22.2
The Kebra Nagast 22.2 · Red gold, black wood, sapphire📜 Bezold's printed edition
King Solomon, wishing to build the house of God, sent to merchants of the east and west, the south and the north, to bring gold and silver.
· · ·
ወነገርዎ፡1
wa-nagarǝwwo
And they told him
በእንተ፡2
baʾǝnta
aboutconcerning
ውእቱ፡3
wǝʾǝtu
thisthat
ባዕል፡4
bāʿǝl
richwealthy
ኢትዮጵያዊ፡5
ʾItyoṗyāwi
Ethiopian
ነጋዲ፡6
nagādi
merchant;
; ወለአከ፡7
wa-laʾaka
and he sent word
ከመ፡8
kama
thatso that
ያምጽእ፡9
yāmṣǝʾ
he should bring
ሎቱ፡10
lotu
himto him
ዘይትፈቀድ፡11
za-yǝtfaqqad
what was neededwhat is wanted
እምብሔረ፡12
ʾǝm-bǝḥera
from the land offrom the country of
ዐረብ፡13
ʿArab
Arabia:the west
: ቀዪሐ፡14
qayyǝḥa
red
ወርቀ፡15
warqa
gold,
, ወዕፀ፡16
wa-ʿǝḍa
and woodand timber
ዘኢይነቅዝ፡17
za-ʾi-yǝnaqqǝz
that does not rot,that is not worm-eaten
, ጸሊመ፡18
ṣallima
black,
, ወሰንፔረ።19
wa-sanpera
and sapphire.
. And they told him about this rich Ethiopian merchant; and he sent word that he should bring him what was needed from the land of Arabia: red gold, and wood that does not rot, black, and sapphire.
And they told him about this rich Ethiopian merchant; and he sent word that he should bring him what was needed from the land of Arabia: red gold, and wood that does not rot, black, and sapphire.
22.3
The Kebra Nagast 22.3 · Tamrin goes to Solomon📜 Bezold's printed edition
Solomon has sent for red gold, black wood and sapphire. Now the queen’s merchant goes to the king.
· · ·
And this merchant whose name was Tamrin, the queen of Ethiopia’s merchant, went to King Solomon; and he took everything that he wanted from him, and gave the merchant whatever he asked, in abundance, beyond his goods.
Solomon is building the Temple, and the book sends an Ethiopian to supply it. The order is specific: red gold, a gold alloy with copper; black wood that worms cannot eat, which is ebony; and sapphire. Dillmann says ʿArab can mean both “the west” and “Arabia”.
Arabia matters to the story. Across the Red Sea lay the Sabaean kingdom of Sheba, with its capital at Marib in Yemen, and Yemen also claims the queen. The Kebra Nagast places her in Ethiopia and lets her merchant trade in Arabia.