THE JUDAISM OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA

Bernard Leeman
24 February 2015
Old Testament minimalists,1a school of thought within Near Eastern archaeology, argue that
no evidence exists in Palestine of the Israelite kingdoms of Solomon (Judah) and Omri
(Israel). Recently, there has been a move towards Judaism Denial, maintaining that
Judaism was invented with a spurious history, ca.450 BCE, by marginalised scribes within
the Persian Empire. 2 All commentators have either ignored Arabian and Ethiopian traditions
of a local ancient pre-450 BCE Israelite presence or have dismissed them as reflecting preIslamic non-Christian monotheism. 3 However, several writers have suggested that there was
a substantial Israelite presence in West Arabia dating from King Davids time. 4 Others have
provided conclusions that appear to support that hypothesis.5
The Queen of Sheba is a prominent Old Testament figure who appears in the Islamic Quran
Persian commentaries, and is possibly one and the same as Xi Wang Mu, the Daoist Queen of
the West, with whom she shares some remarkable characteristics.7 The most detailed
document concerning the Queen of Sheba is the Sheba-Menelik Cycle, a purely pre-Second
Temple Israelite work written in the Geez (Classical Ethiopic) language but translated from
an earlier Arabic text, 8 whose geographical references place it as originating in West Arabia
between Medina and Yemen. 9 The Sheba-Menelik Cycle is one half of the Geez epic Kebra
Nagast (Glory of the Kings), a document that appears to have been compiled around 520 CE
by virulent anti Jewish Christian monophysite refugees from the Byzantine empire but finally
redacted around 1314 CE. 10
The Sheba Menelik Cycle describes the Israelite religion as accepted by the Queen of Sheba.
Its extremely brief Torah (the Law of Moses) 11 is nevertheless the essence of Judaism,
negates Judaism Denial and enables scholars to ascertain to what extent the faith was later
altered.
The Jewish scholar Moses Maimoides (1138-1204) enumerated 613 commandments from the
work of the priest-scribe Ezra (ca. 450 BC). Only two of the Ten Commandments given at
Sinai are included, as commandments three to ten were not directly heard from God.
Professor Thomas L. Thompson is a leading minimalist archaeologist and his recent
publications argue that the circle in Palestine associated with the priest-scribe Ezra invented
the Old Testament along with a fraudulent history. This is because it appears certain that
Ezras group did commit fraud, stating that the Persian monarch allowed the exiled Jews to
return to rebuild their old capital of Jerusalem. However, the amount of evidence in West
Arabia and Ethiopia suggests an ancient Judaic presence there dating at least as far back to
King Solomon and most probably Moses. The brief Torah listed in the Sheba Menelik Cycle
is in fact adequate for it to be classified as basic Judaism. Thompson is therefore incorrect in
stating that the religion was invented in 5th century BC Palestine. What Ezras circle did was
to take the Torah preserved in West Arabia and Ethiopia by the Zadokite priesthood and use
it for the basis of an extremely detailed Torah to establish their authority as a theocracy in
Palestine. Elements within Christs teaching and certainly in the Prophet Muhammads
pronouncements indicate that there was significant discontent in and outside Palestine with
Ezras manipulation of the Mosaic Law.

The Law of Moses (TORAH) according to Moses Maimonides and the Ten
Commandments
G1:28
12:45
20:2
20:14
21:15

32:33
12:46
20:3
20:15
21:17

E12:2
12:46
20:5
20:16
21:18

12.6
12:48
20:6
20:17
21:20

12:8
12:48
20:6
20:21
21:28

12:9
13:3
20:7
20:24
21:28

12:10
13:7
20:9
20:27
21:33

12:15
13:8
20:10
21:2
21:37

12:18
13:12
20:11
21:8
22:4

12:19
13:13
20:13
21:8
22:5

12:20
13:13
20:13
21:8
22:6

12:43
16:29
20:14
21:10
22:8

22:9
22:27
23:12
27:21
30:32
3:17
6:6
7:19
11:13
13:12
15:19
18:9
18:17
19:9
19:12
19:17
19:27
21:1
21:23
22:22
23:8
23:32
25:8
25:34
27:14
6:3
9:1
18:5
28:11
35:25
5:13

22:13
22:28
23:13
28:2
30:37
4:13
6:6
7:19
11:21
13:33
15:25
18:10
18:17
19:9
19:13
19:17
19:27
21:7
22:3
22:24
23:10
23:32
25:9
25:37
27:16
6:3
9:11
18:15
28:19
35:31
5:14

10:19
12:17
13:4
13:18
15:7
16:18
17:18
18:11
20:10
21:23
22:9
23:4
23:21
24:10
25:5
26:13

10:20
12:17
13:9
14:1
15:8
16:21
18:1
18:15
20:16
22:1
22:10
23:7
23:22
24:12
25:5
26:14

22:15/16
22:30
23:14
28:28
34:21
4:27
6:9
7:20
11:29
13:34
15:28/29
18:10
18:18
19:9
19:13
19:18
19:28
21:7
22:4
22:24
23:14
23:35
25:10
25:39
27:26
6:3
9:11
18:17
28:26
35:32
5:16
6:8
10:20
12:17
13:9
14:1
15:9
16:22
18:1
18:20
20:17
22:3
22:11
23:8/9
23:24
24:13
25:9
31:12

22:17
23:1
23:18
28:32
34:26
5:1
6:10
10:6
11:34
13:45
16:2
18:10
18:19
19:10
19:13
19:18
19:30
21:7
22:7
22:25
23:14
23:35
25:11
25:42
27:28
6:4
9:12
18:23
29:2
D1:17
5:17
6:8
10:20
12:17
13:9
14:3
15:13
17:1
18:3
18:22
20:19
22:4
22:13
23:8/9
23:25
24:15
25:12
31:19

22:20
23:1
23:18
29:33
35:3
5:7-11
6:13
10:6
11:39
13:47
16:3
18:11
18:20
19:10
19:14
19:18
19:31
21:8
22:10
22:27
23:14
23:36
25:11
25:43
27:28
6:4
9:12
18:24
29:8
1:17
5:18
6:9
12:2
12:17
13:9
14:11
15:14
17:11
18:4
19:3
21:4
22:4
22:19
23:11
23:25
24:16
25:13
32:38

22:20
23:2
23:19
29:33
L1:31
5:8
6:16
10:7
11:41
14:2
16:29
18:12
18:22
19:10
19:14
19:19
19:31
21:11
22:10
22:28
23:15
23:36
25:11
25:46
27:32
6:5
10.9
18:26
29:13
D5:6
5:19
6:16
12:4
12:17
13:9
14:19
15:19
17:11
18:4
19:13
21:4
22:5
22:19
23:13
23:26
24:17
25:17

22:21
23:2
23:19
30:7
2:1
5:11
6:18
10:9
11:42
14:9
17:4
18:13
18:23
19:10
19:15
19:19
19:32
21:11
22:12
22:30
23:17
23:40
25:14
25:53
27:33
6:5
15:20
19:2
29:35
5:7
5:20
7:2
12:6
12:19
13:12
14:21
15:19
17:15
18:6/8
19:14
21:11
22:5
22:24
23:14
24:1
24:17
25:19

22:24
23:5
23:25
30:9
2:11
5:16
6:23
10:19
11:43
14:10
17:13
18:14
18:23
19:10
19:15
19:21
19:35
21:13
22:15
22:32
23:21
23:42
25:14
26:1
N5:2
6:6
15:38
19:14
30:3
5:8
5:21
7:2
12:11
12:21
13:14
14:22
16:3
17:15
18:10
19:15
21:14
22:6
22:26
23:16
24:4
24:19
25:19

22:24
23:6
23:33
30:13
2:13
5:17/18
7:1
11:2
11:44
15:3
18:6
18:14
19:3
19:11
19:15
19:23
19:36
21:14
22:20
22:32
23:21
25:4
25:17
27:2
5:3
6:7
15:39
19:21
30:3
5:9
6:4
7:3
12:13
12:23
13:14
14:28
16:4
17:16
18:10
19:17
21:14
22:7
22:29
23:16
24:5
24:19
26:5

22:24
23:7
25:8
30:19
2:13
5:23
7:11
11:4
12:2
15:13/14
18:7
18:15
19:4
19:11
19:15
19:24
20:10
21:15
22:21
23:7
23:24
25:4
25:23
27:10
5:7
6:9
18:2
27:8
35:2
5:10
6:5
7:25
12:15
12:26
13:15
15:2
16:14
17:16
18:11
19:19
21:18
22:8
22:29
23:18
24:5
25:2
26:13

22:27
23:8
25:15
30:31
3:11
5:25
7:17
11:9
12:3
15:16
18:7
18:16
19:4
19:11
19:16
19:26
20:14
21:17
22:21
23:8
23:25
25:5
25:24
27:10
5:15
6:23
18:3
28:3
35:12
5:11
6:7
7:26
12:17
13:1
13:17
15:2
16:16
17:17
18:11
20:2
21:22
22:8
23:2
23:19
24:6
25:3
26:14

22:27
23:11
25:30
30:32
3:17
6:3
7:18
11:11
12:6
15:16
18:8
18:17
19:8
19:11
19:16
19:26
20:23
21:17
22:22
23:8
23:29
25:5
25:29
27:12/13
5:30
7:9
18:4
28:9
35:12
5:12
6:7
8:10
12:17
13:1
13:17
15:3
16:16
17:17
18:11
20:3
21:23
22:9
23:2
23:20
24:8
25:4
26:5

E20:10
5:13

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS THAT ARE QUOTED IN THE SHEBA-MENELIK CYCLE

20:11
20:15
20:16
20:17
D5:6
5:7
5:8
5:9
5:10
5:11
5:14
5:16
5:17
5:18
5:19
5:20
5:21

5:12

The Book of Genesis (No laws included in Sheba-Menelik Cycle)

The Book of Exodus (Three laws included in Sheba-Menelik Cycle)
The Book of Leviticus (Fifteen laws included in Sheba-Menelik Cycle)
The Book of Numbers (No laws included in Sheba-Menelik Cycle)
The Book of Deuteronomy (No laws included in Sheba-Menelik Cycle)
Forty Laws appearing in the Sheba-Menelik Cycle of the Kebra Nagast
Some Old Testament verses contain more than one commandment, for example Deuteronomy 12:17 which contains eight commandments.

References
Thompson Thomas L. [1992] Early history of the Israelite people from the Written
1
and Archaeological Sources Leiden:Netherlands: Brill
Whitelam, Keith W. [1996] The invention of Ancient Israel the silencing of
Palestinian history London: Routledge
Lemche, N.P. [1998] The Israelites in History and Tradition London: SPCK
Sand, Schlomo [2009] The Invention of the Jewish People (trans. Yael Lotan) London
& New York: Verso
Thompson Thomas L. [1999] The Bible in History: How Writers Create a Past
2
London: Pimlico
Phillipson, David W. 2014] Foundations of an African Civilisation: Aksum and the
3
Northern Horn, 1000 BC - AD 1300 London: James Curry
Dozy, Reinhart [1864] Die Israeliten zu Mekka von Davids Zeit. [The Israelites of
4
Mecca in Davids Time] Leipzig: Engelmann
Montgomery, J. A. (1934) Arabia and the Bible Philadelphia: University of
Pennsylvania Press
Al Jasir, Sheikh Hamad [1977] AI-Mugam algugrafi li1 bilad al- Arabhyah alSa udiyyah [Gazette of Saudi Arabian Place Names] [3 volumes]. Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia: Government Publications
Salibi, Kamal [1985] The Bible Came from Arabia London: Jonathan Cape
Leeman, Bernard [2005] Queen of Sheba and Biblical Scholarship Westbrook
Australia: Queensland Academic Press
Rabin, Chaim [1951] Ancient West Arabian London: Taylors Foreign Press
5
Rabin, Chaim [1968] Loanword evidence in Biblical Hebrew for trade between
Tamil Nad and Palestine in the first millennium B.C. Second International
Conference Seminar of Tamil Studies, Madras, India, 1968.
Torrey, Charles Cutler [1967] The Jewish Foundation of Islam New York: Ktav
Publishing House
Williams, C.A.S. [1974] Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs: A Comprehensive
7
Handbook of Symbolism in Chinese Art Through the Ages Tokyo: Tuttle
Bezold, Carl [2009] Kebra Nagast: Die Herrlichkeit der Knige [Kebra Nagast: the
8
Glory of the Kings] Abhandlungen der Kniglich Bayerischen Akademie, Band 23,
Abth. 1, [Band 77 of the Denkschriften], Munich, 1909. [reprint 2009]
Leeman, Bernard [2009] The Sabaean Inscriptions At Adi Kaweh Evidence
9
Supporting the Narrative of the Sheba-Menelik Cycle Of The Kebra Nagast African
Studies Association of Australasia and Pacific Conference, University of Queensland,
St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia, Friday 2 October 2009
Shahid, Irfan [1976] The Kebra Nagast in the Light of Recent Research Le
10
Museon, Louvain, Belgium, 1976,133-178
Leeman, Bernard [2011] Ark of the Covenant: evidence supporting the Ethiopian
Traditions Addis Ababa: National Museum
Bezold, Carl [2009] Kebra Nagast: Die Herrlichkeit der Knige [Kebra Nagast: the
11
Glory of the Kings] Abhandlungen der Kniglich Bayerischen Akademie, Band 23,
Abth. 1, [Band 77 of the Denkschriften], Munich, 1909. [reprint 2009]
Leeman, Bernard [2015] work in progress