Sheba
Sheba is a region mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Arabia. It appears across 18 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Sheba, the great Arabian kingdom, features prominently throughout the Old Testament as a symbol of distant wealth and splendor. First mentioned in the Table of Nations as descending from both Shem (Genesis 10:28) and Ham (Genesis 10:7), Sheba was renowned for its trade in gold, incense, and precious stones. The most celebrated biblical episode is the Queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-13; 2 Chronicles 9:1-12), where she came to test the king's wisdom with hard questions and was overwhelmed by his answers and the magnificence of his court. Jesus later cited her as the "Queen of the South" who would rise in judgment against His generation (Matthew 12:42). The prophets frequently reference Sheba: Isaiah 60:6 envisions Sheba's caravans bringing gold and frankincense in the messianic age, while Jeremiah 6:20 questions the value of Sheba's incense without obedience. Psalm 72:10-15 prophetically depicts the kings of Sheba offering gifts to the messianic king. Ezekiel 27:22-23 lists Sheba among Tyre's trading partners. Throughout Scripture, Sheba represents the ends of the earth acknowledging God's wisdom and glory.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Sheba is identified with the Sabaean kingdom centered in modern Yemen, with its capital at Marib. Archaeological discoveries have been remarkable: the Great Dam of Marib, one of the engineering marvels of the ancient world, controlled irrigation across the region for over a millennium. The Mahram Bilqis (Temple of the Moon God) near Marib, traditionally associated with the Queen of Sheba, has been partially excavated by the American Foundation for the Study of Man. Thousands of South Arabian inscriptions in the Musnad script document Sabaean history from roughly the 8th century BC onward. The Sabaeans controlled the lucrative incense trade route connecting southern Arabia to the Mediterranean world, consistent with biblical references to Sheba's wealth in spices, gold, and precious stones. Ongoing archaeological work, hampered by regional conflict, continues to reveal the sophistication of this ancient civilization.
Verse Appearances (18)
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- OpenBible.info (n.d.) Bible Geocoding. Available at: https://www.openbible.info/geo/. [CC BY 4.0]
- Bagnall, R. et al. (eds.) (n.d.) Pleiades: A Gazetteer of Past Places. Available at: https://pleiades.stoa.org. [CC BY 3.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Lawrence, D. et al. (2025) Villages to Empires: a settlement dataset for the Southern Levant. doi:10.5281/zenodo.15111732. [CC BY 4.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]