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Illustration of Queen Sheba

The Little Known Queen of Sheba Recounted In Book
 
Leonard E. Colvin
Chief Reporter
New Journal & Guide
 
      
       Before Women’s History Month ends this March, consider the Queen of Sheba, a black woman who ruled over ancient Ethiopia. According to local historian Miriam Robinson, who writes in her book, “The Queen Of Sheba” (Red Lead Press, 2006), she is known as Balkis “who ruled with the heart of a woman but the head and hands of a man.”
      Arabian folklore and the Qu’ran present fanciful stories of the Queen of Sheba, which  involve magic carpets, talking birds (the Hoopoe Bird) and teleportation.
     "I wrote this book because in all of the Bible and other religious texts, there is nothing which talks about Sheba and describes her life,  background, family members, especially her son or her contributions to history," said Robinson, a native of Norfolk County  (Portsmouth) who now lives in the Churchland section of that city.
     "In the Bible, they call her the Queen of the South, not Sheba nor where she was born or her wealth and intelligence. Religious texts written about that part of the  world during the Queen of  Sheba's lifetime do not give any justification and  revelations about black people. I hope to correct that with this book."
     Robinson, 71,  said there are not any viable pictures or images of the  famous queen. One does exist in a museum in Wales, but the British government refuses to allow it to be seen, Robinson said.
       According to Robinson’s book,  scriptural references of  the famous queen were made in the Jewish Bible: 1 Kings 10:1-13; 2 Chronicles 4:28-31; 9,12.     Typically, Robinson asserted, the European revision of the Biblical text gave scant references and context to  the  famous Ethiopian Monarch. European Biblical scholars overlooked or ignored even her skin color, marginalizing her and the role of Blacks in the Biblical text.

Posted March 26, 2008

       “I wanted to write the book to put light on the fact that black people were prominent in the times before and after Jesus,” she said. “I wanted to reveal to women the importance of Queen of Sheba in our history in Africa  There has been an effort to distort, marginalize and even ignore Blacks in the history books, especially the Bible. I wanted to bring forth the truth about The Queen of Sheba.”
       The Queen of Sheba, according to Ethiopian lore, was born in 874 B.C. in Ophir and educated in Ethiopia. Her mother was Queen Ismenie and her father was chief minister of ZaSebado, who succeeded as king. When her father died, Sheba was 15 and she ascended to the throne as queen.
       Legend has it that she was to be sacrificed as a girl child; but, she was rescued  by the stranger Angaboo.  Later her pet Jackel bit her badly on her foot and legs leaving a lasting scar and deformity.
       Despite her deformity, Sheba was intelligent, beautiful resourceful and adventurous. She was also known as the virgin queen, until she was seduced by King Solomon of Israel.
       The Queen of Sheba, who was inquisitive and wise, heard of the great King Solomon, who had a vast North African empire. She learned of the great King from Tamrin, the leader of her trade caravans who owned 73 ships, 787 camels and asses to transport large amounts of goods from one end of the African continent to another.  Ethiopia did a lot of trade with Israel, and Tamrin told the Queen about Solomon and his wealth and wisdom.
       “She fell in love Solomon...the legend...although she had never met him,” said Robinson. “She got word that he (Solomon) was building this great Temple. And she felt that one  way she could get close to him was provide him everything that was necessary to build it. I think she was more interested in his wisdom and how he  ruled than he as a husband.”

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