In Pursuit if Wisdom

VIII
In Pursuit of Wisdom

1. MAKEDA'S DECISION

THE WORDS of Ethiopia's Chief Merchant and Ambassador Tamrin, concerning Solomon, slowly seeped into Makeda's soul through the years, stirring up her desire to savor the glory of Jerusalem and to see, for herself, the Great Temple.
She realized the route would be exhausting, moving from the City of the Throne, known as Debre Makeda and later as Yeha, through the treacherous sands of the Danakil to the Narrows and the tedious crossing to the Arabian Saba and Marib. That would be the starting point, for her 1,400-mile trek northward in her pursuit of wisdom.
In the eight years since Tamrin had returned from his first visit to Israel, Makeda had asked repeatedly about the contents of the golden box which emitted a strange light.
The trader would only shake his head, obviously confused and mystified by its contens and its meaning. He had recurring dreams of the strange experience in the mountains of Lebanon.
"Do you mean it could access my thoughts and emotions?" Makeda asked, not expecting an answer.
"I must go, for my father told me on his deathbed to seek wisdom wherever it may be found. He would want to go to Jerusalem. Wouldn't he, Tam?"
He only nodded in agreement, for the same line of reasoning had echoed through the palace walls for what seemed like an eternity.
In 958 B.C.E., the rhetoric faded and she had made a decision.

The panorama was awe inspiring as the hills above the City of the Throne swelled with Ethiopians by the thousands, waiting to hear the words of their queen.
Pitched in the center of one of these plateaus was the Royal Tent, which was surrounded by the chiefs and notables in mantles of crimson, richly embroidered with gold thread; some had lion-skin capes draped over their upper bodies, and all displayed gold-embossed shields, hiding long, curved weapons. In contrast, the plateaus were splashes of whites and blues of her subjects.
Makeda, regal in a white gown with purple trimming and a jeweled tiara on her head, began to speak in a loud voice, which echoed through the hills:
"Listen to my words, my people, for I desire wisdom and my heart seeks to find understanding."
Tamrin, standing at her side, smiled. He admired her appearance and royal bearing.
Continuing, she said, "I am smitten with the love of wisdom and I'm constrained by the understanding; for wisdom is the best of everything that has been created on the earth.
"What under the heavens can wisdom be compared? It's sweeter than honey and it makes one more to rejoice more than wine and it illumines more than the sun and it's to be loved more than precious stones."
It was obvious the throngs were impressed by her words, for they remained attentive and silent, except for the rustle of the wind.
"Wisdom is the source of joy for the heart and a bright and shining light for the eyes and a giver of speed to the feet and a shield for the breast and a helmet for the head and chainwork for the neck and a belt for the loins. It makes the ears to hear and hearts to understand. It is a teacher of those who are learned and it's a consoler of those who are discreet and prudent and it gives fame to those who seek after it. And as for a kingdom, it can't stand without wisdom and riches can not be preserved without wisdom.
"The honoring of wisdom is the honoring of the wise man and the loving of wisdom is the loving of the wise man. Love the wise man and don't withdraw from him and by the sight of him you will become wise. Listen to the words of my mouth, so that you'll become like him. Watch the place where he has his foot and don't kleave himdo that you may receive the remainder of his wisdom.
There was a tittering, however muted,and knowing glances between some of the young virgins in the Royal Tent when Makeda said: "And love him merely on hearing about himand without seeing him and the whole story that's been told to me by Tamrin, who has put a great desire in me to see King Solomon of Israel to ask him hard questions."
Her audience pressd towards her as the Noblman Asa bowed and meekly said: "My Lady, as for wisdom, it's not lacking in you and it's because of your wisdom that you love wisdom. And as for us, if you go we will go with you and if you sit down we will sit down with you. Our death will be with your death and our life will be your life.

The Virgin Queen felt confident in leaving the administrative duties of Ethiopia in Tamrin's capable hands, whom she elevated to regent. Gizaw, the aide-de-camp had been promoted to Chief Merchant and would accompany her on the journey to Jerusalem. By the fall, she would enter the gates of Solomon's city.

2. MAKEDA'S ARRIVAL

SOLMON COULD SEE the caravan of spices and precious stones winding its way as he looked from his Palace windows across the sweep of the expanded City of David towards the magnificent cluster of palatial mansions and public institutions and the drown jewel, the Temple.
Queen Makeda's entourage of 797 camels and the host of nobles and their retainers moved slowly through the Gate of Ephraim on the Western Hill -- Zion -- where luxurious royal apartments dotted the once-barren landscape.
Trumpets blared with the king leading the welcoming delegation, for the Ethiopian ruler's visit had been greatly anticipated for months, not only by Solomon, but by everyone in Jerusalem, with the exception of some of Solomon's wives.
Her arrival was in time for October's Feast of Tabernacles and the celebration planned for the just completed Temple.

Makeda's heart leaped within her breast, for Solomon was even more handsome than the image Tamrin had implanted in her mind.
She, to Solomon, was the epitome of womanhood, standing before him like a goddess, tall and slender and unafraid; her head a shiny aureole, her face filled with purity, a beauty, and a strength that made him look at her speechless, waiting for the sound of her voice. In her look was neither boldness nor suspicion. Her eyes were clear, deep pools of velvet that defied him to ever lie to her. He felt under those eyes he could have knelt down and emptied his soul of its secrets for their inspection.

Makeda's entourage of 350 were given the finest of accommodations in a royal palace adjacent to Solomon's and after three days' rest from the lengthy trek from Arabian Saba., the king formally welcomed the Ethiopians at a grand banquet.
With Makeda sitting next to Solomon, the partgoers saved the platters of oxen, bulls, sheep, goats, deer, gazelles and fatted fowls along with the finest honey and sweets. In the midst of this feasting, 50 male and female singers serenaded the visitors, much to everyone's delight.
However, the two monarchs were almost oblivious of the celebration, so engrossed were they in each other.
In the following days, he provided her with a dozen garments daily, which bewitched her eyes. Solomon also visited Makeda in her quarters and she was able to see his wisdom in action with his just judgments, his splendor, his grace and was able to hear the eloquence of his speech.
Makeda also spent time with the kingdom's minister of public works, Adoniram, his wife, Sarah, and their growing family of our children, two boys and two girls. They had been a family to Tamrin when he first visited Jerusalem eight years earlier.
She would definitely tell her regent of their hospitality on her return.

Makeda had hard questions concerning the mysterious light, which set Jerusalem apart from any other city, including her own.
"What is that light?" she asked Solomon.
"It is the fire of our Lord God," he replied.
"Solomon," she said, solemnly, "I worship the sun and the moon and the other gods of the heavens, as my father did, but they don't provide such illumination."
With quietness, the king related the journeys of the Ark since Moses' day in the Sinai Wilderness.
"I know of Moses. He once ruled Ethiopia," she said, without breaking his train of thought.
"Yes, he did, he wasn't only an Egyptian adept in the magical arts, but a Hebrew, one of my ancestors, chosen by my God to lead our people out of slavery."

The following morning, she and her entourage went on a walking tour of the Mount with the king's party. The magnificence of it caused her to catch her breath.
Solomon and Makeda entered the inner part of the Temple and saw the Temple, along with the 200 gems glittering from the various ornaments of the lamps, and the lamps were decorated with emeralds, violet blue hyacinct and lapis lazuli, There for her inspection were the silver, bronze and gold vessels and the bases of the pillars enterwined with bronze wrought in the pattern of a chain. There was also the Bronze Sea, which was supported by 36 bulls of detailed metal.
Inside the Temple there was an eerie glow and as she tried to separate this light from the darkness of one end of the structure, she asked Solomon, "What's that?" amd without waiting for an answer, she knew it was the Ark of the Covenant, the Glory of the King.
Makeda only wanted to have a glimpse of it and, perhaps, she would be able to, for she was the special guest during the Feast of Tabernacles.