The name of the captivating and mysterious Queen of Sheba is mentioned in a large number of written sources: the Old Testament, Kabbalah, the Qur'an, as well as in many Ethiopian, Persian and Turkish legends. But to this day, scientific evidence of whether such a queen lived during the time of Solomon has been practically not found. There are doubts as to whether the Queen of Sheba was a reality or whether it is still a myth.
The image of this woman is associated with a seductive beauty, who, according to legend, came to King Solomon to test his wisdom. For quite some time, everything connected with her name was only speculation and conjecture. And only recently, archaeologists in remote areas of Yemen discovered one of the most significant finds of the present. In the desert of Rub al-Khali, approximately at a depth of nine meters underground, the ruins of a temple were discovered in which, according to experts, documentary evidence was found of the real existence of this queen.
According to legend, Solomon and the Queen of Sheba first met when the wise king, having heard of the wealthy kingdom of Sabei, ruled by the most beautiful and smartest woman. invited her to visit. He wanted to personally see her magnificence and wit. The beauty and mind of the queen conquered Solomon. He was so shocked by her that he came to the conclusion that only a connection with the devil could allow her to be so amazing. Solomon even decided that instead of her legs she should have hoofs, like the devil himself.
The Old Testament mentions the country of Sheba, in which the Queen of Sheba lived. He describes it as a land rich in incense, spices, precious stones and gold. Scientists believe that this country was in the territory of South Arabia. However, there is no evidence that the Queen of Sheba ever ruled in this territory.
American archaeologist Wendell Phillips believes that there is no doubt about the reality of the existence of this legendary woman. However, his expedition, which he began in Mariba to search for evidence of his hypothesis, was hindered by the Yemeni authorities.
The main source of information about the legendary queen is the Third Book of Kings, the tenth chapter of which contains a biblical episode describing events in which her name is mentioned.
Another authoritative scientist, Sir Ernest A. Wallis Budge, is also convinced that the Queen of Sheba is not just a myth. According to him, Sheba was on the Red Sea, which allows her to be identified with Ethiopia. According to another group of researchers, she was the queen of Egypt.
The eastern beauty arrived in Jerusalem to meet in Solomon, bringing with her a caravan of gifts. She prepared the most difficult questions for the king and was subdued by his wisdom.
Source texts can be interpreted in different ways. All of them were compiled at different times, many contained facts rewritten several times from different books, so the question of trust in the information in their data is rather controversial.
Most researchers agree that, most likely, the Queen of Sheba ruled the lands of the kingdom of Axum, located in the Red Sea (the territory of either Yemen or Ethiopia). The capital of the Sava state was Marib, a city in the Arabian desert. It is believed that the reign of the Eastern Queen was in the 10th century BC.
In May 1999, Nigerian and British archaeologists discovered the site of the alleged burial of this royal person. The earth mound on it reached 45 feet high and 100 miles in length. But it is still unknown whether the Queen of Sheba is really buried there.
Today, the mystery about her remains unsolved. It is possible that the story of Solomon's acquaintance with the beauty was completed many centuries after the death of the sage in order to emphasize his royal greatness. It can also be assumed that the image of Sheba, as well as Tomiris (Tsarina Sakov), became collective, which embodied the features of a wise woman ruler. And perhaps, this name is a real woman, whose real name did not reach us. Who knows?