The Queen of Sheba: was Solomon visited by an Egyptian pharaoh?
by Daniel Anderson
Published: 23 March 2007 (GMT+10)
Photo Charles Verrier. Released under
GFDL
A carved Sphinx with the face of Hatshepsut–Located in the Cairo Museum
The identity of the Queen of Sheba has been a mystery to archaeological
and historical scholars. Last year, David Down and John Ashton wrote Unwrapping
the Pharaohs: How Egyptian Archaeology Confirms the Biblical Timeline,
in which they propose a revised chronology that harmonizes Egyptian and Old Testament
history. Correctly placed in a revised chronology, there is a significant amount
of circumstantial evidence to identify the biblical Queen of Sheba as the most famous
female pharaoh, Queen Hatshepsut (whose mummy may have just been found—see
addendum added 28 June 2007.)
Down and Ashton are not the only scholars calling for a significant revision of
Egyptian history. The secular archaeologist David Rohl, author of Test of Time,
suggests ‘Ramses II should be dated to the tenth century BC—some three
hundred and fifty years later than the date which had been assigned him in the orthodox
chronology.’1 Peter James
and four other scholars published the book Centuries of Darkness.2 They claim that the dates of Egyptian
dynasties need to be reduced by hundreds of years, specifically Dynasties 21–24.
Dr. Renfrew, professor of archaeology at Cambridge University, wrote in his foreword
to this book:
‘This disquieting book draws attention … to a crucial period in world
history, and to the very shaky nature of the dating, the whole chronological framework,
upon which our current interpretations rest … the existing chronologies for
that crucial phase in human history are in error by several centuries, and that,
in consequence, history will have to be rewritten.’3
The historical reliability of the Bible, beginning with the Book of Genesis, is
one of the most vital issues facing the Christian church today. If we cannot trust
the Bible to be accurate in its historical documentation of real events in the past,
then how can it be trusted in spiritual matters? The Lord Jesus Christ put the question
to Nicodemus in John 3:12—‘If I have told you earthly things
and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?’
The Queen of Sheba can be accurately identified by cross referencing the historical
records of ancient Egypt, the Old Testament, the first century historian Josephus,
and the New Testament. Once all of the evidence is assessed, it is highly likely
that the Queen of Sheba was Queen Hatshepsut, the most powerful woman to ever rule
Egypt.
Hatshepsut’s family background
Photo Hajor. Released under
GFDL
Memorial Temple of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, Deir el Bahari, West Thebes, Egypt
Hatshepsut, the daughter of Thutmosis I, reigned over a prosperous Egypt for possibly
up to twenty-two years. In the traditional chronology, Hatshepsut lived during the
15th century BC, but in the revised chronology, she lived and reigned during the
10th century BC.4 Hatshepsut married
her half-brother Thutmosis II, but this marriage produced no sons. However, Thutmosis
II married a secondary wife who bore a son named Thutmosis III. When Thutmosis III
was about twelve years old his father died, leaving his stepmother, Hatshepsut,
regent of Egypt. In one of the most perplexing episodes of Egyptian history, Hatshepsut
eventually proclaimed herself to be the Pharaoh of Egypt even though Thutmosis III
was legally entitled to the throne. Gay Robins, an art history professor at Emory
University, wrote ‘We can never be sure why Hatshepsut defied tradition and
became king, nor why the male bureaucracy tolerated this aberration…’5 After a long and prosperous reign,
Hatshepsut died and Thutmosis III became Pharaoh. Thutmosis III would eventually
transform Egypt into one of the world’s most powerful empires.
Glory of Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut was depicted in statues as having ‘a slender build with an attractive
oval face, a high forehead, almond shaped eyes, a delicate pointed chin …
a certain feminine softness.’6
In typical royal vanity, she wrote about herself, ‘Exceeding good to look
upon, with the form and spirit of a god … a beautiful maiden, fresh, serene
of nature, altogether divine.’7
She erected two pairs of obelisks in the temple of Karnak. One of these is still
standing in Egypt today at a record-breaking 29 metres (97 feet) tall. She also
built an extraordinary temple at Deir el Bahri on the west bank of the Nile. On
the wall of this magnificent temple, artists depicted Hatshepsut’s historic
expedition to the ‘Land of Punt’. It is this expedition that leads us
to the biblical record of the Queen of Sheba’s visit to King Solomon (1 Kings 10:1–13, 2 Chronicles 9:1–12).
Mysteries of Punt and Sheba
Historians have long debated the exact location of Punt. Based on the animals and
plants depicted in the temple relief at Deir el Bahri, many scholars believe Punt
was a region or nation in East Africa. Likewise, scholars have debated the identity
and location of Sheba. Some scholars believe that it was a kingdom located in either
Ethiopia or Yemen. However, a few Egyptian inscriptions, the Old Testament, Josephus,
and the New Testament give us greater clarity as to the locations of Punt and Sheba.
Mysteries solved
When given a chance, the Bible proves to be a remarkably accurate book of history.
In Hatshepsut’s inscriptions she refers to the land of Punt as ‘God’s
Land.’8 At least one Egyptian
inscription refers to Punt being north of Egypt,9
in Palestine. This is consistent with the biblical account in which she visited
Solomon in Jerusalem. Josephus, the famous first-century historian, writes:
‘There was then a woman, queen of Egypt and Ethiopia … When this queen
heard of the virtue and prudence of Solomon, she had a great mind to see him …
Accordingly she came to Jerusalem with great splendor and rich furniture.’10
In Matthew 12:42, the Lord Jesus Christ says:
‘The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.’ (see also Luke 11:31).
Therefore, it is almost certain that the Queen of Sheba hailed from the land of
Egypt.
African plants and animals
Many protest that Punt had to be an East African nation because of the native animals
featured on Hatshepsut’s temple relief. Her relief shows trees being carried
on poles, piles of frankincense, myrrh, gold, incense, ivory, ebony, and monkeys.
How could Solomon give these precious African items and animals to the queen when
he lived in Jerusalem? A closer look at the biblical text resolves this apparent
discrepancy. Apparently, King Solomon had a naval fleet that imported gold, almug
trees, precious stones, gold and silver, ivory, peacocks, and apes (monkeys in some
translations) from outside of Israel (1 Kings 10:11,22). Some scholars believe Solomon imported
these flora, fauna, and metals from the northeastern region of Africa. On Hatshepsut’s
relief, scribes write ‘Never were brought such things to any king since the
world was.’8 This corroborates 1 Kings 10:13 which states:
‘And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants.’
Conclusion
When given a chance, the Bible proves to be a remarkably accurate book of history.
Clifford Wilson, former director of the Australian Institute of Archaeology, once
said, ‘The Bible is the most accurate history textbook the world has ever
seen.’11 Its historical
reliability has often surprised historians and archaeologists. And the authority
of Scripture begins with the book of Genesis. The historical accounts of a recent
creation, the fall of man, the origin of death and suffering, the global flood,
and the Tower of Babel are critical in understanding the true history of the world.
Addendum: Queen of Sheba’s mummy found?
Egyptian antiquities chief Zahi Hawass claims to have identified
the mummy of Hatshepsut as a ‘fat woman in her 50s who probably died of cancer’,
from a missing tooth and CAT scans. See
Bad tooth solves mystery of Egypt’s pharaoh queen, as well as Dr Hawass’s
own account,
The Search for Hatshepsut and the Discovery of her Mummy. Return
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References
- Rohl, D., A Test of Time: The Bible: from Myth to History,
Century Limited, London, UK, p. 143, 1995; see also review by Osgood, J., Journal
of Creation 11(1):33–35, 1997. Return
to Text.
- James, P., Centuries of Darkness, Pimlico, London,
UK, pp. XV–XVI, 1992. Return to Text.
- James, ref. 2, p. 39. Return to Text.
- Ashton, J. and Down, D.
Unwrapping the Pharaohs: How Egyptian Archaeology Confirms The Biblical Timeline,
Master Books, Green Forest, AR, p. 116, 2006. Return to Text.
- Robins, G., Women in Ancient Egypt, Harvard University
Press, Cambridge, MA, p. 47, 1993. Return to Text.
- Tyldesley, Hatchepsut the Female Pharaoh, p. 130.
Return to Text.
- Steindorff and Steele, When Egypt Ruled the East,
p. 41. Return to Text.
- Ashton and Down, ref. 4, p. 122. Return
to Text.
- Schott, P, Les chants d’amour dans l’Egypte
ancien, p. 97. Return to Text.
- Whiston, Josephus’ Complete Works, Antiquities
of the Jews, VIII, VI, p. 5. Return to Text.
- Wilson, C, Archaeologist Speaks
Out, Creation 21(1):15, 1998. It needs to be stated however that Dr Wilson strongly disagrees with the identification of Hatshepsut as Sheba. He cites 'scriptural facts as well as archaeological dating to show that Hatshepsut was the foster mother of Moses, and the stepmother of Pharaoh Thuthmosis III, who I and many other conservative scholars accept as being the Pharaoh of the Exodus.' Return
to Text.
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