Makeda

📷 Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 2.0 — Tobias Möritz from Leipzig, Deutschland — 2019

Allemagne

PoliticsSpiritualityBefore ChristLegendary era, probably around the 10th century BCE, according to Ethiopian oral traditions and biblical sources (1 Kings 10)

Makeda is the central figure of the Ethiopian tradition (Kebra Nagast), venerated as the legendary queen of the Kingdom of Sheba. Rooted in Ethiopian and Eritrean oral tradition, she is known for her encounter with King Solomon of Jerusalem, from which Menelik I would be born — the founding ancestor of the Ethiopian imperial lineage.

Famous Quotes

« "Wisdom is more precious than gold and riches." (words attributed to Makeda by the Ethiopian tradition of the Kebra Nagast) »

« "I have come from afar to hear your wisdom, for its fame has spread across all lands." (Ethiopian oral tradition, Kebra Nagast) »

Key Facts

Mentioned in the Bible (1 Kings 10 and 2 Chronicles 9) as the 'Queen of the South' visiting Solomon, with no personal name given in the Hebrew text
The Kebra Nagast ('Glory of Kings'), an Ethiopian text compiled around the 14th century but based on much older oral traditions, gives her the name Makeda and identifies her as the mother of Menelik I
Menelik I, her son according to tradition, is said to have brought the Ark of the Covenant to Axum (Ethiopia), legitimizing the Ethiopian imperial lineage's claim to Solomonic descent
Present in three major religious traditions: the Bible (Old Testament), the Quran (Surah An-Naml, where she is named Bilqis), and Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity
The dating remains uncertain — oral traditions place her reign around the 10th century BCE, but no direct archaeological source confirms her historical existence

Works & Achievements

Founding of the Ethiopian Solomonic Dynasty (c. 950 BCE)

By conceiving Menelik I with Solomon, Makeda is regarded as the founder of the longest royal dynasty in history: the Solomonic line of Ethiopia, which ruled until the deposition of Haile Selassie in 1974.

Introduction of Monotheism to Ethiopia (c. 950 BCE)

According to the Kebra Nagast, Makeda renounced the worship of idols and the sun following her encounter with Solomon. She thus initiated Ethiopia's embrace of monotheism, which would predate the country's official Christianization in the 4th century CE.

Organization of the Incense Trade Routes (c. 1000–900 BCE)

During Makeda's supposed reign, the Kingdom of Sheba controlled the frankincense and myrrh routes between the Horn of Africa, Arabia, and the Mediterranean. This trade network made Sheba one of the most powerful economic forces of the ancient world.

The Kebra Nagast (Glory of Kings) — the epic account of her legend (Codified c. 1314 CE)

Though written centuries after Makeda's time, the Kebra Nagast is the principal literary monument that immortalizes her story. This foundational text of Ethiopian culture served as the basis for the legitimacy of every Ethiopian emperor through the 20th century.

Biblical Account in 1 Kings 10 (Queen of Sheba) (c. 950 BCE (oral tradition) / 5th century BCE (written text))

The biblical account of the Queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon is one of the oldest written sources referencing Makeda. By posing riddles to Solomon, she embodies the ideal of feminine wisdom in world literature.

Anecdotes

According to the Kebra Nagast, Makeda undertook an extraordinary journey to Jerusalem to meet King Solomon, whose wisdom had reached her across the seas. She is said to have traveled with a caravan of camels laden with gold, spices, and precious stones, covering thousands of kilometers across Arabia and the Sinai.

Ethiopian tradition holds that Solomon, captivated by Makeda's intellect, made her swear not to take anything from his house without permission. During a banquet, parched by heavily spiced food, she drank water in the middle of the night — and Solomon declared the oath broken, thereby winning her to his bed. From that night, Menelik I would be born.

Menelik, son of Makeda and Solomon, traveled to Jerusalem as an adult to meet his father. According to the Kebra Nagast, he brought back to Ethiopia the Ark of the Covenant — the sacred chest containing the Tablets of the Law. This is why the Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims to this day that it holds the Ark in Aksum.

In Islamic tradition, Makeda is known as Bilqis. The Quran (Surah An-Naml) speaks of her wisdom and her conversion to monotheism after her encounter with Solomon. She is thus venerated in Ethiopian Christianity, Judaism, and Islam alike, making her one of the rare figures shared by all three major Abrahamic religions.

The title 'Queen of Sheba' likely referred to the ruler of a prosperous kingdom controlling the incense and myrrh trade routes between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Makeda thus embodies the economic and diplomatic power of ancient East Africa, long before European colonization.

Primary Sources

Kebra Nagast (The Glory of Kings) (Written around the 13th century, but transmitted orally since approximately the 10th century BCE.)

And the Queen of the South heard of the wisdom of King Solomon, and her heart was moved to go to him. She gathered great riches and came to Jerusalem with a large retinue. Solomon taught her the law of God, and she abandoned the worship of the sun to worship the God of Israel.

First Book of Kings, chapter 10 (Hebrew Bible) (Around 950–900 BCE (oral tradition), written down around the 6th–5th century BCE.)

The Queen of Sheba, having heard of Solomon's fame, came to test him with riddles. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels loaded with spices, a great quantity of gold, and precious stones.

Quran, Surah An-Naml (The Ants), verses 22–44 (7th century CE (Quranic revelation))

He said: 'I come to you from Sheba with certain news. I found a woman ruling over them, who has been given everything, and who possesses a magnificent throne.' [...] She said: 'My Lord, I have wronged myself, and I submit with Solomon to Allah, Lord of the worlds.'

Oral narratives in Ge'ez and Amharic — tradition of Ethiopian bards (azmaris) (Continuous oral tradition since approximately the 10th century BCE.)

Traditional Ethiopian singers preserve the legend of Makeda in the form of sung epic poems, passed down from generation to generation by the priests and scribes of the Kingdom of Aksum. These accounts describe her beauty, her intellectual curiosity, and her benevolent reign over the Kingdom of Sheba.

Sabaean inscriptions from the Arabian Peninsula (Marib, Yemen) (10th–7th century BCE.)

Archaeological excavations at Marib (the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Sheba, in present-day Yemen) have uncovered inscriptions mentioning female rulers in the region, confirming the existence of powerful queens in this area during the presumed time of Makeda.

Key Places

Aksum (Ethiopia)

Capital of the ancient Aksumite Empire, Aksum is considered the cradle of the royal lineage founded by Menelik I, son of Makeda. According to Ethiopian tradition, the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion houses the Ark of the Covenant.

Marib (present-day Yemen)

Ancient capital of the Kingdom of Sheba in the Arabian Peninsula, Marib is home to the ruins of the great ancient dam and the Moon Temple (Mahram Bilqis). This archaeological site is associated with the figure of Bilqis/Makeda in Islamic tradition.

Jerusalem (present-day Israel)

The legendary meeting place of Makeda and King Solomon, as recounted in the Bible and the Kebra Nagast. In Ethiopian tradition, Jerusalem represents the point of contact between African wisdom and Abrahamic monotheism.

Lake Tana (Ethiopia)

The source of the Blue Nile, Lake Tana is surrounded by island monasteries that preserve illustrated manuscripts of the Kebra Nagast. These Ethiopian illuminations are among the richest iconographic sources on the figure of Makeda.

Adwa / Tigray region (Ethiopia)

A historical region of Ethiopia considered one of the possible cradles of Makeda's legendary kingdom according to certain local traditions. Tigrinya oral narratives preserve a version of the queen's story unique to this region.