Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
The original Queen of Sheba story just wasn't enough for some writers, who thought it deserved more detail. A rich and exotic queen visiting the wealthiest and wisest king in history—there must have been more going on. Subsequent Arabic and Jewish accounts tell the story that, for the Queen's visit, Solomon built a glass floor in this palace. When the Queen entered, she mistook the glass for a pond of water, and lifted her skirts to cross it, exposing her legs. The Quran's version says that she was embarrassed by her actions and immediately submitted to Islam. The Jewish version says that when Solomon saw her legs, he criticized her because they were hairy. Shmoop guesses that Sol's wisdom had its limits. (Source)
King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon was a major villain in the Bible. The late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein thought he just might be a reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar. Like his idol, things didn't go well for him either. (Source)
Though Chronicles is filled with references to Solomon's Temple, there's actually no solid archeological evidence that it ever stood in Jerusalem. There have been walls and gates dating from the time of Solomon, but no proof that he was the one who built them. (Source)
The Queen of Sheba wasn't just a super powerful and sophisticated queen—she's also a cake. Well, kind of. You can watch Julia Child make this delicious chocolate almond cake named for the lady who was so impressed with Solomon's wisdom… and money. We don't know why it's called Queen of Sheba cake—maybe because it's so rich? (Source)