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Queen of Sheba: Fact, Legend, and Ethiopia's Sacred Lineage
Description
In this episode of Ethiopia's Ancient Empire, Lucas and Luna explore the figure of the Queen of Sheba — not the biblical or Islamic legend, but the historical and cultural figure who shaped Ethiopia's Solomonic dynasty. They discuss the Kebra Nagast, the 14th-century text that claims the Queen (Makeda in Ethiopian tradition) visited King Solomon in Jerusalem and bore him a son, Menelik I, who brought the Ark of the Covenant to Axum. Lucas explains the debates among historians: is there any evidence for a Sabaean queen in the 10th century BCE? How did the story serve political purposes for the Solomonic emperors? The conversation touches on the Red Sea trade routes, the Sabaean kingdom in Yemen, and the Aksumite adoption of the legend to legitimize their rule. They also examine the Queen of Sheba's role in Islamic tradition (Bilqis) and how the story compares to other legendary foundation myths. The episode ends with a reflection on how myth and history intertwine in Ethiopia's national identity.