Trend News reports the discovery of Queen of Sheba’s palace. I have no independent knowledge of this excavation, so it not impossible that there’s a kernel of truth in the story. But I would note a few things that suggest caution before you include this in your list of “greatest discoveries of the Bible.”
1) The news sources which are currently carrying the story are not ones I’m familiar with. If this was carried by a source like the Associated Press, then it would carry more weight.
2) The story’s claim that Sheba was married to Solomon is based on late tradition, and certainly is not mentioned in the Bible, as the article says. Getting simple facts like these wrong makes me wonder if the rest of the facts are based on such flimsy reporting.
3) There is no evidence that the ark of the covenant went to Ethiopia. The tradition is based in part on the tradition that Sheba was married to Solomon (or at least gave birth to his child).
4) Many scholars believe that Sheba was in modern Yemen.
Archaeologists believe they have found the Queen of Sheba’s palace at Axum, Ethiopia and an altar which held the most precious treasure of ancient Judaism, the Ark of the Covenant, the University of Hamburg said Wednesday, the dpa reported.
Scientists from the German city made the startling find during their spring excavation of the site over the past three months.
The Ethiopian queen was the bride of King Solomon of Israel in the 10th century before the Christian era. The royal match is among the memorable events in the Bible.
Ethiopian tradition claims the Ark, which allegedly contained Moses’ stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written, was smuggled to Ethiopia by their son Menelek and is still in that country.
The University said scientists led by Helmut Ziegert had found remains of a 10th-century-BC palace at Axum-Dungur under the palace of a later Christian king. There was evidence the early palace had been torn down and realigned to the path of the star Sirius.
The story continues here.
HT: Paleojudaica
