Who was the Queen of the South?
The “Queen of the South” is a mysterious biblical figure who appears in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament. She is also referenced in some extra-biblical traditions and legends. Here is an overview of what the Bible reveals about this intriguing queen:
The Queen of the South in the Gospels
The Queen of the South is mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 12:42 and Luke 11:31. In both passages, Jesus states:
“The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.” (Matthew 12:42)
“The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.” (Luke 11:31)
From these verses, we can gather some key details about the Queen of the South:
– She was a queen who lived during the time of King Solomon. Solomon reigned around 970-931 BC, so she lived sometime during that period.
– She traveled from the “ends of the earth” to visit Solomon in Jerusalem. This implies she came from a distant land, far away from Israel.
– She came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, for which he was renowned throughout the ancient Near East (1 Kings 4:29-34).
– Jesus contrasts her eager pursuit of wisdom with his generation’s unbelief and resistance to his teaching. She recognized and sought true wisdom, whereas many of Jesus’ contemporaries rejected him.
So in summary, the Queen of the South:
– Was a royal queen during Solomon’s time
– Lived in a distant country far from Israel
– Made a difficult journey to hear Solomon’s wisdom
– Valued spiritual wisdom and truth
But who exactly was she and where did she come from? The Bible does not explicitly identify her, but there are some likely possibilities based on historical clues.
The Queen of Sheba
The traditional and most common identification is that the Queen of the South refers to the Queen of Sheba. Here’s why she’s considered the prime candidate:
1. Sheba was located in the southern region of the Arabian peninsula, qualifying as a land far away from Israel “at the ends of the earth.”
2. She is said to have visited King Solomon and was impressed by his wisdom (1 Kings 10:1-13). This aligns with what Jesus said about the Queen of the South.
3. She brought gifts of gold, spices, and precious stones, indicating her wealthy and royal status (1 Kings 10:2,10).
4. Sheba was known to have a queen as its ruler during the Solomonic era. The kingdom is referred to as the “Kingdom of Sheba” with no mention of a king.
5. The Ethiopian Orthodox tradition claims the Queen of Sheba returned from her visit to Solomon pregnant with his son Menelik I, who became the first emperor of Ethiopia. While not biblical, it attests to the enduring connection of Sheba with Solomon.
So without definitive proof, it is reasonable to conclude the Queen of Sheba is the unnamed Queen of the South that Jesus referenced. She was a wealthy, powerful queen who sought out wisdom from the wisest man of the age and was willing to undergo great effort to gain understanding. Jesus uses her as an example of those who earnestly seek true wisdom that comes from God.
Alternative Theories
While the Queen of Sheba fits the biblical evidence nicely, some scholars propose alternate theories about the Queen of the South’s identity. Here are a few of the other possibilities that have been suggested:
1. The Queen of Egypt: Some believe the queen was Hatshepsut, a pharaoh who ruled Egypt from 1479-1458 BC, before Solomon’s time. She did send tributes to Solomon which could explain her interest in his wisdom (1 Kings 9:16). However, the time period doesn’t align with when Solomon reigned.
2. Queen of Ethiopia: Ethiopian traditions sometimes claim Solomon and the Queen of the South had a son named Menelik I who became the first emperor of Ethiopia. While intriguing, there is no evidence the royal house of Ethiopia descended from Solomon.
3. A Sabaean Queen from Yemen: Another candidate is Bilqis, the semilegendary queen of the Sabaeans, an ancient kingdom that controlled trade routes through Yemen. The Sabaean civilization did span the Solomonic era, but there is little evidence Bilqis actually traveled to Jerusalem.
4. A Queen of Essaouira, Morocco: Some scholars point to excavations near Essaouira, Morocco that revealed Phoenician influences and propose a Phoenician queen living there may have been the Queen of the South. But concrete evidence tying her to Solomon is lacking.
5. Symbolic Figure: A few scholars argue the Queen of the South was not a specific queen but rather a metaphor for Gentile seekers of wisdom and truth who recognized Jesus’ divinity better than the Jews of his day. But this ignores the implied historicity of the queen’s visit to Solomon.
In summary, while other suggestions have been made, the Queen of Sheba remains the most likely candidate for the Queen of the South due to her timing, location, visit to acquire wisdom, and status as a wealthy queen during Solomon’s reign. Nevertheless, the Queen of the South remains a somewhat mysterious and intriguing biblical persona.
Extra-Biblical Traditions about the Queen of the South
Beyond what the Bible says, there are some extra-biblical traditions and legends about the Queen of the South that developed in Jewish and Islamic literature. These portrayals imagined additional stories and details about her. Here are some highlights:
– The Targum Sheni, an embellished interpretive retelling of Esther, calls her Queen Zādān and details her visit to Solomon’s palace.
– Some Jewish commentaries portray Solomon using clever tricks and riddles to test the Queen’s intelligence and promote the splendor of Israel to her.
– Medieval legends give elaborate and fanciful accounts of the Queen’s testing of Solomon’s wisdom. One example is “Solomon and the Queen of Sheba” by Robert of Boron.
– In Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews, he calls her “Nicaule”and writes about her visit to Solomon to ask him “hard questions” and learn his wisdom.
– Islamic traditions (hadiths) call her Bilqis or Balqis. Some fanciful Arabic legends detail how Solomon used magic to move her throne to his palace in order to trick her into thinking he had supernatural powers.
These extra-biblical sources embellish the relationship between Solomon and the Queen and add creative flourishes, such as the testing of his wisdom through riddles. But they give no further reliable historical information about her identity or place of origin.
Key Lessons from the Queen of the South
After surveying what the Bible and tradition record about the mysterious Queen of the South, what key lessons can we draw from her story? Here are some important applications to take away:
1. Jesus highlights her eager pursuit of wisdom as an indictment against those with apathetic or unbelieving hearts, who neglect to seek after truth. We should have an earnest desire to gain understanding and wisdom from God.
2. The value she placed on spiritual wisdom is a rebuke of complacency and arrogance. We should never feel like we have figured everything out and can rest on our laurels. There is always more to learn, especially when it comes to divine truth.
3. The difficulty and length of her journey illustrates the value of seeking wisdom. What we deem worthy of our time, cost, and effort reveals our priorities. Do we value truth enough to make sacrifices for it?
4. True wisdom comes from the fear of the Lord and obedience to His Word. Like the Queen of Sheba, we should seek it from godly sources, not merely human ones. Earthly wisdom falls short of heavenly wisdom.
In conclusion, the Queen of the South exemplified the attitude Jesus wants to see – intense hunger for truth leading to diligent seeking until understanding is found. Let the quest to comprehend the heights and depths of God’s wisdom drive us forward in our faith journey.