Bilqis

Bilqis is the name commonly used in Islamic and Arabic literature for the Queen of Sheba, the monarch associated with the kingdom of Saba who interacts with King Solomon. In the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament, the figure is referred to as the Queen of Sheba, but her personal name is not given. The Bilqis tradition preserves various legends about her and identifies her with the biblical queen in later retellings.

Identity and geography: Most scholars connect the Queen of Sheba with the ancient Sabaean kingdom in the southern Arabian Peninsula. Ethiopian tradition identifies a queen named Makeda as the ruler of Sheba and the mother of the legendary Solomonic dynasty’s founder, linking her to Bilqis in later narratives. Islamic and Arabic sources often name her Bilqis and describe her as the ruler of Saba or a neighboring polity, emphasizing wisdom, diplomacy, and interaction with Solomon.

Narrative: In the Bible, the Queen of Sheba visits Solomon in Jerusalem with gifts and tests his wisdom with hard questions; Solomon answers all, and she leaves praising the God of Israel. In Islamic tradition, the encounter similarly highlights Solomon’s wisdom and the wonder of his kingdom; some tellings include miraculous elements, such as the arrangement or transport of her throne, and portray her as eventually acknowledging divine wisdom.

Legacy: Bilqis has appeared in art, literature, poetry, and film across the Middle East, Africa, and beyond. She is often depicted as a powerful, prudent ruler who engages in diplomacy and cultural exchange, and as a symbolic bridge between the ancient Near East and African histories.