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The Old Testament (1. Kings X) suppplies the key to the traditional beliefs that when the Queen of Sheba heard the fame of Soloman concerning the name of the lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold., and presious stones. And King Soloman gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country. According to the Ethipoians, Soloman also gave her a son, who, under the name of Menelik, became the first Emperor of Ethiopia. The official version of this tradition is contained in a work, much treasured, known as the Kebra-Negast or 'Glory of Kings', the standard edition of which dates back from the fourteenth century. This work is translated from a 'Coptic' original found before A.D. 325 amongst the treasure of St. Sophia of Constantinople. It takes up the rather sketchy Old Testament account and elborates this into a lenghty story which tells how the kings of Ethiopia , descendents of Soloman, were promised sovereighnty over half the Universe. |
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