Befitting her name, this book offers seven unique perspectives on the visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon in 1 Kings 10. Although each theory stands alone and can be taken as a starting point for further investigation, the overall implication is that the Queen’s visit was not intended as a chronicle of some illustrious Arabian ruler seeking the king’s wisdom but rather, it was a reminder of the most castigated woman in the Hebrew Bible, Nitocris, wife of Nabonidus, King of Babylon (556-539 BCE). Two previous investigations, She Brought the Art of Women, and Arabian Sinai, set a new paradigm for the interpretation of the Song of Solomon and the exodus narratives, placing the stories of Abraham, Moses, and Solomon firmly in the 6th Century BCE. Nabonidus and Nitocris’ relationship was based on arcane rituals, secret initiations, and the drinking of a psychedelic, addictive potion; the “Queen of Sheba” epithet preserves this influence on the king as a caveat. Subsequent additions to the simple legend played with other associations to serve changing needs but the link to Nabonidus and Nitocris could never be lost, even if their original histories had been long forgotten.
A selection of essays written to augment the research presented in previous monographs focusing on the last King of Babylon, Nabonidus (556-539 BCE) and his depiction in the Hebrew Bible. Various topics are examined, including the Ascent of Akrabbim, petroglyphs, Tarshish and Ophir, Shishak, and more. Each relates to the central premise that Nabonidus was portrayed via the pseudonyms of "Abraham," "Moses," and "Solomon." A special paper is included looking at Nabonidus' Egyptian wife, Nitocris, and her relationship with the God's Wife, Ankhnesneferibre, who is alluded to in the Song of Solomon.
What would happen if the interpretation of Song of Solomon were to move beyond the layered traditions of rabbinic Judaism, the theological concerns of Christian communities, or even the Enlightenment ideals of a rigorously objective secular hermeneutic? This new reading by Janet Tyson provides a fascinating answer to that question. –Timothy Paul Erdel, Bethel University The Song of Solomon is an intimate, eyewitness account of the stormy marriage between the last King of Babylon, Nabonidus, and the Egyptian princess Nitocris II. It details the couple’s seven-year stay in Tayma, Arabia, during which time the king formulated his plan to reinstate a long-defunct female priesthood at Ur, in honour of the lunar deity, Sîn. The Song was written by a female scribe, during the exodus from Babylon in c.538 BCE; she is potentially recorded elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. Her ‘song of praise’ tells of magic, blood rites, jealousy and rivalry, contraception, miscarriage, lies and curses. It bears all the signs of an act of vengeance, for it preserves the bitter resentment of a woman who lived in the shadow of the king’s most exotic wife. Topics of interest include: * A consistent pattern of applied Ishtar/Hathor mythology * Potential insight into the function of the God’s Hand * The use of Jewish gematria * Clear allusions to the esoteric rite known today as the Elixir Rubeus * Internal chronology that mirrors the reign of Nabonidus, including a lunar eclipse * Profound parallels between Nabonidus and King Solomon * Strong connections between Herodotus and the Song’s narrative * Potential identification of the Song’s author and date of composition * Other ancient legends revealing this same interpretation
The Holiest Lie Ever is made up of controversial material pertaining to religion and all the facts. It reveals the truth behind many religious aspects that have become distorted over time and predominantly focuses on Christianity. The material is both informative and insightful. This book is intended for anyone who belongs to a religious entity or is interested in learning about the truth of where religion comes from and why it has transformed into the form that it has taken today.
The figure of King Solomon is central to our understanding of the history of Israel and Judah. This volume of collected articles brings the reader up-to-date with the latest scholarship in the field. The work consists of twenty-four chapters and provides important studies in the historical approach to Solomon and to 10th century B.C.E. Judah and Israel with archaeological surveys of the neighboring regions, sociological surveys, and literary readings of the biblical texts. With suggestions for further research and indexes.
Over the centuries the figure of the Queen of Sheba has loomed large in poetry and romance. The mysterious Queen, who is said to have visited Solomon in Jerusalem, has cast her spell over poets, painters and storytellers of many lands. The people of Ethiopia have always claimed her as her own, and to this day boast that her son Menelik ? fruit of the union between the Queen and Solomona? stole the Ark of the Covenant from the Temple in Jerusalem after Solomon's death. For all that, historians have been more sanguine, and increasingly over the past century the academic community has veered towards consigning both royal characters to the fairyland of myth and romance. In 1952, however, Immanuel Velikovsky made an astonishing claim: He announced that not only did the Queen of Sheba exist, but that she left numerous portraits of herself as well as an account of her famous journey to Israel. The Queen of Sheba, Velikovsky announced, was none other than Hatshepsut, the female ?pharaoh? of Egypt, who built a beautiful temple outside Thebes on the walls of which she immortalized the most important event of her life: an expedition to the Land of Punt. Punt, said Velikovsky, was one and the same as Israel. In this volume historian Emmet Scott brings forward dramatic new evidence in support of Velikovsky. He finds, among other things, that: - Ancient Israel, just like Punt, was a renowned source of frankincense.a - Egyptian documents, generally ignored in academic circles, unequivocally place Punt in the region of Syria/Palestine.a - The goddess Hathor was known as the ''Lady of Punt, '' but she was also known as the ''Lady of Byblos''. - The Egyptians claimed to be of Puntite origin, but Jewish and Phoenician legends claimed that the Egyptians came from their part of the world, and the Phoenicians named Misor - almost certainly the same as Osiris - as the Phoenician hero who founded the Nile Kingdom. This, and a wealth of additional evidence, has, Scott argues, shifted the burden of proof onto Velikovsky''s critics; and the identification of Hatshepsut with the Queen of Sheba will eventually compel the rewriting of all the history books. Joyce Tyldesley''s ''Hatchepsut'' deals with the same character, but from an entirely conventional viewpoint. She never even raises the possibility that the accepted chronology of Hatshepsut''s life may be wrong. In his ''Ages in Chaos, '' however, Immanuel Velikovsky did raise this possibility, and was the first to suggest that Hatshepsut be identified with the Queen of Sheba. Velikovsky''s work remains extremely popular, and the present book aims to take his ideas forward, exploring new evidence that has come to light since his death. This new evidence, Scott argues, puts the equation of Hatshepsut with the Queen of Sheba virtually beyond doubt."
Keith A. Burton traces the story of biblical Africa and the place of the Bible in the land of Ham. He ends with an examination of the modern era and the achievements of African Christianity. This invigorating work places the story of the Bible and African Christianity in a wider global context and challenges readers to think differently about history and the biblical world.
The Catalogue contains all inscriptions discovered during 24 seasons of Saudi-German excavations at Taymāʾ, 2004–15. The 113 objects carry inscriptions in different languages and scripts, including Babylonian cuneiform, Imperial Aramaic inscriptions, Arabic inscriptions and more, illustrating the linguistic diversity of the oasis through time.
The history of the Arabs in antiquity from their earliest appearance around 853 BC until the first century of Islam, is described in this book. It traces the mention of people called Arabs in all relevant ancient sources and suggests a new interpretation of their history. It is suggested that the ancient Arabs were more a religious community than an ethnic group, which would explain why the designation 'Arab' could be easily adopted by the early Muslim tribes. The Arabs of antiquity thus resemble the early Islamic Arabs more than is usually assumed, both being united by common bonds of religious ideology and law.
