Black Lives In The Bible: The Queen of Sheba
This month I have focused SEELE’s Friday Posts on the theme of: Black Lives In The Bible. We saw with Simon of Cyrene, an African that carried Jesus’ cross as He was on the way to be hung that the Gospel writers specifically honed in on Simon’s race. And that with this detail, God is showing us that Blacks had a part to play in the Bible’s narrative. So, whether you are Black or White, whatever your cross is, you are to pick it up and carry it. As He walked to death, Jesus was modeling discipleship and we are to always be behind God as He guides us through hardships of discrimination.
In week two we saw through the life of Zipporah that God detests racism, as well as having His decisions challenged by man’s opinion. And last week, I wrote in a letter addressed to Black people that the only way to move forward, as well as one of the solutions to breaking the bonds of racial discrimination against us is for Black people, particularly in the US, to stop aborting their unborn babies and to cease Black on Black crimes.
Ethiopian Jews on a plane en route to Israel, Operation Solomon, May 1991 | (Photo: Government Press Office)
For this last week, I want to point out another intriguing Black woman in the Bible, who’s blood is still running through the veins of Black Jews in Israel today: The Queen of Sheba. I want to encourage you to sit down to Netflix this weekend and watch the film: The Red Sea Diving Resort, as it shows through suspenseful and action-packed scenes how the state of Israel in the 80s, over a period of several years went into Sudan on secret military missions, called Operation Solomon, to bring its Black Jews, the children of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba back to their homeland- Israel. Today’s Friday Post will help you understand how thousands of Black Jews are residing in Israel today, though that face systemic racism and murder at the hands of Israelis.
An Ethiopian, this queen came from the ancient Aksumite kingdom, today it’s a World Heritage site. First century CE historian and Jewish scholar Josephus, a trusted source, made mention that the she was also queen of Egypt as well. She’s not only a key woman figure in the Bible but also in the Quran, German composer George Handel wrote an oratorio and titled it The Queen of Sheba- a magnificent work of musical art if I might say so myself, Ottorino Respighi created a ballet about her, and she has been the center of many paintings. But most notably, this queen for the Ethiopian people is considered the mother of the nation and the matriarchal founder of the Solomonic dynasty that lasted 3,000 years until it’s last ruler, Haile Selassie.
Around 1000 B.C. she left her land and went to Jerusalem to see this so-called King Solomon- rather test him with hard questions. Solomon was known around the world for his extraordinary wisdom (1 Kings 10:1). Can you imagine, this very wealthy and beautiful queen arrives to Jerusalem with a whole caravan of camels carrying spices, large amounts of gold, and precious stones? Can someone say Black girl magic? Haha!
I’d imagine that Africans were not a rarity. The Cushite people had been around for centuries before, but Solomon found her intriguing and it seems the two connected on an intellectual level, as the Bible tells us that nothing was too hard for him to answer as she quizzed and reasoned with him about every topic under the sun, including faith. Her wealth and knowledge couldn’t match his. Solomon was extremely wealthy. No man has ever or will ever match his wealth the Bible tells us, as it was a gift from God. All of his wealth overwhelmed her [1 Kings 10: 5]. As she began praising his knowledge and his God, she gifted him caravans of spices, stones and gold.
In return he gave her gifts from his royal bounty, he gave her all she asked for, and he gave her a baby. Ethiopians claimed that Solomon seduced the queen, but however their romantic union happened, the fact is that she ended up with a baby, who she named Menelik, and this baby boy was the first of Ethiopia’s Solomonic kings, securing a three-thousand-year dynasty. Years later, Menelik traveled to Jerusalem to visit his father, Solomon, and the Ethiopians claimed he brought with him the Ark of the Covenant. Whether it’s the real Ark of the Covenant, the one built by Moses is disputed.
The significance of me pointing out the Queen of Sheba to you is two-fold: 1- yes, because she was Black and 2- because she was a Pagan upon entering Jerusalem and she left convinced and converted to the monotheistic worship of God, the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. When you have an encounter with God, you enter one way and come out another. Can I get an amen?
1- Black people are an ancient people. We all come from ancient people. The significance of Blacks shouldn’t be diminished. We heir from vast rich African kingdoms and are a part of the Biblical narrative. Made and fashioned by the hand of God like all people, we are no less inferior to another because of our dark brown skin. We are also in embedded in the 12 tribes of Israel [from Manasseh and Ephraim], and one of Abraham’s wives, Keturah was Black. We are well overdue for respect and notoriety in this world, as our value is ancient and timeless.
2- The symbolism that a queen, a powerful queen left her homeland speak volumes. She didn’t send a representative, but she packed up her stuff and put them on her royal ship and carriage caravan and headed to Jerusalem—speaks volumes. It shows how wise and popular Solomon’s wisdom truly was. Not too many people would travel for days by desert caravan and ship to see someone who is supposedly wise. Solomon’s wisdom impacted her so much that on her trip, she dropped paganism and embraced this foreign king’s religion, then got back on her royal ship and carriage caravan and when she returned home, she guided her own people to convert to this new faith. It leaves me asking: how inspiring and instrumental are we in allowing God to use us to inspire others of the truth of Who He is?
So, I hope these two points gets us thinking about looking at other races that are different to ours, and seeing them as people who God has fashioned and made. And, that we are all coming from ancient peoples and tribes, and we all have value and we all matter. Se should be asking: how inspiring am I coming off to others when it comes to my faith? Metaphorically asking, am I so intriguing to others that they cross oceans to hear the Godly wisdom that God has put on the inside of me? Is Godly wisdom drawing them to God as well?