by Anne Baird
A thousand years before Christ, an illustrious line of virgin
queens ruled Ethiopia. Ethiopians still claim Makeda, Queen of Sheba,
as the most famous of these queens. Her love affair with King Solomon
of Israel, the greatest monarch of her time, is said to have produced a
son, Melenik. While Ethiopians still maintain that Solomon seduced
their queen by trickery, they believe that the son of that union
founded the imperial family of Ethiopia, which lasted through the reign
of Emperor Haile Selassie (1930-1974).
Born in the 10th century BC, Makeda ruled over Sheba or Saba.
Archaeologists still quarrel over whether her kingdom was centered in
present day Ethiopia or in Yemen. (Africa and the Middle East are
separated at that point only by a narrow passage where the Red Sea
flows into the Arabian Sea.)
Whatever its precise location, Saba was a wealthy country, rich in
gold, precious stones, incense and exotic spices. It was a trading
nation, that sold its prized wares to every neighboring kingdom of the
ancient world. It was also an agricultural nation, able to feed its
people. Women played an important part in government, economics, the
family and religion. At this period in history, Arabia was matriarchal,
and ruled by queens for a thousand years.
No wonder the Queen of Sheba was adventurous!
At the height of her powers, she decided to visit King Solomon of
Israel. Why? The Bible tells us that she had heard of the great wisdom
of Solomon, of the glory of his court, and that she wanted to learn
from him. This may be true. Makeda herself was clever and well
educated, as well as beautiful. She may have wanted to match wits with
a charismatic and brilliant king. However, her true purpose was to
forge strategic economic and trade alliances with Solomon, whose
kingdom had greatly expanded, and whose ambitious building programs
made him an excellent customer for her country's goods.
Her journey was long and arduous: 1,500 miles across burning deserts,
along the Red Sea coast, and across the Jordan River to Jerusalem. The
trip by camel to and from Jerusalem would have taken at least 6 months
each way. (Camels can travel only 20 miles a day.) If she
traveled by ship, as some historians imagine, the return trip might
have taken even longer – up to three years, because of the monsoons.
The queen traveled with a caravan of 797 camels, mules and asses, all
heavily laden with provisions for her journey, and fabulous gifts for
Solomon. Fifty elephants and four Numidian lions followed, together
with hippopotami and giraffes. She was accompanied by armed guards to
protect her from robbers, and by a host of faithful servants. Seated on
an extravagant gold palanquin, shielded from the sun by silken
canopies, atop a magnificent camel, she must have dazzled the
inhabitants of Jerusalem when she made her triumphal entry into
Solomon's kingdom!
Makeda brought untold wealth with her to cement her hoped for alliance:
close to 4 tons of gold, pearls, and precious spices that were worth
more than their weight in gold. Solomon reciprocated with extravagant
gifts of his own: silks and linens, rich tapestries, dresses, fruits,
and winter melons. He installed her in gorgeous apartments next to his
own palace, wined and dined her royally, and gave her the gift of his
undivided attention.
It is said that he fell in love with the adventurous and gifted queen.
Legend tells us that he wrote one of the most famous love poems in all
history for her - The Song of Solomon. The story continues that he
begged Makeda to marry him, and to remain with him always.
Instead, Makeda returned to Sheba, where she gave birth to a son,
rumored to be fathered by Solomon. From this child descended the long,
unbroken line of Ethiopian kings that ended with Haile Selassie.
Why did Makeda travel home to Sheba? We can only speculate. My guess is
that, having accomplished her primary purpose of ensuring the
continuing prosperity and safety of her country, she returned to care
for her people. Also, in Israel, a patriarchal society, she would have
been only one among many of Solomon's queens and concubines.
In Sheba, she ruled as queen! Even love could not compensate for such a loss of status.
Makeda was a powerful woman of substance, who knew where her best and highest interests lay. She was true to her great destiny.
