The Politics of Memory: Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

Presentation of a research project as part of the "Jeudis de la Maison Suger", a residents' research seminar.

This session will welcome Ronald Hendel for a discussion on the political uses of memory through the biblical episode of the meeting between Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. He will highlight how ancient narratives articulate criticism of imperial domination and the construction of an idealized past, thus revealing the deeply political dimension of memory traditions.

Presentation of the project

"The political claims of collective memory, often surreptitious or subversive, are illustrated in the visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, who is recalled as the ruler of a vast, wealthy, peaceful empire. While this memory of the Solomonic era is mostly fictive, it projects a desire for a heroic past.  It draws on realities of the neo-Assyrian period, when the Arabian incense trade became vastly lucrative and North Arabian queens gave tribute of aromatics and gold to Assyrian kings. This political “hidden transcript” blends a critique of imperial subjection with a constructed memory of royal glory."

Speaker

Ronald Hendel is the general editor of The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition. Until 2021 he was the Norma and Sam Dabby Professor of Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and is now Professor of the Graduate School. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard and is currently a visiting fellow at St. John’s College, Cambridge.