"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)
MAKEDA - QUEEN OF SHEBA (The symbol of Beauty)
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, power and lover affairs. Especially great were the Queens of Ethiopia; Queen of Sheba (960 B.C.), Candace of Meroe and her defeat of Alexander the Great (332 B.C.), Amanirenas, Amanishakhete, Nawidemak, Amanitore (Acts 8:26-40), Shanakdakh, and Malegereabar.
Ethiopia was also known as Nubia,
Kush, Aksum, Abyssinia 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 Kebra Nagast, or the Book of the Glory of the Kings [of Ethiopia], has been held in the highest esteem
and honour throughout the length and breadth of Abyssinia for a thousand years
at least, and even to-day it is believed by every educated man in that country to contain the true history of the origin of
the Solomonic line of kings in Ethiopia, and is regarded as the final authority on the history of the conversion of the Ethiopians
from the worship of the sun, moon, and stars to that of the Lord God of Israel.
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 (for example, President Clinton's trips to confer with foreign heads of state),
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 1 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."
1 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."(5)
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.
*
Order of the Queen of Sheba. Empress Zawditu founded this
order for ladies in 1922, but it was soon extended to gentlemen in several ranks. The insignia is a green and purple star
of Solomon bearingruled 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 , in the centre, the cipher of Queen Makeda suspended from a purple and pale green
ribbon.
