The Queen of Sheba is the monarch mentioned in the Bible and then in later works who travels to Jerusalem to experience the wisdom of King Solomon (c. 965-931 BCE) of Israel first-hand. The queen is first mentioned in I Kings 10:1-13 and in II Chronicles 9:1-12 in the Bible, then in the later Aramaic Targum Sheni, then the Quran, and finally the Ethiopian work known as the Kebra Negast; later writings featuring the queen, all religious in nature, come basically from the story as first told in the Bible. There is no archaeological evidence, inscription, or statuary supporting her existence outside of these texts.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 600 BCE - c. 500 BCEThe biblical Book of Kings written; first appearance in literature of the Queen of Sheba.
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c. 300 CE - c. 1000 CEApproximate dates for composition of the Targum Sheni which includes another version of the tale of the Queen of Sheba.
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c. 632 CE - c. 700 CEApproximate dates for composition of the Quran which includes another version of the tale of the Queen of Sheba.
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c. 1300 CE - c. 1400 CEApproximate dates for composition of the Kebra Negast which includes the most elaborate re-telling of the tale of the Queen of Sheba.
