Fesseha 12

Ethiopia's 5000 Year History, from Noah until the EPRDF, Fesseha Yaze Kassa, AD 2011

translated and annotated by Ras Feqade, AD 2021

### Chapter 12. History of the Queen of Saba.

It was in the city called Saba in the ancient pronunciation, in the neighborhood of Aksum, that the Queen of Saba reigned. It is beginning from 1013 BC that the Queen of Sheba began to rule and administer Ethiopia, being substituted at the foot of her father Agabos /Tewasya/.

[1013 BC in the Ethiopian calendar would be 1006-1005 BC Gregorian, but my dates for her are 977-946 BC.]

And the saying 'Queen of Saba' without being her name, is meaning Queen of the Sabaeans.

The name of the Queen of Saba is called Makeda in *Kebre Negest*, Queen of Saba in the Book of Kings I and II and Chronicles, Queen of Azeb in the Gospels.

['Azeb' also means 'the South' in Ge'ez, and indeed the Gospels in English call her 'Queen of the South' who appears before these last.]

It is said, in that era the limit of Ethiopia or the width of the Queen of Saba's territory, is as far as Madagascar, as far as the Persian Gulf in the east, as far as Nubia and the border of Mesr /Egypt/ in the west, as far as Nyanza Lake Victoria in the south. In her era, in Ethiopia, people of Arabia, Egypt, India, Jerusalem, would trade the wares of the era, clothes, perfume, incense, gold and other necessary things. In this era moreover, it was David's son Solomon who reigned in Jerusalem.

[My dates for King Solomon of Israel are 967-928 BC.]

And in the era when the Queen of Saba had ruled in Ethiopia, and Solomon in Jerusalem, a merchant named Tamrin would trade recurring from Ethiopia to Jerusalem.

And he bought and took excellent items that were for king Solomon from Ethiopia, and after he presented it to Solomon, when he returned he told the Queen of Saba all the ceremonies and wisdom of Solomon's palace, and all the glory.

And the relationship begun by means of Tamrin went on continuing. And by means of this merchant, they began to send each other in form of presents, items not found in the two monarchs' countries. After the Queen of Saba heard, asking many times from the tongue of Tamrin, who knows properly King Solomon's wisdom, the law and development of the place and the order, finally to confirm with her eyes what she heard with her ears, escorted by her many soldiers and retainers, she journeyed to Jerusalem bearing the various gifts she would bestow to Solomon, and by the merchant's guidance.

And at the time she arrived, King Solomon received her in great honor and joy. And she bestowed to him the precious jewels and gold, perfume and other gifts that she had gone taking from Ethiopia.

And King Solomon receiving the presents in honor, prepared for her and her escorts choosing a special resting place. And waiting on each day when by his command he presented cattle, sheep and goats and likewise drink for both her escorts and herself according to the regulations, one day King Solomon prepared a large feast /banquet/ for the honor of the Queen of Saba, and invited her.

And preceding this banquet, he was letting her visit the palace and the Temple. On this day moreover, at the banquet prepared because of her honor, to show the kind of hall, the procession and position of the princes and nobles, he prepared a special throne for her in the neighborhood of his own throne, and seated her veiling by a mirror like thing constructed so she could see his throne and anything from within, but lest anyone see her from outside. Sitting on this beautiful throne, she marvelled while she beheld the attire of the wine pourers and workers who serve in each room, and the promptness of their work.

And when the banquet was lively, King Solomon, to converse with the Queen of Saba, headed to the throne where she was. And she revealed her admiration by saying "Being here I beheld with my eyes the things of thy wisdom and thy works; it quite surpassed what I heard when I was in my country."

And then when she asked him to go to her camp prepared for her, he told her "Lodge here, for it has dusked." At this time at night King Solomon lodged congressing with the Queen of Saba, and she conceived. At this time the Queen of Saba, in saying "Give me a sign whereby you will be persuaded of his being thy child", received a ring of his finger, and quickly returned to her country. /The *History of Kings*and *Kebre Negest*, in giving broad analysis on this, are found setting forth things saying that there were hooves on her feet, and that Jerusalem fell out for her when she arrived, that she went to his chamber seeking water in thirst, he having fed food where salt abounded, and that he congressed with her by that method, etc./ Being so, when the Queen of Saba having conceived arose to return, he gave her a place in Jerusalem that it might be an inheritance for her, and churches being constructed there, until today it is found giving spiritual service. /Der Sultan monastery/

When the Queen of Saba returned to her country along with her escorts, she crossed the Red Sea, and when she reached the place in Hamasien province called Maybela, she bore a son.

And the Queen of Saba sent forth the name Ebne Melek for the son she bore. And the interpretation is meaning Son of the king or ruler. And he has been called Ebne Hakim. And this is meaning Son of the clever one.

When both his first and his second names are the ancient speech of the Sabaeans, because the *Kebre Negest* where his history was set forth had been written in the Sabaeans' language, and later when Nebure'ed Yesehaq et al. translated to Ge'ez, it is said that they translated it taking that it was his Arabic name.

And as soon as Menilek grew and completed twenty years, when he asked his mother saying "Tell me who my father is", she also told him saying "it is Solomon the King of Jerusalem". And asking his mother's accord to meet his father Solomon, he went to Jerusalem.

And his father King Solomon received his son in joy; and at the time he saw him, he kissed and blessed him. Menilek for around 4 years in Jerusalem having learned the Torah Law, the kingdom administration in the Hebrew language, when he finished, he returned to his mother the Queen of Saba. And when he returned, having dressed King Solomon in the clothes of government, 12 Hebrew firstborn sons from the 12 tribes of Israel /is meaning a few thousand from each tribe./ Adding his brother the son of David, choosing clever and knowledgeable ones, and widening the clothes of government that it might be of the King of Kings of Ethiopia with 22 great officials from the educated priests, and likewise from the princes' children, anointing the Oil of Meron on the Head of priests Sadoq, he dismissed him to Ethiopia in 982 BC.

[If Menilek studied in Israel for 4 years before becoming Emperor of Saba in 946 BC, he could not have been 20 when he arrived in Jerusalem, as Solomon's reign began in ca. 967 BC.]

The Queen of Saba, when her son Menilek returned from Jerusalem, received him making a parade in great honor. When Menilek and his people came to Ethiopia, the true tablet given to Moses, carved by the Fingers of the Most High Jah, came along to Ethiopia, by means of the Head of priests called Azaryas.

And regarding this matter, the half reveal that his father King Solomon gave according for him, the other that he came seizing it in hiding. Either way, when it is clearly known that this tablet /the Ark of Zion/ came to Ethiopia, what is known is that it is found being kept by the persons whom God chose in Aksum Zion Church.

And then, the Queen of Saba having received Menilek, she crowned him in Ethiopia while they called her in the living. Being as it was certain, within all historical and spiritual writings starting from the Holy Scripture, for the Queen of Saba reigning in Ethiopia, it is also known that she was a famous queen and filled by wisdom.

And above this, they give attention to her changing the overall appearance of Ethiopia. And by this, her intertwining the royal seed with the wise King of Jerusalem, it is in her and her son's era that it was made /by desire/ that the majority, even if not in full, quit its worshiping idols and know the True God while being led by the Torah law.

Because it is said for her, that it was in her era that Teff passed for victuals, when there are plenty of writers who wrote about this Queen, many Greek scholars such as Herodotus, Melzi, Homer... and Italian scholars, or other researchers of European and Asian history, have spoken for her. And when the French scholar called Maurier describes about the Queen of Saba, he says "She was buried in the city found beside Aksum called Saba. And there are 24 statues on her grave. But now it has finished up ruined."

The question that arises repeatedly connected with the Queen of Saba, is "Was the Queen of Saba the queen of Arabia or Ethiopia?" And they appoint her saying "Over five countries are ours." However as far as it was from her former territory of Ethiopia that she arose, it is not proper to argue making today's division a principle. But also if that be, and if we go by the regions of today's map, Saba is Ethiopian. And it is what plenty of writers agreed on, that it was in the present Ethiopia that she was buried. Furthermore, an analysis is found saying It is from a dragon that Saba came, etc. In the view of most scholars of today, the analysis resembling this has been called legendary. However it resembles a mysterious revelation.

Howsoever, the Queen of Saba /Makeda/ ruled in Ethiopia 31 years, and passed substituting her son Menilek when she was alive.

* Next: Fesseha 13