Solomon and Sheba

vs.

There are two versions of the story of Solomon and Sheba. One is depicted in the 1950's movie "Solomon and Sheba" and the other is the story presented in the Kebra Negast. Guess which one is which :-)

The movie version is a total bastardization of the story - according to the Wikipedia article, Solomon (played by Yul Brynner who later went onto fame as "The King" in the musical The King and I) becomes king and the Queen of Sheba conspires with Egypt to "topple Israel". She also has an orgy.
According to the Kebra Negast, the Queen of Sheba (who is neither white nor has orgies) hears about Solomon's amazing wisdom from one of her merchants and decides to make the arduous journey to see the king herself. She spends six months in his company and they converse about many topics, during which each marvels at the other's wisdom and insight, including one conversation that turns into a conversion. On the last night of her visit, King Solomon tricks the Queen of Sheba into sleeping with him. She ends up bearing his child, who assumedly goes back to visit the King on a journey that takes place beyond the confines of page 39.

I found the Kebra Negast to be, on the whole, an amazing and inspiring story. The way these leaders talk of the importance (indeed, necessity) of using wisdom and learning from each other is written beautifully and paints a great scene. I don't think many people know that the Queen of Sheba was the Queen of Ethiopia, but this is certainly something for Ethiopians to be proud of in their history (which I would assume they are!). She speaks with eloquence and much knowledge, while having been a strong leader of Ethiopia for 6 years. She was even "undefiled in her virginity" and "had preserved her body pure" (oops...boo on King Solomon).
The description of the conversation on philosophy and theology between the Queen of Sheba and Solomon is fascinating. She was converted through his articulate explanation and affirmation of faith in God, which I see as the beginning seeds of Ethiopia's Christian heritage.

I think Ethiopia has a rich history, especially as expressed in this story. I had read in the Bible that the Queen of Sheba visited Solomon, but it said nothing of her extraordinary wisdom. This passage explains why Solomon found in her such a companion for those 6 months. She's definitely now on my list of people to go back in time and talk to, that's for sure!