478 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



The queen of Saba having made thefelaws irrevocable to 

 all her pofterity, died, after a long reign of forty years, in 

 986 before Chrift, placing her fonMenilek upon the throne, 

 whofe pofterity, the annals of Abyffinia would teach us to 

 believe, have ever fmce reigned. So far we muft indeed 

 bear witnefs to them, that this is no new doctrine, but has 

 been ftedfaftly and uniformly maintained from their earli- 

 eft account of time; firft, when Jews, then in later days after 

 they had embraced chriftianity. We may further add, that 

 the teftimony of all the neighbouring nations is with them 

 upon this fubject, whether they be friends or enemies. They 

 only differ in name of the queen, or in giving her two 







names. 



This difference, at fuch a diftance of time, mould not 

 break fcores, efpecially as we lhall fee that the queens in 

 the prefent day have fometimes three or four names, and 

 all the kings three, whence has arifen a very great con- 

 fufion in their hiftory. And as for her being an Arab, the 

 objection is ftill eafier got over. For all the inhabitants of 

 Arabia Felix, efpecially thofe of the coafl oppofite to Saba, 

 were reputed AbyiTms, and their country part of Abyffinia, 

 from the earlieft ages, to the Mahometan conqueft and after. 

 They were her fubjects ; firft, Sabean Pagans like herfelf, 

 then converted (as the tradition fays) to Judaifm, during the 

 time of the building of the temple, and continuing Jews 

 from that time to the year 622 after Chrift, when they 

 became Mahometans. 



1 I shall therefore now give a lift of their kings of the 

 race of Solomon, descended from the queen of Saba, whofe 

 device is a lion pafTant, proper upon a field gules, and their 



i motto, 



