Sheba

In the Bible

Genealogies. Genesis records Sheba as a personal name three times: as a grandson of Cush, a descendant of Ham (Genesis 10:7); as a son of Joktan, a descendant of Shem (Genesis 10:28); and as a grandson of Abraham and Keturah (Genesis 25:3). Because the same name appears in different lines of descent, many interpreters take it to refer to an Arabian tribe with ties to several peoples. For the genealogies, see Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The Queen of Sheba. 1 Kings 10:1–13 and 2 Chronicles 9:1–12 record how the Queen of Sheba heard reports of Solomon's wisdom and came to Jerusalem. She tested Solomon with hard questions and presented him with spices, gold, and precious stones.

Other passages. In Job 1:15, the Sabeans seize Job's oxen and donkeys and kill his servants. In Job 6:19, the people of Sheba appear as caravans (traveling companies of merchants). Psalm 72:10, 15; Isaiah 60:6; Jeremiah 6:20; and Ezekiel 27:22 mention Sheba as a source and center of trade for gold and frankincense (an aromatic tree resin).

Background

The Hebrew name is Sheba. Scholars generally identify it with the ancient South Arabian kingdom of Saba. Saba flourished in the first millennium BC in the region of present-day Yemen and, with Marib as its center, is known to have controlled the trade routes that carried frankincense and myrrh to the Mediterranean world.

Because Sheba is frequently mentioned together with Dedan in northern Arabia, however, some scholars hold that it refers to a trading outpost in the north.

There is also a similar name, Seba, which appears alongside Cush and is regarded as an African people. The New Korean Revised Version generally renders both names with the same Korean form, "Seuba," though in Psalm 72:10 it distinguishes them as "Seuba" and "Siba" (KJV: "Sheba and Seba").

Broader Biblical Significance

In the prophetic books, Sheba symbolizes the Gentile nations from the ends of the earth coming to the God of Israel bearing gifts. Psalm 72:10 celebrates the kings of Sheba offering gifts to the messianic king. Isaiah 60:6 prophesies that those from Sheba "shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD."

In the New Testament, Jesus says that "the queen of the south" came "from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon" (Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31). He then rebukes the generation that rejects him, even though "a greater than Solomon is here." The queen of the south has traditionally been identified with the Queen of Sheba.

Interpretations and Debates

• Connection with the Magi. The gifts of gold and frankincense in Isaiah 60:6 and Psalm 72:10 have been linked with the gifts the Magi presented to the infant Jesus (Matthew 2:11), and these texts have been read together in the tradition of Epiphany. Matthew, however, does not say that the Magi came from Sheba.
• Location. Many identify Sheba with Yemen, but the tradition of the Ethiopian Church associates it with Ethiopia. This tradition also includes the story that a son named Menelik was born to the queen and Solomon. Islamic tradition calls the queen Bilqis. These names and stories are later traditions not found in the biblical text.