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"I am black but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the
curtains of Solomon, Look not upon me because I am black Because the sun hath
scorched me."; (Song of Solomon) Although most of Black history is suppressed,
distorted or ignored by an ungrateful modern world, some African traditions are so
persistent that all of the power and deception of the Western academic establishment
have failed to stamp them out. One such story is that of Makeda, the Queen of
Sheba, and King Solomon of Israel. Black women of antiquity were legendary for their
beauty and power. Especially great were the Queens of Ethiopia. This nation was also
known as Nubia, Kush, Axum and Sheba. One thousand years before Christ, Ethiopia
was ruled by a line of virgin queens. The one whose story has survived into our time
was known as Makeda, "the Queen of Sheba." Her remarkable tradition
was recorded in the Kebar Nagast, or the Glory of Kings, and the Bible. The Bible tells
us that, during his reign, King Solomon of Israel decided to build a magnificent
temple. To announce this endeavor, the king sent forth messengers to various foreign
countries to invite merchants from abroad to come to Jerusalem with their caravans so
that they might engage in trade there. At this time, Ethiopia was second only to Egypt
in power and fame. Hence, King Solomon was enthralled by Ethiopia's beautiful
people, rich history, deep spiritual tradition and wealth. He was especially interested in
engaging in commerce with one of Queen Makeda's subjects, an important merchant
by the name of Tamrin.1 Solomon sent for Tamrin who "packed up stores of
valuables including ebony, sapphires and red gold, which he took to Jerusalem to sell
to the king."2 It turns out that Tamrin's visit was momentous. Although
accustomed to the grandeur and luxury of Egypt and Ethiopia, Tamrin was still
impressed by King Solomon and his young nation. During a prolonged stay in Israel,
Tamrin observed the magnificent buildings and was intrigued by the Jewish people and
their culture. But above all else, he was deeply moved by Solomon's wisdom and
compassion for his subjects. Upon returning to his country, Tamrin poured forth
elaborate details about his trip to Queen Makeda. She was so impressed by the
exciting story that the great queen decided to visit King Solomon herself.3 To
understand the significance of state visits in antiquity in contrast to those of today, we
must completely remove ourselves from the present place and time. In ancient times,
royal visits were very significant ceremonial affairs. The visiting regent was expected to
favor the host with elaborate gifts and the state visit might well last for weeks or even
months. Even by ancient standards, however, Queen Makeda's visit to King Solomon
was extraordinary. In I Kings 10:1-2, the Bible tells us: "1. And when the Queen
of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to
prove him with hard questions. "2. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great
train, with camels that bear spices and very much gold, and precious stones. And when
she was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart." I
Kings 10:10 adds: "She gave the king 120 talents of gold, and of spices very
great store and precious stones; there came no more such abundance of spices as
these which the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon." We should pause to
consider the staggering sight of this beautiful Black woman and her vast array of
resplendent attendants travelling over the Sahara desert into Israel with more than
797 camels plus donkeys and mules too numerous to count. The value of the gold
alone, which she gave to King Solomon, would be $3,690,000 today and was of much
greater worth in antiquity. King Solomon, and undoubtedly the Jewish people, were
flabbergasted by this great woman and her people. He took great pains to
accommodate her every need. A special apartment was built for her lodging while she
remained in his country. She was also provided with the best of food and eleven
changes of garments daily. As so many African leaders before her, this young maiden,
though impressed with the beauty of Solomon's temple and his thriving domain, had
come to Israel seeking wisdom and the truth about the God of the Jewish people.
Responding to her quest for knowledge, Solomon had a throne set up for the queen
beside his. "It was covered with silken carpets, adorned with fringes of gold and
silver, and studded with diamonds and pearls. From this she listened while he
delivered judgments."4 Queen Makeda also accompanied Solomon throughout
his kingdom. She observed the wise, compassionate and spiritual ruler as he
interacted with his subjects in everyday affairs. Speaking of the value of her visit with
the King and her administration for him, Queen Makeda stated: "My Lord, how
happy I am. Would that I could remain here always, if but as the humblest of your
workers, so that I could always hear your words and obey you. "How happy I am
when I interrogate you! How happy when you answer me. My whole being is moved with
pleasure; my soul is filled; my feet no longer stumble; I thrill with delight. "Your
wisdom and goodness," she continued, "are beyond all measure. They are
excellence itself. Under your influence I am placing new values on life. I see light in
the darkness; the firefly in the garden reveals itself in newer beauty. I discover added
lustre in the pearl; a greater radiance in the morning star, and a softer harmony in the
moonlight. Blessed be the God that brought me here; blessed be He who permitted
your majestic mind to be revealed to me; blessed be the One who brought me into
your house to hear your voice. Solomon had a harem of over 700 wives and
concubines, yet, he was enamored by the young Black virgin from Ethiopia. Although
he held elaborate banquets in her honor and wined, dined and otherwise entertained
her during the length of her visit, they both knew that, according to Ethiopian tradition,
the Queen must remain chaste. Nevertheless, the Jewish monarch wished to plant his
seed in Makeda, so that he might have a son from her regal African lineage. To this
end the shrewd king conspired to conquer the affection of this young queen with whom
he had fallen in love. When, after six months in Israel, Queen Makeda announced to
King Solomon that she was ready to return to Ethiopia, he invited her to a magnificent
farewell dinner at his palace. The meal lasted for several hours and featured hot, spicy
foods that were certain to make all who ate thirsty and sleepy (as King Solomon had
planned.) Since the meal ended very late, the king invited Queen Makeda to stay
overnight in the palace in his quarters. She agreed as long as they would sleep in
separate beds and the king would not seek to take advantage of her. He vowed to
honor her chastity, but also requested that she not take anything in the palace.
Outraged by such a suggestion, the Queen protested that she was not a thief and
then promised as requested. Not long after the encounter, the Queen, dying of thirst,
searched the palace for water. Once she found a large water jar and proceeded to
drink, the King startled her by stating: "You have broken your oath that you
would not take anything by force that is in my palace. The Queen protested, of course,
that surely the promise did not cover something so insignificant and plentiful as water,
but Solomon argued that there was nothing in the world more valuable than water, for
without it nothing could live. Makeda reluctantly admitted the truth of this and
apologized for her mistake, begging for water for her parched throat. Solomon, now
released from his promise, assuaged her thirst and his own, immediately taking the
Queen as his lover."6 The following day as the Queen and her entourage
prepared to leave Israel, the King placed a ring on her hand and stated, "If you
have a son, give this to him and send him to me." After returning to the land of
Sheba, Queen Makeda did indeed have a son, whom she named
Son-of-the-wise-man, and reared as a prince and her heir apparent to the throne.
Upon reaching adulthood, the young man wished to visit his father, so the Queen
prepared another entourage, this time headed by Tamrin. She sent a message to
Solomon to anoint their son as king of Ethiopia and to mandate that thenceforth only
the males descended from their son should rule Sheba. Solomon and the Jewish
people rejoiced when his son arrived in Israel. The king anointed him as the Queen
had requested and renamed him Menelik, meaning "how handsome he is."
Though Solomon had many wives, only one had produced a son, Rehoboam, a boy of
seven. So the king begged Menelik to remain, but the young prince would not.
Solomon therefore called his leaders and nobles and announced that, since he was
sending his first born son back to Ethiopia, he wanted all of them to send their
firstborn sons "to be his counselors and officers." And they agreed to do
so. Menelik asked his father for a relic of the Ark of the Covenant to take back with
him to the land of Sheba. It is said that while Solomon intended to provide his son
with a relic, the sons of the counselors, angry at having to leave their homes and go to
Sheba with Menelik, actually stole the real Ark and took it to Ethiopia. Menelik returned
to Sheba and, according to tradition, ruled wisely and well. And his famous line has
continued down to the 20th century when, even now, the ruler of Ethiopia is the
"conquering lion of Judah" descended directly from King Solomon and the
Queen of Sheba. Written by Legrand H. Clegg II