amazing scale. It was a long and difficult journey, 700 km long, through the sands of the deserts of Arabia, along the shores of the Red Sea and the Jordan River to Jerusalem. Since the queen traveled mainly on camels, such a journey should have taken about 6 months one way.

The queen's caravan consisted of 797 camels, not counting mules and donkeys, loaded with provisions and gifts to King Solomon. And judging by the fact that one camel can lift a load of up to 150 - 200 kg, there were a lot of gifts - gold, precious stones, spices and incense. The queen herself traveled on a rare white camel.

Her retinue consisted of black dwarfs, and her guard consisted of light-skinned tall giants. The queen's head was crowned with a crown decorated with ostrich feathers, and on her little finger was a ring with an Asterix stone, unknown to modern science. 73 ships were hired to travel by water.

At Solomon's court, the queen asked him tricky questions, and he answered each of them absolutely correctly. In turn, the sovereign of Judea was conquered by the beauty and intelligence of the queen. According to some legends, he married her. Subsequently, Solomon's court began to constantly receive horses, expensive stones, and jewelry made of gold and bronze from sultry Arabia. But the most valuable at that time were fragrant oils for church incense.

The Queen of Sheba personally knew how to compose essences from herbs, resins, flowers and roots and possessed the art of perfumery. A ceramic bottle from the era of the Queen of Sheba with the seal of Marib was found in Jordan; at the bottom of the bottle there are remains of incense obtained from trees that no longer grow in Arabia.

Having experienced the wisdom of Solomon and being satisfied with the answers, the queen also received expensive gifts in return and returned to her homeland with all her subjects. According to most legends, from then on the queen ruled alone, never marrying. But it is known that the Queen of Sheba gave birth to a son, Menelik, from Solomon, who became the founder of a three-thousand-year dynasty of emperors of Abyssinia (confirmation of this can be found in the Ethiopian heroic epic). At the end of her life, the Queen of Sheba also returned to Ethiopia, where her son reigned.

Another Ethiopian legend says that for a long time Bilqis hid his father's name from her son, and then sent him on an embassy to Jerusalem and told him that he would recognize his father from the portrait, which Menelik was supposed to look at for the first time only in the Temple of God Yahweh in Jerusalem.

Arriving in Jerusalem and appearing at the Temple for worship, Menelik took out the portrait, but instead of the drawing he saw a small mirror. Looking at his reflection, Menelik looked around at all the people present in the Temple, saw King Solomon among them and guessed from the resemblance that this was his father.

As the Ethiopian legend further tells, Menelik was upset that the Palestinian priests did not recognize his legal rights to the inheritance, and decided to steal the sacred ark with the Mosaic commandments kept there from the Temple of God Yahweh. At night, he stole the ark and secretly took it to Ethiopia to his mother Bilqis, who revered this ark as the repository of all spiritual revelations. According to Ethiopian priests, the ark is still located in the secret underground sanctuary of Aksum.

For the last 150 years, scientists and enthusiasts from different countries have been trying to get to the secret Palace, which was the seat of the Queen of Sheba, but local imams and tribal leaders of Yemen categorically prevent this. However, if we remember what happened to the wealth of Egypt, almost completely removed from it by archaeologists, then perhaps the Yemeni authorities are not so wrong.

With very great wealth: the camels were loaded with incense and a great quantity of gold and precious stones; and she came to Solomon and talked with him about everything that was in her heart. And Solomon explained to her all her words, and there was nothing unfamiliar to the king that he did not explain to her.

And the Queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, and the food at his table, and the dwelling of his servants, and the order of his servants, and their clothing, and his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings, which he offered in the temple of the Lord. And she could no longer resist and said to the king: “It is true that I heard in my land about your deeds and about your wisdom; but I did not believe the words until I came and my eyes saw: and behold, not even half of it was told to me; You have more wisdom and wealth than I heard. Blessed are your people and blessed are these your servants, who always stand before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, Who was pleased to place you on the throne of Israel! The Lord, out of His eternal love for Israel, made you king, to do justice and justice.
And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold and a great quantity of spices and precious stones; never before had such a multitude of incense come as the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

In response, Solomon also gifted the queen, giving " everything she wanted and asked for" After this visit, according to the Bible, unprecedented prosperity began in Israel. 666 talents of gold came to King Solomon per year (2 Chronicles). . The same chapter describes the luxury that Solomon was able to afford. He made himself a throne of ivory, overlaid with gold, the splendor of which surpassed any other throne of that time. In addition, Solomon made himself 200 shields of beaten gold and all the drinking vessels in the palace and Temple were gold. “silver was worth nothing in the days of Solomon”(2 Par.) and “King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom”(2 Chron.). Solomon undoubtedly owes such greatness to the visit of the Queen of Sheba. It is noteworthy that after this visit, many kings also desired a visit to King Solomon (2 Chron.).

Comments

Among Jewish commentators of the Tanakh, there is an opinion that the biblical story should be interpreted in the sense that Solomon entered into a sinful relationship with the Queen of Sheba, as a result of which, hundreds of years later, Nebuchadnezzar was born, who destroyed the Temple built by Solomon. (In Arabic legends she is already his immediate mother).

In the New Testament

She was also given the role of “bringing souls” to distant pagan peoples. Isidore of Seville wrote: “ Solomon embodies the image of Christ, who built the house of the Lord for the heavenly Jerusalem, not from stone and wood, but from all the saints. The Queen from the South who came to hear the wisdom of Solomon should be understood as the church who came from the farthest borders of the world to hear the voice of God» .

A number of Christian authors believe that the arrival of the Queen of Sheba with gifts to Solomon is a prototype of the Magi’s worship of Jesus Christ. Jerome the Blessed in his interpretation on "The Book of the Prophet Isaiah" gives the following explanation: just as the Queen of Sheba came to Jerusalem to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, so the Magi came to Christ, who is the wisdom of God.

This interpretation is largely based on the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah about the presentation of gifts to the Messiah, where he also mentions the country of Sheba, and reports gifts similar to those presented by the queen to Solomon: “ Many camels will cover you - dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; they will all come from Sheba, bring gold and incense and proclaim the glory of the Lord"(Isa.). The New Testament wise men also presented the baby Jesus with frankincense, gold and myrrh. The similarity of these two subjects was even emphasized in Western European art; for example, they could be placed on the same spread of a manuscript, opposite each other (see section In fine arts).

"Solomon enthroned among the beasts."
Persian miniature of the 16th century.

In the Koran

According to Muslim tradition, Solomon learns from the lapwing bird (hoopoe, bird uhdud, Hood Hood) about the existence of Queen Balkis - the ruler of the fabulously rich country of Saba, sitting on a throne of gold, decorated with precious stones, and worshiping the sun. He writes her a letter with the words: “ From the servant of God, Solomon, son of David, (to) Balkis, Queen of Sheba. In the Name of the All-Merciful God. May peace be with those who follow the path of truth. Don't rebel against me, but come and surrender to me" The letter is delivered to the queen by the same bird that told Solomon about her kingdom.

Having received the letter, Balkis was afraid of a possible war with Solomon and sent him rich gifts, which he rejected, saying that he would send troops, capture her cities and drive out their inhabitants in shame. After this, Balkis decided to come to Solomon herself, thereby expressing her submission.

Before leaving, she locked her precious throne in the fortress, but Solomon, the lord of the genies, wanting to impress her, with their help, moved it to Jerusalem and, changing it appearance, showed it to the queen with the question: “ Is this what your throne looks like?" Balkis was able to recognize him, and was invited to the palace built by Solomon especially for her. The floor in it was made of glass, under which fish swam in the water (in another Russian translation there is no water, but the floor, like the palace itself, was crystal). Balkis, upon entering the palace, was frightened and, deciding that she would have to walk on water, raised the hem of her dress, exposing her shins. After this she said:

"Queen Bilquis and the Hoopoe."
Persian miniature, c. 1590-1600

Thus, she recognized the omnipotence of Suleiman and his God, and accepted the true faith.

Commentators on the Koran interpret the episode with the transparent floor in Solomon's palace as a trick by the king who wanted to test the rumor that Balqis's legs were covered with hair like a donkey's. Ta'alabi and Jalal ad-Din al-Mahalla give a version that Balkis's entire body was covered with wool, and her legs had donkey hooves - which testified to her demonic nature, thus exposed by the king (see section Feet of the Queen of Sheba).

Koran commentator Jalal ad-Din claims that Solomon wanted to marry Balqis, but was embarrassed by the hair on her legs. Another commentator, Al-Beyzawi, writes that it is unknown who became Balkis’s husband, and suggests that he could be one of the leaders of the Hamdan tribe, to whom the king gave her hand.

In legends

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

There is not a word in the biblical text about the alleged love affair between Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. But such a connection is described in legends. It is known from the Bible that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings), among which some legends include the Queen of Sheba.

Jewish legends

In the Jewish tradition there are a considerable number of legends on this topic. The meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba is described in the aggadic midrash "Targum Sheni" To "Book of Esther"(late 7th - early 8th centuries), exegetical "Midrash Mishley" To "Book of Proverbs of Solomon"(c. 9th century), the contents of which are repeated in the collection of midrashim " Yalkut Shimoni" To "Chronicles"(Chronicles) (XIII century), as well as a Yemenite manuscript "Midrash Hahefetz"(XV century). The story of the queen can be divided into three parts - the first two: “about the message to the queen and the hoopoe” and “about the glass field and the queen’s legs” coincide in most details with the story of the Koran (VII century); the third develops the theme of Solomon's meeting with the Queen of Sheba and her riddles from a laconic reference to the Bible into an extensive and detailed story.

As Jewish legend says, being the ruler of beasts and birds, Solomon once gathered them all. The only thing missing was the hoopoe (or “rooster Bar”). When they finally found him, he told them about a certain wonderful city of Kitora, where the Queen of Sheba sits on the throne:

Solomon became interested and sent the bird, accompanied by a huge retinue of birds, to the land of Sheba with a message to the queen. When the ruler went out to perform a religious rite of worship of the sun, this luminary was eclipsed by an arriving flock, and the country was covered in twilight. Struck by the unprecedented sight, the queen tore her clothes. At this time, a hoopoe flew up to her, to whose wings a letter from Solomon was tied. It read:

“From me, King Solomon. Peace to you and peace to your nobles!
You know that the Lord has made me king-lord over the beasts of the field, over the birds of the air, over demons, werewolves, she-devils, and all the kings of the East and West, Noon and Midnight come to bow to me. So, you will come of your own free will with greetings to me and I will receive you, queen, with honor above all the kings who are before me; if you will not desire and come to Solomon? If only you knew: these kings are the beasts of the field, the chariots are the birds of the air; spirits, demons and she-devils are legions that will strangle you on the beds in your dwellings, and the beasts of the field will tear you to pieces in the fields and the birds of the air will eat the meat from your bones.”

"The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba", painting by Samuel Coleman

After reading the letter, the queen tore the remaining clothes. Her advisors recommended that she not go to Jerusalem, but she wanted to see such a powerful ruler. Having loaded the ships with expensive cypress wood, pearls and precious stones, she sets off and reaches Israel in 3 years (instead of the usual 7 years for this distance).

The Queen of Sheba rides to Jerusalem.
Ethiopian fresco

The Queen of Sheba was a beautiful, brilliant and intelligent woman (however, nothing is reported about her origins and family). She, as in the biblical story, arrived in Jerusalem to talk with Solomon, about whose glory and wisdom she had heard from the merchant Tarmin.

Upon her arrival, Solomon " He showed her great honors and rejoiced, and gave her residence in his royal palace next to him. And he sent her food for morning and evening meals", and one day " they reclined together" And " nine months and five days later she was separated from King Solomon... the pangs of childbirth seized her, and she gave birth to a male child" Moreover, the story contains a motive of seduction - the king gets the opportunity to share a bed with the queen, since she broke her promise not to touch any of his property by drinking water. In the Aksumite legend, another version of this story, the queen arrives in Jerusalem with her maid, both disguised as men, and the king guesses their gender from how little they eat at dinner, and at night he sees them feasting on honey, and takes possession of both.

Makeda named her son Bayna-Lehkem(options - Wolde-Tubbib("son of the sage") Menelik, Menyelik) and when he reached twelve years old, she told him about his father. At 22 years old, Bayna-Lehkem " became... skilled in all the arts of war and equestrianism, as well as in hunting and setting traps for wild animals, and in everything that young men are taught as usual. And he said to the Queen: “I will go and look at the face of my father, and I will return here, if it is the Will of God, the Lord of Israel.”" Before leaving, Makeda gave the young man Solomon’s ring so that he could recognize his son and “ remember her word and her covenant that she made».

Upon Bayna-Lekhkem’s arrival in Jerusalem, Solomon recognized him as his son and he was given royal honors:

And King Solomon turned to those who announced the arrival of the young man and said to them: “ You said, “he looks like you,” but this is not mine, but that of David, my father, in the days of his early courage, but he is much more beautiful than me" And King Solomon rose up full height, and went to his chambers, and he dressed the young man in a robe of cloth embroidered with gold, and in a belt of gold, and fastened a crown on his head, and a ring on his finger. And having dressed him in a magnificent robe, enchanting the eyes, he seated him on his throne/throne, so that he would be in a position equal to him (himself).

According to " Kebra Negast", Bayna-Lekhem returned to his homeland to his mother along with the first-born of the Jewish nobility and took from the Jerusalem Temple the Ark of the Covenant, which, according to the Ethiopians, is still located in Axum in the Cathedral of the Most Holy Virgin Mary of Zion. After the return of her son, Queen Makeba abdicated the throne in his favor, and he set up a kingdom in Ethiopia in the likeness of Israel, introducing Judaism into the country as the state religion and refusing inheritance through the female line, but establishing patriarchy. To this day, a community of “Falashas” has survived in Ethiopia - Ethiopian Jews who consider themselves descendants of the Jewish nobility who moved to Ethiopia along with Bayna Lekhem. "Kebra Negast" claims that Menelik was the firstborn of Solomon, his eldest son, and therefore the Ark (and the grace that had previously been over the people of Israel) was taken away by birthright.

The royal dynasty of the Ethiopian Solomonid kings, founded by Bayna-Lekhem, ruled the country until the end of the 10th century, when it was overthrown by the legendary Ethiopian warrior Esther. As the official history goes, the ancient line continued secretly, however, and was restored to the throne by King Yekono Amlak. The last emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie I, considered himself to be a member of the Solomonid dynasty and considered himself the 225th descendant of the Queen of Sheba.

There is a folk legend that says that from the queen’s maid, with whom Solomon also lay down, he had a son, Zago, who grew up with Menelik and was stupid, limited, and also performed the constant function of a “whipping boy,” an antagonist of the hero. Ethiopian king.

In Arabic literature

In the 12th century, the Arab chronicler Nashwan ibn Said created a work called "The Himyarite Book of Kings" which was a romanized genealogy of the Savean kings. There the ruler is called Bilquis and has its own place in the family tree - her husband is the Savea prince Du Taba(another name Manchen ale), and the father's name is Hadhad and is a descendant of the house of the Tobba kings, who embodied the heroic era of Savean history (his predecessors reached India and China with detachments of Savean soldiers, from whom, according to legend, the Tibetans descended). A descendant of Bilqis is King Assad. IN this text there is nostalgia for the greatness of the past, as well as the intonation of the futility of all things. There is also a story about the magical origin of the queen: her father, having gone hunting, got lost while chasing a gazelle, and ended up in a magical city inhabited by spirits, in the possession of King Talab-ibn-Sin. Gazelle turned into the king's daughter, Harura, and married Hadhad. Researchers note the connection of the characters in this plot with the pre-Islamic animal cults of Arabia: the queen's father Hadhad is close to the hoopoe bird (Hudhud), grandfather Talab - from the 3rd century. BC e. known as a moon-related deity whose name translates to "mountain goat" and whose mother is directly a were-gazelle.

"Solomon and the Queen of Sheba", detail. Ottoman master, 16th century.

In a folk novel "Seven Thrones" Persian writer Jami in the chapter "Salaman va Absal" There is a short essay on the topic of female infidelity, and the Queen of Sheba admits to a free view of sexual relations: “Never, neither at night nor during the day, will a young man pass by me, no matter who I look after passionately.”. And Nizami condemns the bad habits of Suleiman and Bilqis, talking about their marriage and the birth of a paralyzed child, who could only be healed if the royal couple revealed their secret desires to Allah. The queen admits that she wants to deceive her husband, and the king admits that despite his enormous wealth, he covets other people's wealth. The moral of the essay is receiving salvation after confession.

Persian writer and mystic Jalaleddin Rumi (XIII century) in the 4th book "Mesnevi"(a poetic commentary on the Koran) tells of the visit of a queen with enormous wealth, which seems insignificant in comparison with the possessions of Suleiman. The main idea is that the real gift is in honoring Allah, and not in gold, so Suleiman expects “her pure heart” from the queen as a gift. And the Persian poet Hafiz, on the contrary, creates an erotic-worldly image of Bilqis.

In some Arabic texts, the queen's name is not Bilqis, but Balmaka, Yalmaka, Yalaammaka, Illumku, Almaka etc.

Mysteries of the Queen of Sheba

In Jewish tradition

The Queen of Sheba, despite Solomon's not very polite reception, strives to fulfill her mission. She offers the king riddles: “If you guess it, I will recognize you as a sage; if you don’t guess it, I will know that you are an ordinary person.”.

A list of riddles that overlap with each other is contained in several Jewish sources:

In the Christian tradition

Shulamite and the Bride of Christ

The Sorceress and the Sibyl

In medieval European literature, perhaps due to consonance, an identification arose of the Queen of Sheba with the legendary prophetess of antiquity - the Sibyl. Thus, monk George, a Byzantine chronicler of the 9th century, writes that the Greeks call the Queen of Sheba Sibyl. This refers to the Sibyl of Saba, whom Pausanias mentions as a prophetess who lived with the Jews outside Palestine, in the Syrian mountains; and the Roman sophist of the 3rd century Aelian called Jewish Sibyl. Nikolay Spafariy in his work “ Book of Sibyls"(1672) devoted a separate chapter Sybille Saba. In it he cites the famous medieval legend of the Tree of the Cross and, referring to Isidore Pelusiot, writes: “ this queen came as the wise Sibyl to see the wise king and as a prophetess foresaw Christ through Solomon" The oldest image of the Queen of Sheba as a Sibyl is on the mosaic of the western facade of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem (320s).

In Western legends about the Queen of Sheba, included in the legend of the Life-Giving Cross in the composition "Golden Legend", she turned into a sorceress and prophetess, and received the name Regina Sibylla.

The Queen and the Life-Giving Cross

According to "Golden Legend", when the sorceress and Sibyl Queen of Sheba paid a visit to Solomon, along the way she knelt before a beam that served as a bridge over a stream. According to legend, it was made from a tree that sprouted from a branch of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, placed in Adam’s mouth during his burial, and subsequently thrown away during the construction of the Temple of Jerusalem.

Having bowed to him, she predicted that the Savior of the world would be hanged on this tree, and therefore the kingdom of the Jews would come to ruin and end.

Then, instead of stepping on the tree, she forded the stream barefoot. As the medieval theologian Honorius Augustodunsky tells in his work "De imagine mundi" (About the image of the world), the moment she stepped into the water, her webbed foot turned into a human one (borrowed from Arabic legends).

Frightened Solomon, according to legend, ordered the beam to be buried, but it was found a thousand years later and used to make the instrument for the execution of Jesus Christ.

In Russian apocrypha " A Word about the Tree of the Cross"(-XVI century) the Sibyl, coming to look at the tree thrown away by Solomon, sat on it and was scorched by fire. After this she said: “ Oh damn tree", and the people standing nearby exclaimed: " O blessed tree, on which the Lord will be crucified!».

In Russian apocrypha

A story about the birth of the queen, her accession to the throne, her visit to Jerusalem and the conception of her son (Ethiopian “comic”)

Like the Sibyl, she penetrated into Old Russian Orthodox literature about this event: “ When the queen of Sheba, named Nikavla, one of the ancient prophetesses, the Sibyls, spoke, came to Jerusalem to hear the wisdom of Solomon" A variant of the queen's name is taken from the version of Josephus, who retold the story of the visit to "Jewish Antiquities" where he calls her the ruler of Egypt and Ethiopia and calls her Nikavla(Greek Nikaulên, English Nicaule).

The most detailed history of the meeting between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba is contained in the apocryphal work “ Solomon courts", which became widespread from the end of the 14th century as part of " Tolovoi Paley", containing many Old Testament apocrypha. Such stories about Solomon were prohibited, although she herself "Palea" at the same time it was considered a true book. The similarity of Russian tales about Solomon with medieval European and Talmudic literature and the linguistic features of the text indicate that they were translated from a Hebrew original. The translation of Jewish midrash into Russian dates back to the first half of the 13th century.

« Solomon courts"report that" There was a foreign queen of the South named Malkatoshka. She came to test Solomon with riddles" Russian form of the queen's name Malkatoshka(in some manuscripts Malkatoshva) is consonant with Hebrew Malkat Shva and, apparently, is borrowed. The queen brought Solomon a gift 20 tubs of gold, and a lot of potions, and wood that does not rot. The meeting between Solomon and the Queen of Sheba is described as follows:

There were tin walkways there. It seemed to her as if a king was sitting in the water. (She), lifting her robes, went to meet him. He (Solomon) saw that she was beautiful in face, but her body was (covered) with hair. This hair bewitches the man who is with her. And the king commanded his wise men to prepare a jar of potion to anoint her body so that her hair would fall out.

In the mention of hair on the queen’s body, there is an analogy with Arab legends.

As in Jewish legends, the queen tests Solomon with riddles, a list of which is also given in “ Courts of Solomon»:

• Solomon needed to divide the beautiful boys and girls, dressed in the same clothes, twice into boys and girls. The first time Solomon ordered them to wash, and the young men did it quickly, and the girls slowly. The second time he ordered vegetables to be brought and sprinkled in front of them - “ the youths began to put (them) in the hem (of their clothes), and the girls in their sleeves»;
• Sheba asked Solomon to separate the circumcised men from the uncircumcised. Solomon's solution was as follows: " The king ordered to bring a holy crown, on which the name of the Lord was written. With his help, Balaam's ability to cast magic was taken away. The circumcised youths stood, but the uncircumcised fell on their faces before the crown».

In addition to the mysteries of Queen Malkatoshka " Solomon courts“They cite a dispute between the sages she brought with the sages of King Solomon:

• The wise men wished it to the cunning Solomon: “ We have a well far from the city. In your wisdom, guess what can be used to drag him to the city?“The cunning Solomons, realizing that this could not be, told them: “ Weave bran into a rope, and we will drag your well to the city.».
• And again the sages wished for it: “ If a field grows with knives, what can you reap it with?" They were answered: " donkey horn" And her wise men said: “ Where are the donkey's horns?"They answered: " Where does the field give birth to knives?»
• They also made a wish: “ If the salt rots, what can you use to salt it?"They said: " Taking the womb of a mule, you need to salt it" And they said: " Where does a mule give birth?"They answered: " Where does the salt rot?»

The identity of the legends contained in the Russian apocrypha with the Jewish and Ethiopian stories is completed by the mention of the love affair between the queen and Solomon: “The cunning and scribes are rumoring that they will buy food with her. Having conceived from him, he went to his land and gave birth to a son, and behold Nechadnezzar was born.”.

Demonization of the image

In Jewish traditions of the post-biblical era and closely related Muslim literature, one can trace the gradual demonization of the image of the Queen of Sheba testing King Solomon. This demonized image indirectly penetrates into the Christian tradition. The purpose of the biblical narrative is primarily to glorify the wisdom of Solomon and the prosperity of the kingdom of Israel ruled by him. The motive for the confrontation between the male king and the female queen is practically absent. At the same time, in later retellings this motive gradually becomes the leading one, and the test with riddles mentioned in passing in the Bible turns, according to a number of modern interpreters, into an attempt to question the God-given patriarchal system of the world and society. In this case, the image of the queen acquires negative and sometimes downright demonic features - for example, hairy legs (see below). The motive of seduction and sinful connection arises, from which the destroyer of the Temple, Nebuchadnezzar, is born (see section Relations with King Solomon). And the silver that the queen brought as a gift to Solomon ultimately goes to thirty pieces of silver for Judas Iscariot.

The image of the queen is also related to the legendary demoness Lilith. For the first time their images are connected in “ Targum to the book of Job"(Job.), where it is said that Lilith tormented Job, taking on the guise of the Queen of Sheba. In the same targum "they were attacked by the Savei" translated as “they were attacked by Lilith, the queen of Zmargad”(Emerald). In one of the Arab legends, Solomon also suspects that Lilith appeared to him in the form of a queen. One of the later Kabbalistic treatises claims that the Queen of Sheba tested Solomon with the same riddles with which Lilith seduced Adam. There is also a known story about how Lilith, taking the guise of this queen, seduced a poor man from Worms.

Medieval Kabbalists believed that the Queen of Sheba could be summoned as an evil spirit. A 14th century spell gives the following recommendations for this purpose: "...If you want to see the Queen of Sheba, then get one lot of gold from the pharmacy; then take a little wine vinegar, a little red wine and mix everything together. Anoint yourself with what you got and say: “You, Queen of Sheba, appear... in half an hour and do not cause harm or any damage. I conjure you, you and Malkiel, in the name of Taftefil. Amen. Selah". In addition, she was considered the author of an alchemical treatise, which supposedly began with the words "After I climbed the mountain...".

Feet of the Queen of Sheba

Image of a man with hooves. Engraving from the Nuremberg Chronicle

Some of the legends mentioned below offer their own, clearly later, explanations for the queen’s hooves:

• The story about the inhuman appearance of the Queen of Sheba is in the Arabic version " Kebra Negast", which reports that in ancient times, Abyssinia (Ethiopia) was ruled by princesses of royal blood (that is, the Queen of Sheba was of noble descent from birth):

• Northern Ethiopia has its own early Christian legend explaining the demonic origin of the donkey's hoof of the Queen of Sheba. Legend attributes to her origins from the Tigre tribe and the name Etje Azeb(that is, the “Queen of the South,” by which the Queen of Sheba is called only in the New Testament). Her people worshiped a dragon or serpent, to which men sacrificed their eldest daughters:

Queen of Sheba with a hoof. Norman mosaic from the 12th century, Otranto Cathedral, South Apulia

In European Christian iconography, the feet turned into webbed goose feet - as suggested, perhaps due to the borrowing of attributes from the pagan goddess of the Germans Perchta, Berchta (Perchta), who had goose feet. (This deity was integrated into the image of Saint Bertha in the centuries of Christianity, and also probably served as one of the origins of the appearance of Mother Goose in European folklore). According to another version, the image of the narrator of Mother Goose fairy tales was directly influenced by the Queen of Sheba, the Sibyl. Image Queen Houndstooth was widespread in southern France ( Reine Pédauque, from Italian piede d'auca, “crow’s foot”), and the fact that it was specifically about the Queen of Sheba was already consigned to oblivion.

Researchers' opinions

Folding Bible Text

The dating of the story about the Queen of Sheba is not precisely clear. A significant portion of biblical philologists believe that an early version of the story of the Queen of Sheba arose before the supposed date of the writing of Deuteronomy by an anonymous author, traditionally designated as the Deuteronomist ( Deuteronomist, Dtr1) (- BC), by which this source was processed and placed in Scripture as part of the books that form the so-called Deuteronomic history. Many scholars believe, however, that the story from the Third Book of Kings in its modern form was compiled during the so-called second Deuteronomistic edition ( Dtr2), produced during the era of the Babylonian captivity (about 550 BC). The purpose of the story seems to be to exalt the figure of King Solomon, who is depicted as a ruler who enjoys authority and amazes the imagination of other rulers. It should be noted that such praise is dissonant with the general critical tone of the Deuteronomic history in relation to King Solomon. Later, this story was also placed in the Second Book of Chronicles (II Chronicles), written in the post-exilic era.

Hypotheses and archaeological evidence

Researchers note that the Queen of Sheba's visit to Jerusalem appears to have been a trade mission related to the Israelite king's efforts to establish himself on the Red Sea coast and thus undermine the monopoly of Saba and other South Arabian kingdoms on caravan trade with Syria and Mesopotamia. Assyrian sources confirm that southern Arabia was engaged in international trade as early as 890 BC. e., so the arrival in Jerusalem of the time of Solomon of a trade mission of a certain South Arabian kingdom seems quite possible.

There is, however, a problem with the chronology: Solomon lived approximately from BC. BC e., and the first traces of the Savean monarchy appear about 150 years later.

In the 19th century, researchers I. Halevi and Glaser found ruins in the Arabian Desert huge city Marib. Among the inscriptions found, scientists read the names of four South Arabian states: Minea, Hadhramaut,

Giovanni Demin (1789-1859)

Solomon is a king and a philosopher, but first of all he was a man and nothing human was alien to him. Love that makes your heart beat faster. Love that has carried its charm through the centuries. The love of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The great, mysterious queen - and the wisest ruler. Solomon dedicated the Song of Songs to this mysterious beauty. She captivated the biblical ruler with her beauty and intelligence, taking with her a piece of Solomon’s soul to the Sabaean kingdom.

Makeda, Queen of Sheba Edward Slocombe

To test Solomon's wisdom, Bilquis asked him a series of questions: “If you guess it, I will recognize you as a sage; if you don’t guess it, I will know that you are an ordinary person.”. Convinced that he had far surpassed the glory of himself, she submitted to him along with her kingdom.

Apollonio di Giovanni

The Queen of Sheba's questions were as follows:

“Wooden well, iron bucket, scoops up stones, pours out water. What is this?" —Surma. (The antimony tube was made of reed, the pump handle was made of metal. The substance itself is used for tinting eyebrows and coloring eyeball represented a mineralogical melt; getting into the eye, it caused increased action of the tear ducts)

“It comes from the earth, is nourished by the earth, flows like water, and spills light. What is this?" -"Oil".

“A storm walks over its tops and groans and cries out sorrowfully; his head is like a reed; for the rich it is honor, and for the poor it is shame; for the dead there is honor, and for the living - shame; joy for the birds and sorrow for the fish. What is this?" -"Linen". (Flax is used to make both clothing for the rich and coarse clothing for the poor, a shroud for the dead and a rope for the gallows. Flax seeds serve as food for birds and fishing nets are made from flax.)

Claude Lorraine

According to the Midrash, the riddles were different:

Who has not been born and will not die? — God bless him.

What land has seen the sun only once? — The one that was covered by the waters on the day of creation, which parted only when Moses led the people of Israel along it - the bottom of the Red Sea.

What kind of fence is it with ten doors, when one of them is open, nine are closed; when nine open, one closes? — This fence is a woman's womb; ten doors - ten holes in the body: eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, holes for getting rid of impurities and the navel. When the fetus is in the womb, only the opening of the umbilical cord is open in its body, while the other openings are closed; when the child comes out of the womb, the navel closes and the other openings open.

What is motionless while alive, but is in motion after the top of its head is blown off? — The wood from which the ship is made.

What are the three things that were neither food, nor drink, nor air, but saved three from death? — Seal, rope and staff. This refers to the story of Judah and Tamar, where the three are Tamar and her two sons.

Three people entered the cave and five came out? — Lot, his two daughters and their two children.

The dead man is alive, the grave moves, and the dead man prays. What is this? — Jonah in the belly of the whale.

Who are the three who ate and drank on earth, but were not born of a man and a woman? — Three angels who appeared to Abraham.

Four entered the house of death and came out alive, but two entered the house of life and became dead? — Four: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah(youths in the fiery furnace Dan., two - Nadab and Abihu(sons of Aaron, who brought strange fire before the Lord, which He did not command them, for which Leo was burned to ashes).

Who are those who will be born but will not die? — The Prophet Elijah, who was taken to heaven alive by the Messiah.

What was not born, although it was given life? — Golden Taurus, (an idol made by Aaron at the request of the people, during the absence of Moses: “ I said to them: whoever has gold, take it off you. and they gave it to me; I threw it into the fire and this little calf came out»).

What, although produced by the earth, is made by man and is nourished by what comes out of the earth? — Wick.

Was the wife of two, gave birth to two and all four are children of the same father? — Tamar.

In a house full of death there is not a single dead person, but not a single one will come out alive? — The story of Samson and the Philistines(captive Samson, being tied during a feast to the pillars that supported the roof of the house, moved them and “ the house collapsed on the owners and on all the people who were in it" -Court.)

The queen ordered logs of cedar trees to be brought and asked Solomon to indicate where the top and bottom of the log were, from which end the branches grew and from which the roots. Solomon ordered the logs to be placed in the water. The end that sank to the bottom was the bottom from where the roots grew, and the one that rose above the surface of the water was the top.

Samuel Coleman

The queen presented Solomon with only 120 talents of gold, i.e. 3120 kilograms, and there was undoubtedly also a lot of incense and precious stones, since a whole caravan of camels brought it all.

Jacopo Tintoretto

In the Koran, as well as in oriental fairy tales, the queen's name sounds like Bilqis. In Ethiopia her name is Makeda. The Queen of Sheba occupies one of the central places in Ethiopian literature. The emperors of this country consider themselves descendants of the legendary queen.
According to Old Testament legends, the queen, having heard about the glory and power of the Jewish king Solomon, decided to go to him personally.

Pedro Berruguete

King Solomon, who was given the name Jedidiah at birth, meaning “Beloved of God,” ruled the state of Israel for forty years. He ruled Israel almost 1000 years before the birth of Christ at the very peak of the heyday of Jewish civilization, when the Egyptian civilization was already degenerating, and the Greek and Roman had not yet arisen. Most often, the years of his reign are called 972-932 BC, and this time is marked by relative calm and peace in Israel. It is not for nothing that the royal name of this ruler was the name Solomon (from the Hebrew word “shlomo” - peace). He ascended the throne when he was barely twenty years old, but already in the first years of his reign, the young ruler proved to the Israelis his wisdom, organizational skills and strength. He immediately fortified Jerusalem, built a fleet, allocated large funds to develop trade with neighboring states, erected a great temple, and also encouraged the development of science and literature.He was the third and last king. After him, the kingdom split into two - Israel and Judah, and stagnation and decay actually began.

Seal of Solomon on a Moroccan coin

Solomon's wisdom impressed the queen. According to the Bible, Makeda confirmed in admiration that the rumors about the king’s glory and wisdom were completely true; the rumor did not in the least exaggerate the ruler’s dignity.

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

Anonymous (Antwerp, 17th century)

Makeda herself was so beautiful that Solomon was enchanted. Rumors that reached the king said that the Queen of Sheba came from a family of genies. Her legs are a direct confirmation of this. The inquisitive king arranged a kind of test for the guest, receiving her in chambers with a crystal floor, under which fish swam in the pool. The queen, stepping on the glass, reflexively lifted the hem of her dress, momentarily exposing her legs to Solomon.

Northern Ethiopia has its own early Christian legend explaining the demonic origin of the donkey's hoof of the Queen of Sheba. Legend ascribes to her origins from the Tigrean tribe the name Etje Azeb(that is, the “Queen of the South,” by which the Queen of Sheba is called only in the New Testament). Her people worshiped a dragon or serpent, to which men sacrificed their eldest daughters: When her parents' turn came, they tied her to a tree where the dragon came for food. Soon seven saints came there and sat in the shade of this tree. A girl's tear fell on them, and when they looked up and saw her tied to a tree, they asked her if she was a person, and answering their further questions, the girl told them that she was tied to a tree to become a victim of the dragon. When the seven saints saw the dragon... they struck him with a cross and killed him. But his blood got on Ethier Azeb's heel, and her foot turned into a donkey's hoof. The saints untied her and told her to return to the village, but the people drove her out of there, thinking that she had escaped from the dragon, so she climbed a tree and spent the night there. The next day she brought people from the village and showed them the dead dragon, and then they immediately made her their ruler, and she made a girl similar to herself as her assistant.

Edward Poynter

Some legends indicate that the queen’s legs were completely ordinary.
According to another legend, the queen's legs were human, but too hairy for a woman.

Vlegel, Nikola. Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
The third legend claims that Makeda’s legs were crooked, hairy, and her feet were ugly curved. These are the legs that the jinn and their descendants had.
Despite everything, Solomon fell in love with the Queen of Sheba. Their romance was brief. It lasted only six months. The queen got ready to go home. Solomon generously gave her gifts and sent her on a long journey.

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino

Konrad Witz
Solomon spent all his days with her, talking about countries, the Universe, and God. He took Balcis around Jerusalem, showing the buildings and temples he had built, and the queen never ceased to be amazed at his scope and generosity.

R. Leinweber. Queen of Sheba and Solomon.

Edward Slocombe

The Queen of Sheba, returning to the Sabaean kingdom, gave birth to a son, Menelik. He became a great ruler in Ethiopia, considered the founder of the dynasty of Ethiopian (Abyssinian) kings who ruled for three thousand years.There is not a word in the biblical text about the alleged love affair between Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. But such a connection is described in legends. It is known from the Bible that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, among which some legends include the Queen of Sheba.

Batisterio san giovanni Florence, Salomon meets the Queen of Saabe, on the Paradise Door of the Florence Baptistry

Solomon was considered the personification of wisdom, so a saying arose: “He who sees Solomon in a dream can hope to become wise” (Berachot 57 b). He understood the language of animals and birds. When conducting a trial, he did not need to interrogate witnesses, since at one glance at the litigants he knew which of them was right and which was wrong. For all that, Solomon was not distinguished by arrogance and, when it was necessary to determine leap year, he invited seven learned elders to his place, in whose presence he remained silent.

The Midrash says that on the steps of the throne there were 12 golden lions and the same number of golden eagles (according to another version 72 and 72) one against the other. Six steps led to the throne, on each of which were golden images of representatives of the animal kingdom, two different ones on each step, one opposite the other. At the top of the throne was an image of a dove with a dovecote in its claws, which was supposed to symbolize Israel's dominion over the pagans. There was also a golden candlestick with fourteen cups for candles. Above the candlestick was a golden jar of oil, and below was a golden bowl, on which were engraved the names of Nadab, Abihu, Eli and his two sons. 24 vines above the throne created a shadow over the king's head. With the help of a mechanical device, the throne moved according to Solomon's wishes. According to the Targum, all animals, using a special mechanism, extended their paws when Solomon ascended to the throne so that the king could lean on them. When Solomon reached the sixth step, the eagles lifted him up and seated him on a chair. Then a large eagle placed a crown on his head, and the rest of the eagles and lions rose up to form a shadow around the king. The dove descended, took the Torah scroll from the ark and placed it on Solomon's lap. When the king, surrounded by the Sanhedrin, began to examine the case, the wheels (ofanim) began to turn, and animals and birds uttered cries that made those who intended to give false testimony tremble.

Asknazi Isaac. Vanity of Vanities and all sorts of vanity. Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas

King Solomon reigned over all the high and low worlds. The disk of the Moon did not decrease during his reign, and good constantly prevailed over evil. Power over angels, demons and animals gave special shine to his reign. Demons brought him precious stones and water from distant lands to irrigate his exotic plants. Animals and birds themselves entered his kitchen. Each of his thousand wives prepared a feast every day in the hope that the king would be pleased to dine with her. The king of birds, the eagle, obeyed all the instructions of King Solomon. With the help of a magic ring on which the name of the Almighty was engraved, Solomon extracted many secrets from the angels. In addition, the Almighty gave him a flying carpet. Solomon traveled on this carpet, having breakfast in Damascus and dinner in Media.

Solomon's ring “Everything passes”, “This too will pass” , and lastly- "Nothing Passes"

Rules written on King Solomon's ring.

Passing by the church... -pray..., Passing by beggars..., - share...,
Passing by young people..., - don’t be angry..., Passing by old..., - bow down...,
Passing by cemeteries..., - sit down..., Passing by memory..., -remember...,
Passing by the mother..., - stand up..., Passing by relatives..., - remember...,
Passing by knowledge..., - take..., Passing by laziness..., - shudder...,
Passing by idle..., - create..., Passing by the fallen..., - remember...,
Passing by the wise..., -wait..., Passing by stupid..., - don't listen...,
Passing by happiness..., - rejoice..., Passing by the generous..., - take a bite...,
Passed by honor..., - keep..., Passing by duty..., - don’t hide...,
Passing by the words..., - hold..., Passing by feelings... - don't be shy...,
Passing by glory..., - don't bother..., Passing by the truth..., - don't lie...,
Passing by sinners..., - hope..., Passing by passion..., - go away...,
Passing by a quarrel..., - don’t quarrel..., Passing by flattery..., - shut up...,
Passing by conscience..., - be afraid..., Passing by drunkenness..., - don’t drink...,
Passing by anger..., - humble yourself..., Passing by grief..., - cry...,
Passing by the pain..., - take heart..., Passing by lies..., - don’t be silent...,
Passing by orphans..., - spend some money..., Passing by the authorities... - don’t believe it, ..

Passing by death..., - do not be afraid..., Passing by life..., - live...,
Passing by God... - open up

But during his reign, Solomon also made mistakes that led to the collapse of the state after his death.
Grandiose construction and fast economic development They demanded labor "and King Solomon imposed a duty on all Israel; the duty consisted of thirty thousand people." Solomon divided the country into 12 tax districts, obliging them to support the royal court and army. The tribe of Judah, from which Solomon and David came, was exempt from taxes, which caused discontent among representatives of the remaining tribes of Israel. Solomon's extravagance and craving for luxury led to the fact that he was unable to pay off King Hiram, with whom he entered into an agreement during the construction of the Temple, and was forced to give him several of his cities as debt.
The priests also had reasons for dissatisfaction. King Solomon had many wives of different races and religions, and they brought their deities with them. Solomon built temples for them where they could worship their gods, and at the end of his life he himself began to participate in pagan cults.
The Midrash (Oral Torah) says that when King Solomon married the daughter of Pharaoh, the Archangel Gabriel descended from heaven and stuck a pole into the depths of the sea, around which an island was formed, on which Rome was subsequently built, conquering Jerusalem.

King Solomon's Mines

From the Old Testament we know that King Solomon possessed enormous wealth. It is said that every three years he sailed to the land of Ophir and brought back gold, mahogany, precious stones, monkeys and peacocks. Scientists have tried to find out what Solomon took to Ophir in exchange for these riches and where this country is located. The location of the mysterious country has not yet been clarified. It is believed that this could be India, Madagascar, Somalia.Most archaeologists are confident that King Solomon mined copper ore in his mines. IN different places"real mines of King Solomon" periodically appeared. In the 1930s it was suggested that the Solomon mines were located in southern Jordan. And only at the beginning of this century, archaeologists found evidence that, indeed, copper mines discovered on the territory of Jordan in the town of Khirbat en-Nahas could be the legendary mines of King Solomon.Obviously, Solomon had a monopoly on copper production, which gave him the opportunity to make huge profits

The Queen of Sheba - an exotic, mysterious and powerful woman - is immortalized in the greatest religious books, including the Hebrew Bible and the Muslim Koran. Her image also appears in Turkish and Persian painting, in Kabbalistic treatises, and in medieval Christian mystical works, where she is seen as the embodiment of divine wisdom and the predictor of the cult of the Crucifixion. In Africa and Arabia it is still told to this day and, indeed, stories about it have been told and retold in many countries for almost 3,000 years.

Attempts to find out who the Queen of Sheba (Sheba) could really be encounter certain difficulties. Why, if so little is known about her, did she become such an important figure? The stories of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba are, after all, part of the creation legends modern states Israel and Ethiopia.

Jewish legend

Of all the famous story-telling peoples in the world, along with the Celts, Greeks and Hindus, the Jews have left one of the greatest literary legacies to humanity. Biblical stories were written down during the late Iron Age and the period of Persian and Greek rule in the Middle East (600-200 BC). They have proven to be surprisingly enduring - their extraordinary influence on the history of civilization was achieved largely due to their importance to the three monotheistic religions.

The first appearance of the story about the visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon is a short description of it in the Old Testament:

The Queen of Sheba, having heard about the glory of Solomon in the name of the Lord, came to test him with riddles. And she came to Jerusalem with very great wealth: the camels were loaded with incense and a great quantity of gold and precious stones; and she came to Solomon and talked with him about everything that was in her heart.<…>And King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba everything that she desired and asked for, beyond what King Solomon gave her with his own hands. And she went back to her land, she and all her servants. 3rd Book of Kings, chapter 10, 1-13

This is a story that has not yet been verified. But there are enough hints and clues to keep it tantalizing and mysterious. The “precious stones,” “spices,” and “incense” that the queen brought as a gift to Solomon from her homeland suggest that she came from a country rich in precious stones and incense trees.

Only a few countries can boast of all this - countries such as Somalia and Ethiopia (in the Horn of Africa), and Oman and Yemen in the southern Arabian Peninsula. So could the country of the Queen of Sheba be somewhere out there? What about the queen's name itself? Is there any information about the land called Sava

Search for evidence

There are actually several people named Sheba in the Bible: one is a descendant of Noah's son Shem, and the other is a descendant of his son Ham. But a place called Sava is also mentioned. In the book of the prophet Ezekiel (chapter 27, 22-24) it is mentioned that the merchants who traded with Tire came from Sheba and Raamah, and brought with them spices, precious stones and gold - exactly the same goods that the Queen of Sheba brought with her, when she came to visit Solomon in Jerusalem.

But the most popular translation of the Hebrew word Sava is the Arabic word Saba (Sheba) - with reference to the great Sabaean kingdom, today part of Yemen. Although there is a lack of clear historical evidence about the Queen of Sheba herself, there is evidence in the text to support this version. In Assyrian texts, rulers named Itamru and Karib-ilu are associated with the kings of Saba from Yemenite texts named Yita'amars and Karibil.

Islamic tradition

Even more interesting are the results of the current excavations of an ancient temple near the market in old Marib - on lands that were once part of the ancient Sabaean kingdom. The temple is known as Mahram Bilqis, or Temple of Bilqis, and Bilqis is the name given to the Queen of Sheba later in the Islamic tradition. In earlier versions of the Koran, the name of the Queen of Sheba is not mentioned. Her story contains several familiar plot lines from the Bible, but there are also a few additional ones.

God is believed to have allowed Solomon to speak to and understand the birds, and one day noticed that there was a missing lapwing. When the bird returned, it explained that it had flown to a foreign land known as Saba, which was ruled by a queen who was very rich and sat on a throne of gold and silver. Then Solomon invited this queen to visit him.

Upon arrival, she entered a palace specially built for her. The walls and floor of the palace were made of glass, and water flowed along the floor. She lifted her skirt so as not to get it wet, and thus showed everyone her legs, which were covered with hair, like a goat's.

(A later Arab legend says that the Queen of Sheba had a goat's hoof instead of a foot. When her mother was pregnant with her, she met a beautiful goat and lusted after it, "as is common in pregnant women," and when her own daughter was born, she she had one normal leg, and instead of the other, a goat’s hoof).

Ethiopian tradition

Of all the stories about the Queen of Sheba (Queen Sheba), those that came from Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa probably retain the most connection with everyday life. This story was immortalized in the sacred Ethiopian book - Kebra Nagast (Book of the Glory of Kings) - in which we can find references to the queen's hairy hooves, her trip to Solomon and her seduction. But the story doesn't end there. The queen then returned to her capital Axum, located in northern Ethiopia, and a few months later gave birth to a son with Solomon, naming him Menelik, which means “son of the sage.”

Years later, Menelik traveled to Jerusalem to see his father. Solomon greeted him with joy and invited him to stay to rule after his death. But Menelik refused this and decided to return home. Under cover of darkness, he left the city, taking with him from the Jerusalem Temple the most precious relic - the Ark of the Covenant. He brought it to Axum, where it remains to this day in a specially built vault in the courtyard of the Church of the Holy Virgin Mary.

The importance of Queen Sheba, the Ark of the Covenant and the Kebra Nagast in Ethiopian history cannot be overstated. Based on the text of the Kebra Nagast, Ethiopians consider their country chosen by God, the final resting place of his ark - and the Queen of Sheba and her son helped him get there. Thus, the Queen of Sheba became the progenitor of her people, and kings have a divine right to rule because they are her immediate descendants. Emperor Haile Selassie even enshrined this provision in the 1955 Ethiopian Constitution.

Haile Selassie was, however, not the first emperor to publicly declare the importance of the Kebra Nagast. The National Archives in London contains letters dated 1872 written by the Ethiopian Emperor Yohannis IV to Queen Victoria in which he writes (translation):

You have there a book called "Kebra Nagast", which contains the laws of all Ethiopia, and the names of the shums (analogous to governors), churches and provinces. I ask you to establish who owns this book and send it to me, since without this book my people in my country will not obey me.

With Queen Victoria's permission, the book was returned to Ethiopia and is now kept in the Ragel Church in Addis Ababa, with a plaque in front of it explaining its history.

Kebra Nagast

Ultimately, there is no clear evidence, archaeological or written, that the Queen of Sheba was queen of Ethiopia. The impressive ruins of Axum predate the queen - a contemporary of Solomon - by a thousand years - and are at least generally dated to the tenth century BC. And the ruling dynasty of the great Sabaean kingdom in Southern Arabia, about which we have written evidence, first took possession of the throne at the time when, presumably, the Queen of Sheba came to power.

But the story must be based on something. If the version given in the Bible was written centuries after her reign, as many believe, to glorify Israel and the reign of King Solomon, then it may describe a time of great expansion, a time when the world was unknown to man. Maybe the queen’s trip to Israel was one of the first diplomatic missions in the world?

Interestingly, there are ancient texts that tell of powerful queens of northern Arabia who reigned in the seventh and eighth centuries BC - a time that some historians in Israel believe to be the reign of King Solomon.

As for the Queen of Sheba herself, her story remains a mystery. She was a powerful woman, a doting mother and a mysterious lover - and also became the progenitor of a nation and a demon with cloven hooves. All this made her an incredibly popular historical figure.

The Queen of Sheba's mother, while pregnant with her, met a beautiful goat, perhaps in the 21st week of pregnancy. At this time, the unborn child’s bones and muscular system. In addition, the appetites of expectant mothers increase.