Menelik: Son of Axumite Queen Makeda & Solomon, King of Israel
Following up on Ay: A Vizier to?Tutankhamun?Becomes Egypt's Pharaoh, this week we’ll take a look at Menelik I, son of King Solomon and Queen Makeda… the first king of the Axumite Kingdom.
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Menelik I was the son of King Solomon (r. 970-931 BC) of?ancient Israel?and Queen?Makeda.?
His father, Solomon, was the?son and successor of?King David. David was the youngest son of Jesse and the second King of Israel.?
Through David, Ruth, the Moabite who married Boaz, became a part of the genealogy of Jesus.
Queen Makeda was the ruler of the ancient Kingdom of Sheba / Axumite Kingdom, a trading nation in the area of northern Ethiopia and Eritrea.?
She is said to have lived in the 10th century B.C. While recorded in many of the sacred texts of the region, as well as the religious texts, basic facts about her life remain unresolved.
Having heard that King Solomon, Israel's third king is a very wise man, she travels to Jerusalem to witness his fabled wisdom. While there, she became pregnant with his son, Menelik I, who became the first in a line of Axumite Kings. (1 Kings 10)
When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions. Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.” -1 Kings 10:1-3, 1 Kings 10:6-9
Makeda then returns to the land of Sheba giving birth to Menelik.
Menelik is raised in present-day Ethiopia. When he grows up, he travels to Jerusalem to meet his father, King Solomon.
Axum flourished in north-eastern Africa from the first century B.C up to the start of the seventh century A.D.
King Solomon lost his devotion and God, and was punished by dividing his kingdom.
Solomon appointed his son Jeroboam to the northern kingdom of Israel, and Rehoboam rules over two tribes in the southern kingdom.
The northern kingdom (10 of the 12 tribes) was the first to be defeated and carried into captivity by the Assyrians in 722 BC.?
The southern kingdom was defeated by the Babylonians in 586 BC and also carried into captivity.
Saul was the first King of?Israel (r. 1050-1011 BC). He was the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin and annointed by Samuel.
The Book of Judges tells the story of the nation of Israel from the death of Joshua through a period of nearly 350 years to the beginning of the united kingdom.
A site known as the tomb of Menelik I is located west of Axum.
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About the Author: Lawrence Jean-Louis is the founder of eBrand Me, a digital marketing agency offering marketing & consultative services to CPAs and tax professionals. She aspires to start a money management firm by 2030.