The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-04

At Sea, Sept 16.-Several readers of
The Record Herald have asked my
authority for the sttement that the
Queen of Sheba was Solomon's wife.
While there is no evidence in the scrip
lures to sustain such a theory, the
traditions of Abyssinia tell us that the
Queen of Ethiopia bore a son to the
King of Israel and that the present
dynasty represented by the Emperor
or Negus Menilik H., Victorious Lion
of the Tribe of Judatn, King of the
Kings of Ethiopia, Lieutenant and
Vice Regent of God, is their direct de-
scendant. The records of the imperial
family of Abyssinia, which are thou
sands of years old-almost as old as
those of China, and confidently be-
lieved in by all of the people of that
nation-sustain the traditions, and
there are several curious old manu-
scripts relating to the love affair be-
tween King Solomon and his royal
visitor. They include graphic descrip-
tons of the wonderful ceremonies and
demonstrations that occurred during
her Journey to and her stay in Jeru-
salem where, it is said, she discarded
her own religion and adopted that OF
the Jews received the name BilkiS in
addition to that of Maqurda, as she
was known in her own country, en-
tered the lIarem of Solomon and bore
him a son. Josephus IN his chapter on
Jewish antiquities Identifies the Queen
of Sheba as the Queen of Ethiopia, as
Abyssiania was known at that time,
and confirms the biblical story of her
journey to Jei usalem. The Ia mud tells
us that she had love affair with Solo
mon, but it does not speak of their
marriage or of their son.
The Bible account of the visit to
Jerusalem makes no mention of a mar
riage. 1t merely tells us that she was
accompanied by a great train of camels
laden with spices and gold and precious
stones, and that she became convinced
that Solomon was the wisest man
living. =.s.--
The version given by the Koran and
other Mohammedan literature con-
firms the Abyssinian traditions some
times in minute detail but in other
places contradicts them. This ver-
sion says that Solomon sent a mes
senger to Maqurda, queen of Ethiopia
of whose wealth and beauty he had
learned, inviting her to visit him, and
that she made the journey with all
enormous caravan of CamelS and a
large military escort, bearing rich
presents in order to show her admira-
ton for his power and glory. To test
his wisdom she brought in her train
500 girls dressed as boys and as many
boys clad in the raiment usually worn
by girls. Solomon was smart enough
10 distinguish the sex of each of the
children as they were brought before
him. So impressed was Maqurda by
his learning, wisdom, wealth and pow
er that she placed her own government
under his protection, accepted his re-
ligion adopted the name Bilkis, which
he conferred upon her, and made him
presents of immense value and great
magnificence.
Solomon reciprocated her sentiments
and desired to marry her, but she re-
fused him. The explanation given by
her attendants was that, although pos
sessed of beauty of face and figure
above that of any woman of her time,
she had a deformity which caused her
great modification, and she declined
the hand and heart of the great king
because if she married him, she could
not prevent him from discovering this
defect in her otherwise perfect person.
In order to convince himself whether
invented a trick, and caused her to
walk across a floor of glass under
which a stream of water was running.
The Queen, when she reached this
place. unconsciously lifted her skirts
and Solomon discovered that her an
kleS and limbs We're covered with a
thick growth of hair like the legs of
an animal. The great King called
skilled surgeons of his court, had the
hair removed without difficulty, and
took her into his harem, where she
lived for nearly two years and bore
him a son called Menelek who re-
turned to Abyssinia with his, mother
and became the progenitor of the I'M
broken line of kings.
A similar story, varying somewhat
in it's details, is found in an ancient
manuscript written in an archaic Ian
guage. l understand that a copy is
in the hands of one of the professors
of Princeton University. There are
several copies in Europe, in the Brit
ish Museum, in the University of Ber-
lin and in library in one of the Ital-
liam cities.
This story. which resembles the ordi-
nary oriental tales, represents an
Abyssinian princess of SURPRISING
beauty to have been the victim of a
great calamity. Barbarous enemies of
her country required each year the
person of fair young girl from the
royal family for the harefn of the
King. This tribute was paid year aft
er year without protest. The condi-
tions required that the victim should
be absolutely perfect in person. and
the member of the royal family of
Ethiopia who reached the age of Is
upon the date nearest to that upon
which the tribute was to be paid. The
Princess Maqurda, the most beautiful
of all the fair daughters of Ethiopia,
was to be sacrificed, but a few weeks
before the time of her surrender a
magician changed her feet to resem-
BILE those of an ass While this de-
formity made her acceptance impossi-
BILE, it was the cause of war in which
the Philippians triumphed over their
enemies and were able to make a
treaty under which the tribute need
no longer be paid.
The incident caused Maqurda to be
hailed savior of her country. and she
was afterward proclaimed queen. There
were many suitors for her hand, but
for several years she reigned alone.
Although her deformity was the saliva
ton of her country and the means OF