Kebra Nagast

How the King of Ethiopia Travelled And whole gait resembled those of Solomon the King. when he was two and twenty years old he was skilled in the whole art of war and of horsemanship, and in the hunting and trapping of wild beasts, and in everything that young men are wont to learn. And he said unto the Queen, " I will go and look upon the face of my father, and I will come back here by the Will of God, the Lord of Israel." 33. How THE KING OF ETHIOPIA TRAVELLED And the Queen called Tamrin, the chief of her caravan men and merchants, and she said unto him, " Get ready for thy journey and take this young man with thee, for he importuneth me by night and by day. And thou shalt take him to the King and shalt bring him back hither in safety, if God, the Lord of Israel, pleaseth." And she prepared a retinue suitable to their wealth and honourable condition, and made ready all the goods that were necessary for the journey, and for presenting as gifts to the King, and all that would be necessary for ease and comfort by the way. And she made ready everything for sending him away, and she gave to the officers who were to accompany him such moneys as they would need for him and for themselves on the journey. And she commanded them that they were not to leave him there, but only to take him to the King, and then to bring him back again to her, when he should assume the sovereignty over her land. Now there was a law in the country of Ethiopia that [only] a woman should reign, and that she must be a virgin who had never known man, but the Queen said " Henceforward a man who is of thy [unto Solomon], seed shall reign, and a woman shall nevermore reign ; only seed of thine shall reign and his seed after him from generation to generation. And this thou shalt 39