476 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



ration of her having a fon by Solomon, who was to be king 

 over a nation of Gentiles. 



To Saba, or Azab, then, me returned with her fon 

 Menilek, whom, after keeping him fome years, fhe fent 

 back to his father to be inftructed. Solomon did not 

 neglect his charge, and he was anointed and crowned 

 king of Ethiopia, in the temple of Jerufalem, and at his in- 

 auguration took the name of David. After this he return- 

 ed to Azab, and brought with him a colony of Jews, among 

 whom were many doctors of the law of Mofes, particularly 

 one of each tribe, to make judges in his kingdom, from whom 

 the prefent Umbares (or Supreme Judges, three of whom 

 always attend the king) are faid and believed to be 

 defcended. With thefe came alfo Azarias, the fon of 

 Zadok the prieft, and brought with him a Hebrew tranf- 

 cript of the law, which was delivered into his cuftody, as 

 he bore the title of Nebrit, or High Prieft ; and this charge, 

 though the book itfelf was burnt with the church of Axum 

 in the Moorifh war of Adel, is ftill continued, as it is faid, 

 in the lineage of Azarias, who are Nebrits, or keepers of 

 the church of Axum, at this day. All Abyffinia was there- 

 upon converted, and the government of the church and 

 ilate modelled according to what was then in ufe at Jerufa- 

 lem. 



By the laft act of the queen of Saba's reign, flie fet- 

 tled the mode of fucceffion in her country for the future, 

 lirft, fhe enacted, that the crown mould be hereditary 

 in the family of Solomon for ever. Secondly, that, af- 

 ter her, no woman mould be capable of wearing that 

 crown or being queen, but that it mould defcend to the 



heir 



