Queen of Sheba
Queen of Sheba | |
|---|---|
Detail from Queen of Sheba by Edward Slocombe, 1907 | |
| Personal life | |
| Nationality | South Arabian |
| Region | Kingdom of Sheba |
| Other names | Bilqis (بلقيس) Makeda (ማክዳ) |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Unattested (possibly Arabian polytheism) |
The Queen of Sheba, also known as Bilqis in Arabic and as Makeda in Geʽez, is a figure first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In the original story, she brings a caravan of valuable gifts for Solomon, the fourth King of Israel and Judah. This account has undergone extensive elaborations in Judaism, Ethiopian Christianity, and Islam. It has consequently become the subject of one of the most widespread and fertile cycles of legends in West Asia and Northeast Africa, as well as in other regions where the Abrahamic religions have had a significant impact.
Modern historians and archaeologists identify Sheba as one of the South Arabian kingdoms, which existed in modern-day Yemen. However, because no trace of her has ever been found, the Queen of Sheba's existence is disputed among some historians.