Queen of Sheba: a puzzle for archaeologists and scientists

The name of the captivating and enigmatic queen of Sheba is mentioned in a large number of written sources: the Old Testament, the Kabbalah, the Koran, and also in many Ethiopian, Persian and Turkish legends. But until today scientific evidence of whether such a queen lived during Solomon's time was practically not found. There remain doubts whether the Queen of Sheba was a reality or it is still a myth.

The image of this woman is associated with a seductive beauty who, according to legend, came to King Solomon to test his wisdom. For quite a long time, everything connected with her name was only conjectures and conjectures. And only very recently archaeologists in remote areas of Yemen found one of the most significant finds of the present time. In the Rub al-Khali desert, at about nine meters below the ground, the ruins of the temple were found, in which, according to experts, documentary evidence of the actual existence of this queen was found.

According to legend, Solomon and the Queen of Sheba first met when the wise king, after hearing about the rich kingdom of Sabaean, who rules the most beautiful and intelligent woman. Invited her to visit. He wanted to see for himself her magnificence and wit. The beauty and mind of the queen conquered Solomon. He was so shocked by her that he came to the conclusion that only a connection with the devil could allow her to be so amazing. Solomon even decided that instead of legs she had to have hoofs, like the devil himself.

The Old Testament mentions the land of Sheba, in which the Queen of Sheba lived. He describes it as a land rich in incense, spices, precious stones and gold. Scientists believe that this country was located on the territory of South Arabia. However, there is no evidence that the Queen of Sheba has ever ruled this territory.

American archeologist Wendell Phillips believes that there is no doubt about the reality of the existence of this legendary woman. However, his expedition, which he began in Mariba in order to find evidence of his hypothesis, was impeded by the Yemeni authorities.

The main source of information about the legendary queen is the Third Book of Kings, the tenth chapter of which contains a biblical episode describing the events in which her name is mentioned.

Another authoritative scientist - Sir Ernest A. Wallis Budge - also believes that the Queen of Sheba is not just a myth. According to his version, Sheba was on the shore of the Red Sea, which allows us to identify it with Ethiopia. According to another group of researchers, she was the queen of Egypt.

The eastern beauty arrived in Jerusalem for a meeting in Solomon, bringing with her a caravan of gifts. She prepared for the king the most difficult questions and was subdued by his wisdom.

Text sources can be interpreted in different ways. All of them were composed at different times, many contained facts that were copied several times from different books, so the question of trust in the information in them is rather controversial.

Most researchers agree that, most likely, the Queen of Sheba rules the lands of the Axumite Kingdom, located in the Red Sea (the territory of either Yemen or Ethiopia). The capital of the state of Sheba was Marib, a city in the Arabian desert. It is believed that the time of the reign of the eastern queen falls on the 10th century BC.

In May 1999, Nigerian and British archaeologists discovered the place of the alleged burial of this regal person. The earth embankment on it reached 45 feet high and 100 miles long. But until now it is not known whether the Queen of Sheba is actually buried there.

Today, the mystery about her remains unsolved. It is possible that the story of Solomon's acquaintance with the beauty was completed many centuries after the death of the sage to emphasize his royal greatness. You can also assume that the image of the Sheba, as, indeed, and Tomiris (the queen of Saks), became a collective, in which the features of a wise female ruler were embodied. And perhaps, behind this name is a real woman, whose real name has never come to us. Who knows?