Queen of Sheba: Treasures from Ancient Yemen

by St. John Simpson (Editor)

Exhibitions at the British Museum are always accompanied by catalogues, which are often worthwhile books in their own right; this one is no exception and would serve very well as an introduction to the subject. There are twelve chapters on Sheba in western popular culture and legend, what exactly is known about Saba' and the Sabaeans (the kingdom in southern Arabia associated with Sheba), the incense trade, agriculture, arts, architecture, languages and writing, religion and death and funerary practices. Over 300 items are described and illustrated with colour photographs and the production is beautiful throughout. St John Simpson is an Assistant Keeper in The British Museum and is responsible for the ancient Arabia, Iran and 'Alexander to Islam' period collections in the Department of the Ancient Near East.

Genres: History, Archaeology

304 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2002

Reviews

[Wendelle]

This seems to be published in relation to a British Museum exhibition. The first part shows a diverse collection of artwork from different periods and styles depicting the Queen of Sheba and her meeting with Solomon. The second part is an introduction to the ancient kingdom of Saba, located in Yemen as part of the Southern Arabian kingdoms.