|
King Solomon
During King
Solomon's reign in Israel (974 - 932 BCE),
he traded gold with Ophir, which is believed
to be a region in Ethiopia. The tale is
retold in The Second Book of Chronicles,
8:18 (Pankhurst 16):
1Kgs.9
[26]
And king Solomon made a navy of ships in
Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the
shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom.
[27] And Hiram sent in the navy his
servants, shipmen that had knowledge of
the sea, with the servants of Solomon.
[28] And they came to Ophir, and
fetched from thence gold, four hundred and
twenty talents, and brought it to king
Solomon.
Queen of
Sheba's Visit to King Solomon
Sheba is
believed to have been Queen of Ethiopia and
it is through her Ethiopian rulers claim
royalty through her. The verses below refer
to Sheba's visit to King Solomon in Isreal:
1
Kings 10, 1-13
[1]
And when the queen of Sheba heard of the
fame of Solomon concerning the name of the
LORD, she came to prove him with hard
questions.
[2] And she came to Jerusalem with
a very great train, with camels that bare
spices, and very much gold, and precious
stones: and when she was come to Solomon,
she communed with him of all that was in
her heart.
[3] And Solomon told her all her
questions: there was not any thing hid
from the king, which he told her not.
[4] And when the queen of Sheba had
seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house
that he had built,
[5] And the meat of his table, and
the sitting of his servants, and the
attendance of his ministers, and their
apparel, and his cupbearers, and his
ascent by which he went up unto the house
of the LORD; there was no more spirit in
her.
[6] And she said to the king, It
was a true report that I heard in mine own
land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
[7] Howbeit I believed not the
words, until I came, and mine eyes had
seen it: and, behold, the half was not
told me: thy wisdom and prosperity
exceedeth the fame which I heard.
[8] Happy are thy men, happy are
these thy servants, which stand
continually before thee, and that hear thy
wisdom.
[9] Blessed be the LORD thy God,
which delighted in thee, to set thee on
the throne of Israel: because the LORD
loved Israel for ever, therefore made he
thee king, to do judgment and justice.
[10] And she gave the king an
hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of
spices very great store, and precious
stones: there came no more such abundance
of spices as these which the queen of
Sheba gave to king Solomon.
[11] And the navy also of Hiram,
that brought gold from Ophir, brought in
from Ophir great plenty of almug trees,
and precious stones.
[12] And the king made of the almug
trees pillars for the house of the LORD,
and for the king's house, harps also and
psalteries for singers: there came no such
almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.
[13] And king Solomon gave unto the
queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever
she asked, beside that which Solomon gave
her of his royal bounty. So she turned and
went to her own country, she and her
servants.
The Word
'Ethiopia' in the Bible
The word
Ethiopia
appears in the King James Bible version
45 times. When the word Ethiopia
is used in the bible, it most of the
time refers to all the land south of
Egypt:
[13]
And the name of the second river is
Gihon: the same is it that compasseth
the whole land of Ethiopia.
[1]
And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses
because of the Ethiopian woman
whom he had married: for he had married
an Ethiopian woman.
[9]
And when he heard say of Tirhakah king
of Ethiopia, Behold, he is come
out to fight against thee: he sent
messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying,
[3]
With twelve hundred chariots, and
threescore thousand horsemen: and the
people were without number that came
with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the
Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.
[9]
And there came out against them Zerah
the Ethiopian with an host of a
thousand thousand, and three hundred
chariots; and came unto Mareshah.
[12]
So the LORD smote the Ethiopians
before Asa and before Judah; and the
Ethiopians fled.
[13]
And Asa and the people that were with
him pursued them unto Gerar: and the
Ethiopians were overthrown, that
they could not recover themselves; for
they were destroyed before the LORD, and
before his host; and they carried away
very much spoil.
[8]
Were not the Ethiopians and the
Lubims a huge host, with very many
chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou
didst rely on the LORD, he delivered
them into thine hand.
[16]
Moreover the LORD stirred up against
Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines,
and of the Arabians, that were near the
Ethiopians:
[1]
Now it came to pass in the days of
Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which
reigned, from India even unto
Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven
and twenty provinces:)
[9]
Then were the king's scribes called at
that time in the third month, that is,
the month Sivan, on the three and
twentieth day thereof; and it was
written according to all that Mordecai
commanded unto the Jews, and to the
lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers
of the provinces which are from India
unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty
and seven provinces, unto every province
according to the writing thereof, and
unto every people after their language,
and to the Jews according to their
writing, and according to their
language.
[19]
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not
equal it, neither shall it be valued
with pure gold.
[31]
Princes shall come out of Egypt;
Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her
hands unto God.
[4]
I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon
to them that know me: behold Philistia,
and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man
was born there.
[1]
Woe to the land shadowing with wings,
which is beyond the rivers of
Ethiopia:
[3]
And the LORD said, Like as my servant
Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot
three years for a sign and wonder upon
Egypt and upon Ethiopia;
[4]
So shall the king of Assyria lead away
the Egyptians prisoners, and the
Ethiopians captives, young and old,
naked and barefoot, even with their
buttocks uncovered, to the shame of
Egypt.
[5]
And they shall be afraid and ashamed of
Ethiopia their expectation, and of
Egypt their glory.
[9]
And he heard say concerning Tirhakah
king of Ethiopia, He is come
forth to make war with thee. And when he
heard it, he sent messengers to
Hezekiah, saying,
[3]
For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One
of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for
thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for
thee.
[14]
Thus saith the LORD, The labour of
Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia
and of the Sabeans, men of stature,
shall come over unto thee, and they
shall be thine: they shall come after
thee; in chains they shall come over,
and they shall fall down unto thee, they
shall make supplication unto thee,
saying, Surely God is in thee; and there
is none else, there is no God.
[23]
Can the Ethiopian change his
skin, or the leopard his spots? then may
ye also do good, that are accustomed to
do evil.
[7]
Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian,
one of the eunuchs which was in the
king's house, heard that they had put
Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then
sitting in the gate of Benjamin;
[10]
Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the
Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence
thirty men with thee, and take up
Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon,
before he die.
[12]
And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian
said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old
cast clouts and rotten rags under thine
armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah
did so.
[16]
Go and speak to Ebed-melech the
Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the
LORD of hosts, the God of Israel;
Behold, I will bring my words upon this
city for evil, and not for good; and
they shall be accomplished in that day
before thee.
[9]
Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye
chariots; and let the mighty men come
forth; the Ethiopians and the
Libyans, that handle the shield; and the
Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.
[10]
Behold, therefore I am against thee, and
against thy rivers, and I will make the
land of Egypt utterly waste and
desolate, from the tower of Syene even
unto the border of Ethiopia.
[4]
And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and
great pain shall be in Ethiopia,
when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and
they shall take away her multitude, and
her foundations shall be broken down.
[5]
Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and
all the mingled people, and Chub, and
the men of the land that is in league,
shall fall with them by the sword.
[9]
In that day shall messengers go forth
from me in ships to make the careless
Ethiopians afraid, and great pain
shall come upon them, as in the day of
Egypt: for, lo, it cometh.
[5]
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with
them; all of them with shield and
helmet:
[43]
But he shall have power over the
treasures of gold and of silver, and
over all the precious things of Egypt:
and the Libyans and the Ethiopians
shall be at his steps.
[7]
Are ye not as children of the
Ethiopians unto me, O children of
Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I
brought up Israel out of the land of
Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor,
and the Syrians from Kir?
[9]
Ethiopia and Egypt were her
strength, and it was infinite; Put and
Lubim were thy helpers.
[12]
Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be
slain by my sword.
[10]
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
my suppliants, even the daughter of my
dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
[2]
And to all the governors and captains
and lieutenants that were under him,
from India unto Ethiopia, of an
hundred twenty and seven provinces.
[10]
Until ye come beyond Tanis and Memphis,
and to all the inhabitants of Egypt,
until ye come to the borders of
Ethiopia.
[1]
The copy of the letters was this: The
great king Artexerxes writeth these
things to the princes and governours
that are under him from India unto
Ethiopia in an hundred and seven and
twenty provinces.
[1]
The great king Artexerxes unto the
princes and governors of an hundred and
seven and twenty provinces from India
unto Ethiopia, and unto all our
faithful subjects, greeting.
[27]
And he arose and went: and, behold, a
man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of
great authority under Candace queen of
the Ethiopians, who had the
charge of all her treasure, and had come
to Jerusalem for to worship,
|
