SAS Webinar
Saturday, October 9, 2021
2:00 p.m.
“Queen of Sheba”
by
Lynette Blumhardt

Scholars do not agree on where ancient Sheba was or whether or not the Queen of Sheba ever existed. There are a number of contenders for a possible location of Sheba. One site would be modern Yemen. The other is the Kingdom of Aksum which spanned the Red Sea from Ethiopia to Yemen. Both benefited from trade routes through their territories. Frankincense and other spices were prized trade goods.

The Bible’s Old Testament and the Quran describe the queen and her journey to visit King Solomon. She has been part of the Hebrew and Christian faiths for centuries, and the queen is an enduring cultural icon. Yet her existence has never been proved. American archaeologist and explorer Wendell Phillips wanted to be the first to locate proof of her and her realm. He ventured into Yemen in the 1950s to search for signs of the Queen of Sheba. His team excavated sites but found no evidence of the queen.

Lynette Blumhardt is a member of Sacramento Archeological Society, Inc.’s Board of Directors. She became fascinated with anthropology when she was in elementary school. This interest continued and was expanded through many anthropology classes and volunteering on more than a dozen archaeological
excavations. The Queen of Sheba is one of her fascinations.