Thursday, May 15, 2008

Solomon & Sheba (redux)

Mmmkay, I think I got it now...

In Kebra Nagast, the Queen of Sheba learns from a merchant named Tamrin, the wisdom of King Solomon. She travels to Jerusalem to meet him and to basically worship him. They end up meeting and Solomon tricks her into sleeping with him. He gives her a ring to give to the child, to represent the custody or the belonging to Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba is portrayed as a wise, good leader in this text. As stated in class, both characters in this excerpt of Kebra Nagast need to do something morally questionable (two notable people of that time sleeping with one-another), to give Ethiopia value and a status.

Their child, a son Menelik, is born and grows up. Visits his father and receives the Ark of the Covenant and goes home to the Queen after being offered Solomon's throne. This mystery of the location of the Ark also gives Ethiopia some value.

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