Who is the "Queen of the South?"

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Question:

Greetings. Enjoyed immensly your blessed work. It has opened up my mind to more of Yahweh's Truth. Could you enlighten me on the "Queen of the South?" Who is she?

Answer:

The "Queen of the South," mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 12:42 and Luke 11:31 is a reference to the Queen of Sheba who heard of the great wisdom of Solomon and came to visit him. This story is found in 1 Kings 10:1-13 and 2 Chronicles 9:1-12. She is also mentioned in Josephus, Antiquities 8.6.5-6 (8.165-175). Sheba was a country in southwest Arabia, which corresponds to present-day Yemen. Since the Pharisees with whom Jesus was speaking were very familiar with this story, the simple reference to the "Queen of the South" was sufficient for them.