SANA'A: Although much has been written on legendary Queen Sheba, Yemen's most prominent figure in history, little is actually known of this mysterious monarch, which the legend has it met with prophet Suleiman, a pivotal religious figure in all three monotheist religions. Legends of the Queen of Sheba are common throughout Arabia, Persia, Ethiopia, Israel and are prized in Hollywood. The Qur'an and the Bible hold a similar account in which Sheba traveled to Jerusalem with her camels bearing gifts to meet and test the wise Solomon. In the biblical story, the queen was so dazzled by Solomon that she pronounced a blessing on his God. He gave her gifts and she returned to Saba, her kingdom. Archeologists established that the Queen resided in her palace in Mareb, an eastern province of Yemen where she ruled over her people, loved and respected by all her subjects. At the time the Saba Kingdom stretched from what is now known as the Aseer region in southwestern Yemen to the Ethiopia. During Sabaean rule, trade and agriculture flourished generating much wealth and prosperity. It is believed that the eldest son of Noah, Shem, founded the city of Mareb. The Kedra Negast, the Ethiopian equivalent of the Holy Scriptures continues the story, saying that Solomon seduced Sheba who returned home pregnant. The offspring of Solomon and Sheba was Menelik I the founder of the Aksumite civilization. Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia traced his heritage back to Menelik I. Legend holds that the Ark of the Covenant, the sacred chest constructed by Moses to hold the Ten Commandments was stolen by Menelik I and brought to Ethiopia. The legend of Solomon and Sheba has been further amplified by the unfettered imaginations of the Hollywood film industry. The first movie to relate the story of the loving pair starred Yul Brynner as the epitome of Jewish wisdom and Gina Lollobrigda as the ‘black and comely' Sheba.
