An enigma
But the story must be based on something. If the Bible version was written down centuries after Sheba's time, as many think, to glorify Israel and the reign of King Solomon, it may represent a time of great expansion, a time when the world was opening up for the very first time. Could Sheba's embassy to Israel be the reflection of one of the first great trade missions in the world?
'Could Sheba's embassy to Israel be the reflection of one of the first great trade missions in the world'
Interestingly there are ancient texts that do talk about powerful queens of northern Arabia in the seventh and eighth century BC - the time that some historians in Israel are tempted to place the historical King Solomon.
As for the queen herself, her history remains an enigma. She was a woman of power, an adoring mother and a mysterious lover - also a founder of nations and a demon with a cloven hoof. It is perhaps these many strands to her tale that are in the end the real key to her popularity.
Published: 03-02-2005
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