King Solomon and The Queen Of Sheba

KING SOLOMON AND THE QUEEN OF SHEBA
25th in the "Biblical Art" Commemorative Coin Series
Legal Tender issued by the Bank of Israel

The story of the Queen of Sheba is told in the Bible, as well as in history books.
In the biblical story, the Queen of Sheba is not referred to by name. Rather, she is described as the Queen who came to Jerusalem to meet with King Solomon and assess the wisdom for which he was reputed:
"She came to test him with riddles" (1 Kings 10:1). King Solomon successfully solved the riddles for "Nothing was hidden from the king" (1 Kings 10:3).
All that the Queen of Sheba beheld at the King's palace and during the King's dinner surpassed her expectations, so much so, that she commented, "I have beheld that not even a half had been told to me. You have wisdom and goodness in excess of that which I have heard" (1 Kings 10:7).
In addition to her warm words, the Queen of Sheba brought fine gifts with her. On his behalf, King Solomon fully reciprocated and presented the Queen with "all her wish that she requested" (1 Kings 10:13).
The story of the Queen of Sheba is imbued with descriptions of King Solomon's greatness, his wealth and wisdom, the splendor and glory of the king's court and of the king himself.

While the Queen of Sheba's visit was to assess King Solomon's wisdom, it would seem as though, behind the scenes, there was another reason for the state visit. King Solomon had been endeavoring to introduce a new sea trade route to the Far East, one which could be harmful for the desert tribes who were accustomed to transporting their merchandise by camel caravans. The purpose of the Queen of Sheba's visit may have been to stop this sea trade. According to 1 Kings 10:13, "King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba all her wish", and the visit came to its conclusion with an agreement with the king.

The Ethiopian national epic account, Kebra Nagast (Glory of the Kings), goes on to tell the story of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, in detail. It is told that the King invited the Queen to dine with him, the day before she left, and asked that well-seasoned food be prepared for her, so as to make her very thirsty. When the Queen awoke in the night, thirsty, and drank water, the King leaped out from a hiding place, telling her that water was the most expensive commodity in his kingdom and she was to pay for it. The Queen conceded and from this meeting, she became pregnant. On the return journey to her land, she gave birth to their son, whom she called "Son of the Wise" and who also became known as Menilek.

Coin Description
Obverse: Israel State Emblem, the face value, "Israel" in English, Hebrew and Arabic, mint year and mint mark, border inscription "King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba" in the three languages, in the center, a decorative element representing one of the lions of gold.
Reverse: King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba in the King's palace, beside twelve lions of gold that decorated the steps leading up to King Solomon's throne.

Design: Aharon Shevo