Queen Makeda is remembered every year on September 11th, the Ethiopian New Year.
The day is called Enkutatash, meaning the "gift of jewels," commemorating the return of the Queen from her journey to visit King Solomon, as her chiefs welcomed her back by replenishing her treasury with enku, or jewels. It marks the time when the rains end and is celebrated with three days of prayers, psalms and hymns, and massive, colorful processions.
We first learn of Queen Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, in the First Book of Kings 10: 1-10:
Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king which he could not explain to her. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings which he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.
And she said to the king, “The report was true which I heard in my own land of your affairs and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it; and behold, the half was not told me; your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report which I heard. Happy are your wives! Happy are these your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel for ever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness.” Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones; never again came such an abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
This account is repeated almost verbatim in 2 Chronicles 9, giving us a tantalizing glimpse of this wealthy, powerful, and intellectual woman. What else do we know about her?
Much of the later tradition around the Queen of Sheba’s life comes from the Kebra Nagast, translated to “Glory of Kings.” The Kebra Nagast is the origin story of the Ethiopian royal family and may date back in written form to the 6th century. In it, she is described as intelligent and self-assured, a philosopher seeking Solomon’s famed wisdom. In Ethiopic, the name Makeda means “not thus,” deriving from her pronouncement, “Not thus is it good to worship the sun, but it is right to worship God.” She is said to have ruled the Ethiopian kingdom for more than 50 years, circa 1013 to 982 BC.
After Solomon answered Queen Makeda’s many questions and they exchanged gifts, she returned home. The Kebra Nagast writes that she had a son by Solomon named Menelik. King Menelik founded the Solomonic Dynasty in Aksum, and eventually traveled to Jerusalem to meet his father. As a result, Queen Makeda is considered the mother of the Ethiopian nation.
Queen Makenda accompanies us as a woman of holy curiosity, a woman who would go to great lengths to learn wisdom. She could both meet the most famous king in the known world as his equal and respond intelligently and gratefully to the revelation which this gave her. It is fascinating that although we know so little about her life, she has captured the imaginations of cultures and artists across centuries, religion, and geography. And in her continued peaceful and prosperous rule, she demonstrates her commitment to using that wisdom to make her sphere of influence a place of justice, well-being, and joy.