#sabaean

fragment of a pediment with a goddess | c. 100s CE | sabaen (found in modern day marib, yemen)

The Painting "Queen of Sheba" by Edward C. Slocombe, 1907. Queen of Sheba or Saba, also known as Bilqis in Arabic or Makeda in Ge'ez, is a figure mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. According to the original story, she brings a caravan of valuable gifts to Solomon, king of Israel and Judah.

Stories about her exist extensively in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. She is one of the most famous legends in West Asia and Northeast Africa, including regions which have significant influences from Abrahamic religions. I personally know her from Islamic sources first because I was a Muslim.

The historicity of her is disputed among many historians and archaeologists because evidence of her existence has never been found except in religious sources themselves. However, because the Kingdom of Sheba or simply Saba did exist around 1000 BCE to around 275 CE, in Southern Arabia, mostly in modern-day Yemen, then she may have existed too.

If she ever existed, then blessed be she, for she was one of the wise figures who desired to know the knowledge and wisdom of Solomon.

Working with Lady Lilith

To start off, there is a common misconception I would like to address. Judaistic Demonology is not typically seen as closed by many practitioners of demonolatry and demonomancy, not to say that Judaism as a religious practice isn’t.

Lilith is a part of Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Canaanite, Hebrew, Mandaean, Persian, Sabaean and Arabic myth and folklore. She also appears in Christian folklore as well, so she isn’t typically viewed as a deity from a closed practice.

Anyone can work with Lilith, and I cannot recommend her enough. She is a wonderful demoness/goddess to select as a matron! Lilith is either seen as a demoness, or as the primordial aspect of the divine feminine and a goddess of the night. She rules over darkness, the moon, sexuality, fertility, the shadow self (great for shadow work), feminine power, equality, freedom, the divine feminine, and seduction.

She teaches the witch to find his/her inner voice, she does work with men and does not dislike them, as well as their personal power. She also aids in opening the solar plexus and heart chakras, which are seen as sacred to her.

SOME COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS FOR LILITH:

She hates men. She actually works with men and women, and holds no favoritism towards either.

She doesn’t like working with pregnant women. Not true in the slightest. She holds no biases towards motherhood and pregnancy.

She is related to radical feminism.

I often refer to her as “momma Lilith” or “mother,” since she is so influential in my life. She is helping me to speak my feelings more.

Some holidays to celebrate Lilith are Beltane (fertility aspect) and Samhain.

Another unique fact are her two main aspects: The Younger Lilith, and the Lady of Night. The Lady of Night is married to Samael (one of the many aspects of Lucifer), while the Yonger Lilith is married to Asmodeus, who has three aspects himself (described in my post Working with Asmodeus).

For anyone just starting with demonolatry and demonomancy, I highly recommend Lilith!

As always, research any and every Satan diabolical I talk about here. I keep my explanations short to promote research.

Sabaean funeral stela found in Yemen, 1st century BC-1st century AD. Inscription reads "Image of Ghalilat daughter of Mafaddat and may Athtar destroy him who breaks it"

These are a man and woman representing the Sabaeans, a civilization that developed in the area of Yemen in southern Arabia around 790 BC and lasted until 275 AD. They were not Arabic-speakers but rather speakers of a South Semitic language related to some spoken in the modern Horn of Africa (e.g. Ethiopian Ge’ez, Tigrinya, and Amharic) as well as a handful of minority languages persisting in Yemen, Oman, and Socotra.

The Sabaean civilization may have been the “Sheba” mentioned in the Bible and was also a major cultural influence on the Ethiopian kingdom of Aksum, with the Sabaean written alphabet evolving into the modern Ge’ez one. Sabaean religion appears to have been polytheistic, but some of their practices, for example pilgrimages to a religious site called the Kaaba, would make their way into Islamic sharia law.

~ Bronze oil lamp with a leaping ibex.

Date: A.D. 200-499

Place of origin: Yemen, Port Sudan

Period/Culture: Sabaean

What is the origin of Habesha term? What it means? Did Aksumites call themselves Habesha or Habash or was the term referred to them by foreigners (Arabs)? I like to hear Ethiopians and Yemenis opinions.

Amanuel Tesfaye, lived in Ethiopia

Its origin is uncertain. It may be foreign term which started to apply to different people during the recent Monarchy era, Nobody in Ethiopia call or identify themselves with this name. Many people here will actually confuse to which group this term is applied to. If go to different locations and ask people whether they identify with this term or not, you will get controversial answer. As for the Axumites, they used to refer themselves (specially the ruling class) as Agazians/ Agazi or Ge’ez speaking people. For instance in one of the discovered trilingual stone inscription in Axum, there was a King named “Ezana’s” who concurred and expanded his kingdom. He mentioned various people/nations who were subjugated by him including the Habeshas. His lists goes like this > the 1st version follow Aezana king of Aksum, Himyar, Raydan, Habashat, Saba, Salhen, Tsiyamo, Kasu, and the Beja, and the Ge`ez version (DAE 7) reads Aksum, Himyar, Kasu, Saba, Habashat, Raydan, Salhen, Siyamo, Beja; both of these add the phrase `king of kings, son of the unconquered Mahrem' the 2nd version . . . Ella Amida, Bisi ..s.m, king of Aksum, Himyar, Raydan, Saba, Salhen, Tsiyamo, Bega and of Kasu, king of kings, son of the invincible Mahrem. He departed on campaign to re-establish his empire and put it again in order. Those who obeyed him, he spared; those who resisted him, he put to death. He came to `LBH and there came with presents SWSWT king of the Agwezat with his people, and he received his submission and he was made subject. Then he sent him away to return to his country. the 3rd version Aeizanas, king of the Aksumites, the Himyarites, Raeidan, the Ethiopians, the Sabaeans, Silei (Salhen), Tiyamo, the Beja and Kasou, king of kings, son of the unconquered god Ares It appears from the inscription that the people who were called Habashats (Ethiopians) were rather subjects and tributaries to the Axumites. Src 1 : https://www.livingston.org/cms/lib4/NJ01000562/Centricity/Domain/602/aksum.pdf Src 2 : Ezana’s Stone Inscription8

Anmol, knows English South Arabian/Sabaean origin theory Before the 20th century, the Sabean theory was the most common one explaining the origins of the Habesha. ... All uses of the term date to the 3rd century AD and later, when they referred to the people of the Kingdom of Aksum. Habesha is a term that refers to people of Ethiopian and Eritrean heritage without discriminating against tribe/ethnicity, nationality, or citizenship. It is a pan-ethnic term that includes the various ethnic groups of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the Ethiopian-Eritrean Diaspora who live abroad. The Kingdom of Aksum (Ge'ez: መንግሥተ አክሱም), also known as the Kingdom of Axum or the Aksumite Empire, was an ancient Habesha kingdom that controlled what are now Eritrea, Northern Ethiopia, parts of Eastern Sudan and Southern Yemen at its peak. It was centralized in Northern Ethiopia, and its capital was Aksum[2] or Axum.[3] Aksumite rulers styled themselves as King of kings, king of Aksum, Himyar, Raydan, Saba, Salhen, Tsiyamo, Beja and of Kush.[4] Ruled by the Aksumites, it existed from approximately 80 BC to AD 825.[5] The polity was centered in the city of Aksum and grew from the proto-Aksumite Iron Age period around the 4th century BC to achieve prominence by the 1st century AD. Aksum became a major player on the commercial route between the Roman Empire and Ancient India. The Aksumite rulers facilitated trade by minting their own Aksumite currency, with the state establishing its hegemony over the declining Kingdom of Kush. It also regularly entered the politics of the kingdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and eventually extended its rule over the region with the conquest of the Himyarite Kingdom. The Manichaei prophet Mani (died 274 AD) regarded Aksum as one of the four great powers of his time, the others being Persia, Rome and China.[2][6][7][8] It ruled the South Arabia of Yemen for half a century in the 6th century. the 1st version follow Aezana king of Aksum, Himyar, Raydan, Habashat, Saba, Salhen, Tsiyamo, Kasu, and the Beja, and the Ge`ez version (DAE 7) reads Aksum, Himyar, Kasu, Saba, Habashat, Raydan, Salhen, Siyamo, Beja; both of these add the phrase `king of kings, son of the unconquered Mahrem'