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In the Bible, it was not simply males who dominated as kings, but additionally some girls reigned as queens in their very own proper. This is their story…
Types of queens within the Old Testament
In the Bible there are 5 various kinds of queens. In English we’ve one phrase for ‘queen’ to cowl the roles of what are generally phrases in Hebrew. The Hebrew phrase for a reigning queen was “malkah”, being the feminine type of “mlek” for king, which is used to explain the Queen of Sheba. A “shegal” was a queen consort, and a “gebirah” was a queen mom.
In the Old Testament there are examples of some queens regnant who dominated in their very own proper as monarch, or feminine king. Most of the queens have been queen consorts, who have been married to the king. Some kings had multiple spouse, however they might not all be known as queen. Queen moms have been the mom of the reigning king, who was often the earlier queen consort.
A queen consort would possibly change into a dowager queen when she was widowed, and retain the title of queen when a brand new king got here, which can or not could also be her son. Queen moms is likely to be queen regents who have been the precise ruler, ruling on behalf of their younger son, or sometimes grandson, who was the official king in title solely, however not sufficiently old to reign. Some of those roles overlapped and a dowager queen is likely to be a queen mom and a queen regent.
Queen consorts
Queen consorts have been girls married to the king, or Emperor or Pharaoh. Bathsheba was married to King David (2 Samuel 11 and 12; 1 Kings 1 and a pair of) and was the mom of King Solomon. Some kings had many wives in a harem, and these girls weren’t all thought of as queens, equivalent to King Solomon’s harem in 1 Kings 11:3. There are some well-known queen consorts within the Bible equivalent to Queen Jezebel, the spouse of King Ahab of Israel, who was infamous for introducing pagan worship (1 Kings 16 – 2 Kings 9).
Esther
The most well-known queen consort within the Bible is Queen Esther, who was married to the Emperor of Persia, who changed Queen Vashti in his affections. The biblical guide of Esther tells her story, which is recalled every year within the Jewish pageant of Purim.
Queen moms in within the Bible
Many queen moms are particularly named within the Old Testament. In the books of 1 Kings, 2 Kings and a pair of Chronicles, when the textual content introduces a brand new king of Judah, it practically at all times mentions the title of the king’s mom, who was the queen mom. Often, she was essentially the most highly effective lady within the courtroom. The queen mom would generally intercede on behalf of others. In 1 Kings 2: 13-21 we learn of Adonijah who went to the queen mom, Queen Bathsheba, to intercede with King Solomon for his request.
The position of queen mom might be eliminated. In 1 Kings 15:9-13 we learn that king Jeroboam of Israel eliminated Maacah from being queen mom as a result of she made an idol to Asherah. In Proverbs we examine King Lemuel’s mom, who was in all probability a queen mom. Her title just isn’t recorded, though she provides her son wonderful recommendation and knowledge in his management position in Proverbs 31:1-9.
Queen regents
When kings have been very younger, the queen mom was usually the precise ruler, ruling as regent within the title of her son, till he was sufficiently old to rule. In 2 Kings 21:1 it says that Manasseh was 12 years previous when he grew to become king, and his mom was Hephzibah. In 2 Kings 22:1 we learn that King Josiah was 8 years previous when he grew to become king and his mom was Jedidah. In 2 Chronicles 24:1 we learn that King Jehoash (additionally known as Joash) of Judah was 7 years previous when he grew to become king, and his mom was Zibiah.
The queen regent was not at all times the mom, however generally the grandmother. In 1 Kings 15:9-15 we learn of the queen regent, Queen Maacah who was truly King Asa of Judah’s grandmother.
Queens regnant
As effectively as queen consorts and queen moms, the Bible data a variety of queens regnant who dominated in their very own proper. These are the Queen of Sheba and Queen Athaliah of Judah.
Queen of Sheba
The Queen of Sheba is the primary ruling queen talked about within the Bible. The story of her visiting King Solomon of Israel will be learn in 1 Kings 10:1-13 and a pair of Chronicles 9:1-12. She is unnamed however the narrative signifies that she was ruler in her personal proper.
In the New Testament in Matthew 12:42 and Luke 11:31, she is known as the Queen of the South, which most students imagine was southern Arabia, round modern-day Yemen and perhaps throughout the Red Sea into modern-day Ethiopia. As usually occurs the dearth of detailed info within the Bible is stuffed in by custom. The Queen of Sheba performs a distinguished position within the Ethiopian “Kebra Nagast” historic narratives. According to this custom, the Queen of Sheba was known as Makeda, and she or he had a son by King Solomon who grew to become King Menilek I, founding father of the royal home of Ethiopia.
Queen Athaliah
People generally assume that Judah and Israel solely had kings, however this isn’t fairly true. The Old Testament describes one queen regnant of Judah. Queen Athaliah dominated Judah in her personal proper for six years. Her story is recorded in 2 Kings 8:16-11:16 and a pair of Chronicles 22:10 to 23:1. It was significantly better recognized, and she or he was made well-known by an oratorio known as “Athalia”, which was written by Handel in 1733.
Queen Alexandra
Queen Athaliah was not the final queen regnant of Judea, however the final one just isn’t talked about within the Bible, however is price mentioning. Queen Alexandra was from the Hasmonean dynasty. She is described by Josephus and is talked about within the Talmud and within the Dead Sea Scrolls. She supported the Pharisees over the Sadducees. She was a ruler of Judea and died 4 years earlier than the Roman conquest, and some many years earlier than the start of Jesus.
Queen Candace
In Acts 8:27-39, we learn the story of Philip the Evangelist who met the treasurer to the courtroom of Queen Candace. Candace actually was a title, like Pharaoh or Caesar, fairly than the title of a particular individual, and referred to a queen. The Candaces have been a line of queens who dominated in Cush, which is in modern-day Sudan, in an space then generally known as Ethiopia in Greek. It just isn’t clear which class of queen she was, however could have been a queen mom.
The Books of Kings
The Bible doesn’t have any particular regulation that solely males can reign or be rulers. Before the monarchy, Israel was dominated by the Judges and probably the most well-known of those was Deborah. In the Septuagint translation of the Bible, from which our title of the books of Kings comes, the title of the books can higher be translated as “Reigns”. By calling them the guide of Kings, we will be misled into forgetting that these books additionally inform the tales of queens.
Conclusion
Some queens have been good, and a few are portrayed as unhealthy. Others are simply talked about by title, and a few will not be named in any respect. The Queen of Sheba who comes throughout as a great queen isn’t named. The solely ruling queen of Judah was Queen Athaliah who just isn’t a great queen. Some individuals have argued that as a result of she was not a great queen, that could be a cause why girls shouldn’t be rulers, however contemplating that there are extra examples of unhealthy kings, by that logic males shouldn’t be rulers both.
The monarch was often a person however generally a lady, and the monarch had final authority. However, it appears that evidently the queen mom got here second in authority, and if she was the regent, she held the precise authority till her son was sufficiently old. There is nothing within the Bible which says that girls couldn’t take the position of king, and it appears that evidently many did.
