Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-02-28
THE
QUEEN
OF SHEBA.
Legend Of a Wandering
Royal Scholar.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


The Biblical story of the Queen
OF Sheba, thanks to its romantic
character, has had a noteworthy ca
reer. 1t was embellished by post
Biblical Jewish writer's with a vast
amount of fanciful detail. From Jews
In North Arabia 1t passed to the Arabs
and is used by Mohammed in the Ko-
ran; in South Arabia likewise Arabs
received it from Jews and carried it
acros the Red Sea to Abyssinia, and
learned historiographers traced the
lineage OF the royal family OF Abys-
sinia to the famous Queen. She be-
came and is still name for all that
Is magnificent and intelligently curl
GUS.
According to the narrative q Kings
x, ii Chronicles ix), the Queen hav-
ling heard OF Solomon's wisdom.
comes to Jerusalem in great state,
with spices, gold and precious stones.
to test him; she plies him with hard
questions concerning eve !
interests her and receives
answers-there was no problem :
Solomon was not able to solve. Fur
Their he shows her his pa'ace and
his household arrangements, includ.
ing the fine bearing and splendid
dress of his attendants, with the re-
suit that she is lost IN admiration
Of his riches and wisaSm. Happy"
/ che ayolaino oaro Uhn carva
you and hear your wi, dom, and bless
ed be your God who has bestowed on
you such excellence and happiness!
Then after the usual exchange OF
presents she goes back to her own
land and we hear no more of her
in the Old Testament.
The story cannot be taken as his
torical. The "Sheba' meant, as is
evident from the presents brought
by the Queen, is the famous region
in Southwest Arabia later known as
Yemen, "the South" the Arabic
name (yaman) by confusion with a
similar word (yamin) was understood
to mean fortunate" and the conse-
quent Roman designation, Arabia Fe-
Tx, has become a part of our geog-
raphical nomenclature. Though the
early history of this region is not
known to us It is not improbable that
a kingdom OF Sheba 1.-THE native name
Is Saba) existed as early as the
times of Solomon middle of the tenth
century B. c.. But 1t is not prob
able that the Israelites were acquaSnt-
ed with the Sabean land in Solomon's
time. The other mentions of Sheba
in the Old Testament all belong In
the period after the capture of Jeru-
salem by the Chaldeans 1856 B. Co..
when the Jews came into possession
of Babylonian geographical learning.
The story in Kings is part Of the
idealizing legendary matter that gath
cred about Solomon's name.
Doubtless he had reputation in
his day for some sort of wisdom, as
David in his day was esteemed as a
poet; but David became in the ira
dition the ideal religious poet and
Solomon the ideal sage. He Is said
to have composed 5000 proverbs and
1000 songs, and to have spoken of
all plants and animals-of which lit.
erary activity no trace has come to
us. The exuberance of the legend
appears in the statement Il Kings
Nv, "a, in the English version) that
visitors from all peoples and all
kings of the earth came to him to
hear his wisdom-a form of state
ment that betrays the late date when
the Jews came into contact with a
great number of Nations. The visit
of the Queen of Sheba Is a particular
illustration of the general statement;
Sheba is chosen as a far-off and IA
nous land. She is herself sage
or a student troubled by difficulties
and she seeks great man to solve
her problem, just as long afterwart
wandering scholars in the absence o.
books sought learned msu every
where as teachers; but this redec
tive attitude is not In accord will
what we may surmise to have beer
the state of culture in Sheba and II
Israel In the tenth century B. c.
The story is not the less interest
ing for being legendary. II. as Seems
probable, 1t arose In the sixth o
fifth century B. c., when Sheba be
came prominen. in the Old Tesla
ment, we may infer that Solomon
was thought of at that time mainl,
as a splendid and practically wis
king and had not attained the repu
tation assigned him by the author
and editors of Proverbs, the SOM
of Songs and Ecclesiasties. 1t Il
noteworthy also that the custom o
asking "hard questions" existed a
that time. Unfortunately the stor.
does not tell what these question
were and this lack Of fancy late
writer's undertook to supply. Anon
the literary productions Of post-Bit
heal Jews are certain paraphrase
of Biblical books (Targums) and CON
mentaries (Midrash) Astounding in ar
ecdotes, queer conceits and all sort
OF gossip. Much of this material ma
have been the product OF familia
talks by teachers to their pupils
, which sometimes ran into story tel
. ing not unlike that Of the Mosler
, rawis, to which we owe good des
, of the matter of the Thousand an
One Nights" These books have PR