Friday, December 19, 2014

Review: The Last Queen of Sheba by Jill Francis Hudson



The Last Queen of Sheba was a mesmerizing book for me.  While reading this and for a whole week, I was dreaming this book.  In my dreams I was in the halls and court of the great wise king Solomon.  I don’t normally read a lot of Biblical fiction however this book intrigued me due to its subject matter.  I always found the account of The Queen of Sheba and Solomon, found in both I Kings 10:1-3 and 2 Chronicles 9:1-12, as interesting.  Jesus also mentions her in the New Testament in Mathew 12:42 and also Luke 11:31.  Who was this queen, where exactly did she come from, and what was her background story?   Ms. Hudson gives us a plausible story and sites her historical information and sources at the end of the book.  In my homeschooling journey with my children, I had come across the Ethiopian Jews and their journey to Israel to escape communism, and their belief that they were descended from Menelik, whom some believe is the son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.   I have also read accounts that some Ethiopian Christians believe that the Ark of the Covenant is located and closely guarded in Ethiopia.  Ms. Hudson does mention this in her historical research and also a great deal more. 
Something else I have always wondered about: why did the wisest man in the world choose to live the latter part of his life in the way that he did?  How in the world could you have so many wives and concubines and let them set up alters to their gods, especially, when he started his reign on the right path and the teachings that he was brought up with?  What made this wisest of men fall?

Told through the eyes of the Queen of Sheba’s uncle Tamrin, we are told the background of the Queen, we travel to Israel and back over a 20 plus year period, watch the glorious dedication of the Temple, and finally the deterioration of Israel right before the Nation of Israel split, with 10 tribes separating themselves from King David’s heirs.   I could go on about this book but this review is long enough.  This was a riveting read for me and I thank The Book Club Network, (TBCN) for my review copy.  The opinions expressed are my own.

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