“And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.”
Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to test him with hard questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones — The Queen of Sheba (מַלְכַּת שְׁבָא), hearing of Solomon's fame (שְׁמַע אֶת־שְׁמַע שְׁלֹמֹה), came to 'test him with hard questions' (לִנְסֹתוֹ בְחִידוֹת). She arrived with elaborate retinue (כָּבוֹד רַב־מְאוֹד): camels bearing spices, gold, and precious stones. The visit was diplomatic, not merely religious: powerful sovereigns tested each other's wisdom and evaluated potential alliances.
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