Friday 27 September 2013

What Colour Was the Queen of Sheba - Black or White?


The Queen of Sheba as depicted ca. 1405 in a Prague manuscript

The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon
A white queen with a black  entourage
Canterbury cathedral 1170-1180
Window n.XV panel 27

I do not have a ready answer as to why she appears black in one depiction - Pargue c1405 - while in another - Canterbury 1170 - she is white. More research is required, which I plan to do over the comming months meanwhile I leave you with those two arresting and diametrcially apposed images of the Queen.

The above was posted 27th September 2013, today is 18th March 2017 , three and half years later. I've still not done the research but have come across an equivalent image to the Canterbury Cathedral Sheba. 

Claude Lorrain (1604 -1682) in his Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba (1648)

Detail from Claude's Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba
A white queen with black attendants



In Claude's depiction we have the white Queen of Sheba attended to by two black maidservants  - perhaps a referencing that Sheba was believed to be in Africa. Almost 500 years separate the two images both have essentially the same representation. More research still needed.....







14 comments:

Anonymous said...

The artist of the day would have us think that there were no black people in power as king or queen

Nilotic One said...

How much research do you need to understand that black historical figures have been whitewashed for centuries in order to maintain the illusion that there were no black civilizations, no black kings and queens. Its part of white supremacy.

Anonymous said...

It seems she was mideastern as was jesus. AS FAR as the superficial information of the rqce of a body is concerned

Unknown said...

In songs that have been translated it says her skin was dark. She was black. As the first person ever was black then many who have been white washed were black. Including Jesus

Anonymous said...

Ancient Ethiopia was partially white like many parts of Asia. This is history, the rest are media lies of political correctness.

Anonymous said...

Rite, Israel, for the real jews black people who inherit the promise and covenant of God, but black people are stiff neck people meaning stubborn. God then had us lead away from our country to be bond men and women (slaves) no other people was taken from their land to be slaves. The bible is black history

Unknown said...

I think you need to read ur bible and look at the maps in the bible
For if you read with understanding and knowledge you can see
For Israel are the priests so if you dont understand ask someone of the 12 tribes (blacks) were the only 1s interpreting dreams in old times na this is history for you

Michael said...

Check this out... https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p07zy99k/why-is-the-queen-of-sheba-portrayed-as-white-?

Anonymous said...

I don't see how a white person could rule a race of black Africans ...it is just imposible no need for research

Anonymous said...

I believe the painter was white and was just trying to illustrate black people as savants..we have seen this before.first came "white ancient Egyptians" while paintings on the pyramid wall shows black people.They have even bleached some original paintings in the pyramid.I will not be surprised to see a painting of white Obama in the future.Africans need to know their real history.All is white washed

Randall Wright said...

I am white as is my whole family. My mother’s maiden name was Saba. Tracing the family to Beit-Mery a village above Beirut, Lebanon. The kingdom of Saba was Caucasian with a sun tan in Arabia. The Queen of Sheba ( Saba ) probably did have black servants, so what?? No problem. Nothing whitewashed here.

Anonymous said...

They all was black all the holy people the unbroken blood line from Abraham to Jesus

Anonymous said...

A white woman living in the desert at that time hilarious is that the people you see in Arabia today was not the same in those days Arabs are a mix people go read black Arabs white slaves

Anonymous said...

Lots of demented blacks here