The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-07-26
CONNECTING HISTORY.

When Solomon's prayer at the dedication
was concluded, fire from heaven descended
and consumed the sacrifices. The feast of
Tabernscles was protracted double its usual
length, fourteen days, aud vast number Of
sacrifices were offered. After the dedication
services, God again appeared to Solomon,
assured him his prayer was accepted, and
renewed the promises of the covenant. The
King, after building the temple, completed a
magnificent palace. These buildings occu-
pied the first twenty years of his reign
Other edifces and improvements were made
adding to the splendOr of the capital, and
costly cities were built in other parts Of the
extended kingdom. For these works the
Canaanites who remained in the land were
made bondsmen, whilst levy was made
upon the Israelites for officers for the work,
and for military service. The regular wor-
ship according to the law was maintained,
and the three annual festivals were observed.
Solomon conducted an extensive commerce
both upon the Red and the Mediterranean
Sea, in connection with Hiram, King Of the
wealthy commercial kingdom of Tyre. Both
the southern trade with Ophir, and the west
ern with Tarshish brought immense wealth to
Solomon.
NOTES ON THE LESSON.
The queen and her visit, vs.. Is.
"The queen of Sheba." There is but
little doubt her kingdom was the southern
part of the peninsula of Arabia. There are
three persons of the name of Sheba in the
genealogical tables (Gen. K: Z, Is; XIV:
8, and 1 ChrOn. i: 9, p, 32) There is sat
isfactOry proof that Joktan settled in Ara
bis, and that from his son Sheba, brother Of
Ophir, (Gen. x: %, 29,) descended the Ss-
beans, who in early historic times inhabited
Yemen, or Arabia Felix. Sheba the de-
scendant of Cush (Gsn. K: u is by some
supposed to have settled in Ethiopia, the
Modern Abyssinia, by others on the shores
of the Persian Gulf. Several reasons may
be- given for believing the queen, mentioned
in the lesson, was from the country of the
former of these persons, the son of JOktan
and not that of the latter. a. Sheba, son
of Joktan was brother of Ophir; and this
visit is mentioned in connection with the
trade to Ophir, as though it were part of
the account of that trade Gx: 10; x: IL
49, a. The presents brought Solomon
correspond with the products of that coun-
try as given by the ancient naturalsts, Stra-
DO, Pliny, and others. (3) The expressions
used in Matthew xii: A, "queen of the
SOUTH" and "the uttermost parts of the
EARTH" point to this region; for Yemen, the
name of this country, means "south," both
in Hebrew and in Arabic; and this region,
lying on the shores of the Indian Ocean,
was " the uttermost part, of the known
world in this direction. "A The Jewish,
Christian and Arabic traditions in favor of
this view, are more than an offset for the
Abyssinian traditions that locate Sheba in
Africa. The queen of Sheba, obtained her
information of Solomon and his greatness,
we have reason to believe, through the Ophir
feet, and the merchants engaged in this
trade. For the intimate connection of Ophir
and Sheba in this history, and the fact that
the brothers who bore these names we're sons