The Queen of Sheba and Her Only Son Menyelek (Kebra Nagast)

Kebra Nagast 81. How the Son of Samson Slew the Son of the King of the Philistines Now that other son Akamh.êl, the son of Samson, spake unto his mother Delilah, saying, “Why am I not reigning and sitting upon this throne?” And his mother said unto him, “Cease, my son. This throne did not belong to thy father, and this city was not thy father’s city; when the God of thy father hath let thee grow up thou shalt go to thy father’s throne.” And her son said unto her, “Nay, I will neither forsake thee, my mother, nor Maksâbâ my mother, and I will be king here.”

And one day the two youths were drunk after [their] meal was ended, and the doors were shut. And the two women were sitting together about to eat flesh, and the two youths were playing before them, and they ate with them, and a maidservant held the dish between them. And ‘Akêmêh.êl, the son of Delilah, took from the dish [a piece of] flesh, which would fill both his hands, and put it to his mouth, and √ebrêlês, the son of Maksâbâ, the King of the Philistines, snatched away that part of the flesh that was outside his mouth. And ‘Akêmêh.êl drew his sword and cut off his head, and it fell into the dish before he could swallow what he had seized; and his body fell upon the paving of the house; and his hands and his feet twitched convulsively, and he died straightway. And fear and dismay laid hold upon their two mothers, and they spake never a word to anyone because they were afraid, but they swallowed the food which was in their mouths, and they looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

And that handmaiden rose up from them, and she took the head of √ebrêlês out of the dish, and put it back on its neck and covered it over with her garment. And Delilah rose up and seized the sword of the dead son of her sister, and went to kill ‘Akêmêh.êl, but he saved himself by hiding behind a pillar. And he made ready to kill his mother. And her sister rose up and seized her, saying, “Why should we be destroyed through their [quarrel?]. This [youth] is [sprung] from a bad root, and cannot [bear] good fruit; come, my sister, let him not destroy thee also.”

And she took the sword from her hand, and drew up from her pillow (?) rich purple clothing which kings wear, and she gave it to him, and she spake kindly words unto him, saying, “Take the apparel, my son, and thou 119