by Marc Graham
This story is now at an ending, but Makeda and Yetzer’s tale has only just begun.
Glossary of Principal Names & Places
As much as possible, I’ve tried to use the names of places, people, and gods as they would have been at the turn of the first millennium BCE, prior to being changed by Hellenic, Roman, and Arab conquerors. This was not done simply to make for more challenging reading, but to provide a more authentic feel to the story.
Many of the names are based on interpretations from the El Amarna [Akhetaten] tablets, which date to within a few decades of the events in this story. Where the popular literature uses a descriptor in lieu of a personal name (e.g., Melchizedek, which literally means king-priest), I’ve tried to read between the lines to identify the person’s true identity. In the end, this is a work of fiction, but I hope this guide will aid the reader’s enjoyment of the story.
Abiattar
Alternate name-form of Abiathar, Biblical high priest under Kings David and Solomon.
Abdi-Havah
Alternate name-form of Abdi-Heba, ruler of Jerusalem attested in the Amarna tablets prior to the Habiru capture of the city.
Alassiya
Alternate name-form of Alashiya/Alasiya, a major naval and economic power attested in the Amarna tablets. Believed to be located on the island of Cyprus.
Ameniye
Historical wife of Egyptian Pharaoh Horemheb. died without issue. Fictionalized as Biblical “Daughter of Pharaoh,” named for her deceased mother.
Amun
Principal Egyptian deity, considered the creator-god.
Ashtart
Canaanite diety associated with the hunt, love, and war.
Athtar
Alternate name-form of Attar, Sabaean deity.
Auriyah
Alternate name-form of Uriah, “Light of Yah.” Speculatively identified with both Uriah the Hittite (or leader of the Hittite mercenaries) and Absalom (arguably, “Father of Solomon”), son of King David who rebelled against his father.
Auset
Early name-form of the Egyptian mother-goddess Isis, wife of Osiris and mother of Horus.
Ayana
Fictionalized Mukarrib of Saba, mother of Makeda. Ethiopian name meaning “flower.”
Ayub
Alternate name-form of Yoav/Joab as attested in the Armana tablets. Biblical nephew of King David of Israel, and commander of the army.
Baaliyah
Alternate name-form of Biblical Adoniyah, meaning “Yah is Lord.” Son of King David.
Bakhu
Fictionalized Egyptian limestone quarry.
Benyahu
Alternate name-form of Biblical Benaiah. General under Kings David and Solomon.
Bilkis (bat-Saba)
Alternately, Bilqis or Balqis. Name of the Queen of Sheba as identified in the Quran. Speculatively identified as Bathsheba, wife of Uriah (Auriyah) and King David, and mother of Solomon (Jedidiah) and Nathan.
Danu
Alternate name-form of Biblical Dan, the northernmost town of Israel.
Dhamar
Fictionalized Sabaean noble. Common name among the king-lists of Saba.
Ebiren
Alternate name-form of Biblical Hebron, holy place and traditional burial site of Hebrew patriarchs.
Elhoreb
Alternate name-form of Elihoreph, Biblical scribe in Solomon’s court.
Eliam
Fictionalized merchant of Jerusalem. Biblical father of Bathsheba.
Elmakah
Alternate name-form of Al-Maqah/Al-muqh. Lunar deity, storm god, and mythical ancestor of the rulers of ancient Saba.
Eram
Alternate name-form of Ulam, a legendary city lost in the south Arabian desert.
Gad
Biblical Israelite prophet during the reigns of Kings David and Solomon.
Habiru
Alternately Hapiru or ‘Apiru. Name of a wandering band of Semitic peoples as recorded in the Amarna tablets and other contemporary documents, generally referred to in disparaging terms. Currently debated whether or not this refers to the Biblical Israelites or their Hebrew forebears as they wandered about and settled in occupied Canaanites lands.
Hadad
Formally, Baal Hadad (Lord Hadad), often shortened to Baal. Canaanite storm god.
Haru
Ancient name-form of Horus, Egyptian tutelary deity.
Hattusah/Hatti
Ancient capital of the Hittite Empire, sometimes used to refer to the empire itself.
Havah
Alternate name-form of Heba/Hepat or Khepat, ancient Middle Eastern mother goddess. Speculatively equated with Havah/Eve, mythical mother of humanity.
Horemheb
Last pharaoh of the Egyptian 18th Dynasty. Commander-in-chief of the armies of predecessors Tutanhkamun and Ay. Married to Pharoah Ay’s daughter Mutnedjmet.
Huram
Fictionalized Tyrian stonemason. Common name among Tyrian king-lists.
Hut-Uaret
Alternate name-form of Hut-Waret, ancient Egyptian name of the city Avaris.
Huy
Fictionalized high priest of Amun. Name attested in Egyptian tomb engravings.
Ilban-Ay
Alternate name-form of Alban/Albion, the ancient Celtic name for Britain.
Iteru
Ancient Egyptian name for the River Nile, literally “river.”
Iunet
Ancient Egyptian name for Dendera in Upper Egypt.
Iunu
Alternate name-form of Iwnw, meaning “the pillars.” Egyptian name of Heliopolis.
Karibil
Fictionalized Mukarrib of Saba, father of Bilkis and Makeda. Common name among the king lists of Saba.
Kemet
Alternate name-form of km.t, ancient indigenous name of Egypt, meaning “black land” in reference to the dark soil along the Nile.
Kenahn
Alternate name-form of Canaan, land area associated with ancient Palestine, inhabited by Semitic-speaking peoples. Generally encompassing modern Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and parts of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.
Kothar
Divine craftsman of the Canaanite pantheon.
Labaya
King of the Habiru tribes preceding Tadua/Dadua, as attested in the Amarna tablets. Speculatively identified as the Biblical King Saul of Israel.
Makeda
Name of the Queen of Sheba as identified in the Ethiopian Kebra Negast.
Maryaba
Alternate name-form of Ma’rib, ancient capital of Saba. Present-day capital of Ma’rib Governate, Yemen.
Melchi-Tzedek
Alternate name-form of Mechizedek, Biblical king of ancient Jerusalem. Fictionalized hereditary title, last held by Abdi-Havah.
Melkart
Patron deity of Tyre and the later Carthagenian/Punic people. Later equated with the Greek hero Hercules.
Men-Nefer
Ancient Egyptian name for Memphis, capital of Lower Egypt.
Meren
Abbreviated form of Merenptah, “Beloved of Ptah.” Birth name of Seti I Menmayatre, second pharaoh of the Egyptian 19th Dynasty.
Mika
Fictionalized chief steward of Pharaoh Horemheb, in honor of Mika Waltari, author of The Egyptian.
Mikhel
Alternate name-form of Michal, Biblical daughter of King Saul and wife of King David.
Morhavah
Fictionalized early name for Moriah (Moryah), “Ordained by Havah (or Yah).” Mythical site of Abraham’s abortive sacrifice of his son Isaac (or Ishmael, in the Arabic tradition), and building site of Solomon’s Temple, its successors, and the Dome of the Rock.
Naftali
Alternate name-form of Naphtali, one of the Tribes of Israel.
Napata
Ancient Egyptian name for Sudan.
Natan
Alternate name-form of Nathan, Biblically identified as both a prophet in the court of King David, and a son of David and Bathsheba.
Opiru
Alternate name-form of Ophir, Biblical source of great treasures for the temple of King Solomon. Historical identity unknown.
Osaure
Ancient name-form of Osiris, Egyptian god of the dead. Husband of Isis, father of Horus.
Rahab
Fictionalized, loosely associated with Biblical Abishag. Common Hebrew name.
Ramessu
Ancient name-form of Ramesses (grandfather of Ramesses the Great), vazir to Pharaoh Horemheb and founder of Egypt’s 19th Dynasty.
Remeg
Speculatively, Queen of Tyre shortly after the time of Pharaoh Akhenaten, as attested by the Amarna tablets. Under the New Chronology of Near-East history, contemporary of King David.
Retenu
Alternate name-form of Retjenu, Egyptian designation for Canaan and Syria.
Saba
Speculative alternate name-form of Sheba. Ancient South Arabian kingdom, which included parts of modern Yemen, Oman, Arabia, Somalia, Eritrea, and Ethiopia.
Sekhem
Alternate name-form of Shechem, a city in ancient northern Israel, present-day northern Palestine.
Sela
Ancient name of Petra, Jordan, as referenced in the Amarna tablets.
Sena
Ancient Egyptian name of Pelusium, city on the Mediterranean coast.
Shams
Ancient Sabaean sun goddess.
Shapash
Ancient Canaanite sun goddess.
Shemval
Alternate name-form of Samuel, Biblical prophet during the reigns of Kings Saul and David of Israel.
Sinuhe
Fictionalized Egyptian priest. Name attested in Egyptian tomb engravings.
Subartu
Alternate name-form of Assyria, as attested in the Amarna tablets.
Sutah
Alternate name-form of Seti, Egyptian god of chaos. Brother of Osiris and Isis.
Tadua
Alternate name-form of Dadua/Daud, or David. Mentioned in the Amarna tablets, which describe a bandit (Habiru) chieftain who captures Jerusalem.
Timnah
Prominent city of ancient Saba.
Tsion
Alternate name-form of Zion, the royal enclave within ancient Jerusalem.
Tsur
Alternate name-form of Tyre, a prominent Phoenician (Canaanite) trading post in modern-day Lebanon.
Tubaal
Alternate name-form of Tubal/Tubal-Cain, Biblical founder of blacksmithing and other crafts.
Tutankamun
Regnal name of King Tut, famed pharaoh of ancient Egypt.
Uaset
Ancient Egyptian name of Thebes (Luxor) in Upper Egypt.
Ubasti
Alternate name-form of Bast, ancient Egyptian lion-or cat-goddess.
Ugaratu
Alternate name-form of Ugarit, a city in present-day northern Lebanon, as attested in the Amarna tablets.
Urusalim
Alternate name-form of Jerusalem in present-day Israel, as attested in the Amarna tablets.
Uwene
Alternate name-form of Pwene/pa-Uwene, Biblical Land of Punt. Encompasses the lands around the Horn of Africa.
Wadi Dhanah
Alternate name-form of Wadi Adhanah. Seasonal waterway near Ma’rib, Yemen, fed by monsoon rains. Archaeological evidence of dams and canals date back to 2000 BCE.
Watar
Fictionalized ruler of Timnah, a prominent city-state of ancient Saba. Common name among the king-lists of Saba.
Yah
Tutelar deity of the ancient polytheistic Hebrews.
Yahshepat
Alternate name-form of Jehoshaphat, Biblical scribe under Kings David and Solomon of Israel.
Yahtadua
Alternate name-form of Jedidiah (“Beloved of Yah”). Birth name of King Solomon of Israel.
Yarden
Alternate name-form of Jordan (River).
Yehuda
Alternate name-form of Judah, one of the tribes of Israel.
Yetzer abi-Huram
Alternate name-form of Adoniram (Lord Hiram/Hurum) and Hiram Abiff (abi-Huram). Fictionalized builder of the first Temple of Jerusalem, and mythical founder of Freemasonry.
Yishai
Alternate name-form of Jesse, Biblical leader of Judah and father of King David of Israel.
Yisrael
Fights with El. Patriarch, people, and land of the Biblical Israel.
Yubaal
Alternate name-form of Jubal, Biblical founder of the musical arts and half-brother to Tubal-Cain.
Zauty
Alternate name-form of Asyut, Egypt.
Acknowledgments
The crafting of a novel is a deeply isolating endeavor, but bringing it into the world cannot be done alone. I’m indebted to countless helpers, the merest fraction of whom I now mention.
Bernard Cornwell, Margaret George, CW Gortner, and Kamran Pasha are among the most talented and gracious authors I’ve had the privilege to meet. Their examples of literary excellence and their personal encouragement have been an inspiration to this fledgling novelist, and I’m deeply grateful to each of them.
Tracy Brogan, Sharon Bingham Kendrew, and Jeanette Schneider helped me shape Makeda’s story from the clayey lump of an idea into a workable story. They are among the loveliest and most talented storytellers I know, and I’m honored to call them friends. See you at Arno’s.
A special thank-you to the members of Highlands Ranch Fiction Writers who had a hand in this project: Lynn Bisesi, Deirdre Byerly, Claire L. Fishback, Nicole Greene, Michael F. Haspil, LS Hawker, Laura Main, Vicki Pierce, and Chris Scena. You make me a better writer. Because magic.
This book would not be in your hands without the thoughtful and professional guidance of Kristy Makansi and Lisa Miller of Amphorae Publishing Group / Blank Slate Press. My amazing support team at JKS Communications includes Marissa DeCuir, Hannah Robertson, Lana Allen, Lauren Ash, Max Lopez, Jerome McLain, and Benjamin Prosser. Amy Bruno with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours was instrumental in helping spread the word. Thank you all!
While it’s common to call upon the faithful to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, I would call upon people of good will to pray (to whichever deity or deities you choose) for the peace of Yemen. As of this writing, the UN has declared the war in Yemen to be the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Upward of 8 million people (some estimates put the number as high as 22 million) are without food, clean water, or basic medical care. I am by no means an activist, but in honor of Makeda and her deep concern for her people, I’ve pledged half of my proceeds from the sale of this story to Yemen humanitarian relief. I’m deeply grateful to the Zakat Foundation of America, who have pledged matching funds to provide aid to the modern-day people of Saba.
Finally, I give my deepest thanks and love to my bride, Laura. I could probably tell my stories without you, but it wouldn’t be nearly as fun. ILYWATIA.
About the Author
Marc Graham studied mechanical engineering at Rice University in Texas, but has been writing since his first attempt at science fiction penned when he was ten. From there, he graduated to knock-off political thrillers, all safely locked away to protect the public, before settling on historical fiction. His first novel, Of Ashes and Dust, was published in March 2017.
He has won numerous writing contests including, the National Writers Assocation Manuscript Contest (Of Ashes and Dust), the Paul Gillette Memorial Writing Contest - Historical (Of Ashes and Dust, Song of Songs), and the Colorado Gold Writing Contest - Mainstream (Prince of the West, coming from Blank Slate Press in Fall 2019).
He lives in Colorado on the front range of the Rocky Mountains, and in addition to writing, he is an actor, narrator, speaker, story coach, shamanic practitioner, and whisky afficianado (Macallan 18, one ice cube). When not on stage or studio, in a pub, or bound to his computer, he can be found hiking with his wife and their Greater Swiss Mountain Dog.
Marc Graham, Song of Songs