STILL MORE ON THE QUEEN OF SHEBA EXHIBITION:

Museum features legendary Queen of Sheba

Disputed existence adds element of allure

By Ben Fox

Associated Press

[...]

�It�s a classic case where everyone has heard of the Queen of Sheba, ... but they know very little more than that,� said St John Simpson, a British museum expert who is the curator of the exhibit at the Bowers Museum.

Sheba�s visit to Solomon appears first in the Book of Kings and merits a handful of other references in the Bible, as well as appearances in Islamic and Jewish texts.

Many archaeologists have felt she was likely mythical, because there is no hard evidence of her existence. But Nicholas Clapp, a consultant to the Bowers exhibit who believes there was a Sheba, says the southern Arabian peninsula is rich in artifacts that might one day prove the case.

The most encouraging sign so far, Clapp said, is that carbon dating of artifacts has shown evidence of an advanced society in the region even before 950 B.C. � the time of Sheba.

�The more archaeology we find, it certainly doesn�t contradict anything in the Bible,� he said. �A lot of times archaeology will just totally take apart an ancient story. It�s quite the contrary with the Queen of Sheba.�

Clapp, author of a book about the search for evidence of Sheba, theorizes that she could have served as a regent if a king died and his son was too young to assume the throne. That would explain a woman ruling a male-dominated society. Whatever the case, she left an impression.

[...]

Well maybe. So far there doesn't seem to be any positive archaeological evidence for her.


(Heads up, Jim West.)