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Home , Bathsheba, Maacah

Women of the The Queen of Pastor Ritva Williams May 2016 RECAP 1040-970 BCE: King and the women in his life: (King ’s daughter), Ahinoam (mother of ), Abigail (mother of Daniel/Chileav), (mother of & Tamar), Haggith (mother of ), Abital (mother of Shephatiah), Eglah (mother of Ithream), (mother of , Shimea, Shobab and ). David was also the father of nine more sons: Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nephed, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, Eliphelet. He had additional sons by his concubines. (1 Chronicles 3). 970-930 BCE - The reign of Solomon, son of David and Bathsheba The prophet Nathan and Bathsheba convinced King David in his old age to declare Solomon his successor in spite of Solomon having three older half-brothers. David instructed Solomon that once he became king, he should do a clean sweep of the kingdom’s administration. Hence he began his reign with an extensive purge of the top-ranking military, religious and civil offices. Solomon expanded the military especially the cavalry and chariot corps; founded colonies, some of which doubled as trading and military outposts; and built up trade, working together with the Phoenician king, Hiram of Tyre, to send joint expeditions to the lands of Tarshish and Ophir to

trade for luxury products, e.g. gold, silver, sandalwood, pearls, ivory, apes and peacocks. He was renowned for his wisdom. Solomon built ’s Temple in . Solomon married an unnamed daughter of Pharaoh king of , 700 foreign princesses, and had 300 concubines (1 Kings 3:1, 11:3) .

1 READ 1 KINGS 10:1-13 The precise location of Sheba is unknown. Two possibilities: Ancient Jewish interpreters (e.g. Josephus) understood the to the ruler of Egypt and Ethiopia. An Egyptian Pharaoh had conquered Ethiopia, changing the name of its capital city from Saba to Meroe. Ancient Christian interpretation of the Song of Solomon identified the bride of that text as the Queen of Sheba, and presumed that she was Ethiopian based on 1:5 “I am black and beautiful.” More recent scholarship suggests that the Queen of Sheba may have come from the ancient kingdom of Saba in the southern with its capital city as Merib from 1200 BCE - 275 CE. Who is the Queen of Sheba? Why does she come to visit King Solomon? “hard questions” = hiddot = riddles In verse 13, it says “King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba every desire she expressed.” I wonder what she asked for? In the Ethiopian national saga, Kebra Nagast (Glory of the Kings), the Queen’s name is Makeda. She left Jerusalem pregnant. Her son, Baina-lehkem (son of the wise man) is reported to have been Solomon’s son. According to the legend, when he grew up he traveled to Jerusalem where he was received with honors by Solomon, anointed king by the high Zadok and given the name David. He returned to Ethiopia with the first born sons of Israelite nobility, and the stolen .

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