Kebra Negast

Throughout the Kebra Negast, the country of Ethiopia is given tremendous status and prestige that is subtly hinted at from the text. I was very surprised at one particular statement from one of the very first sections of the text. In How This Book Came To Be Found, it states "... that the whole kingdom of the world [belonged] to the Emperor of Rome and the Emperor of Ethiopia." From a historical standpoint, Rome during its peak in power and prestige was largely considered the ruler and center of Europe. For the "whole kingdom of the world" to be divided between Rome and Ethiopia gives a huge amount of credit to Ethiopia by mere association.

I also found much of the prestige of the two kingdoms from the story to be set by their rulers in power. Solomon the King sets the face for his kingdom out of his wisdom, patience, and kindness. Likewise for the kingdom of Ethiopia, the Queen of Sheba was described as "... very beautiful in face, and her stature was superb, and her understanding and intelligence, which God had given her, were of such high character that she went to Jerusalem to hear the wisdom of Solomon;" For the remainder of the story, the Queen is described with prestige and is even desired by King Solomon, who has some other 1000 beautiful women at his leisure.

I was able to pick out subtle hints as to Ethiopia's greatness in material possessions. Beginning with the Queen of Sheba's caravan to Jersualem, it is stated: "And she arrived in Jersalem, and brought to the King very many precious gifts which he desired to possess greatly." Later in the pact between the King and the Queen, she states outright, "Moreover, my own kingdom is as wealthy as thing, and there is nothing which I wish for that I lack." These two examples plus others found throughout the text show that the two kingdoms are equally wealthy.

Lastly, in King Solomon's dream at the end of the story, he dreams of the brilliant sun moving away from Israel to Ethiopia for eternity as it "willed to dwell there." The sun, as Solomon describes as coming from heaven, can symbolize wisdom, greatness, and truth, as a few of the many qualities that are typically attributed towards sunlight.