The Kebra Nagast—King Solomon And The Mystery of Flying Carpets

In Brief: Flying carpets are mentioned in a number of legends. For example, it is said that King Solomon possessed a flying carpet sixty miles long and sixty miles wide, capable of transporting 40,000 men.

In other legends, King Phraates II, a Parthian King engaged his enemy while flying on a carpet capable of firing lighting and fire.

Legends of Gods and might deities traveling in ancient times across the Earth in powerful flying machines can be found in a number of legends in various cultures across the globe.

According to the holy book of the Ethiopians for example, the Kebra Nagast believed to have been written around between the fifth and second centuries AD, Queen Sheba was gifted a flying carpet by King Solomon.

The story is of great importance, and its importance is marked by the fact that it is written down in one of the most important ancient texts ever written.

The work is considered to contain the genealogy of the new Solomonic dynasty.

The Kebra Nagast, aka the book of Kings, happens to be the most sacred and important book of the ancient Ethiopians.

Sir Wallis Budge an English scholar who worked for the British Museum is believed to have created the first English translation of the Kebra Nagast titled The Glory of the Kings.

The Kebra Nagast is composed of 117 chapters and is considered a composite work of literature.

In the ancient work of literature, we find how King Solomon possessed a sort of flying device. A Flying machine.

In addition to that, the book contains accounts of how the Ark of the covenant came to Ethiopia with Menelik I, the first Solomonic Emperor of Ethiopia, traditionally believed to be the son of King Solomon.

Supposedly, God had bestowed upon King Solomon the understanding of the speech of birds, and a number of other sacred teachings referred to as the ‘lord of men, genii, and birds’.

In ancient legends, he is described as flying through the air with a ‘magical’ carpet composed of green silk.

Legends tell that ing Solomon’s flying carpet had the ability to carry as many as 40,000 men whilst in flight.

The description of Solomon’s flying carpet is bewildering. It is said to have been sixty miles long and sixty miles wide: and “when Solomon sat upon the carpet, he was caught up by the wind, and sailed through the air so quickly that he breakfasted at Damascus and supped in Media.”

In addition to the above, a number of ancient legends in the Middle East speak of how King Solomon had in his possession a flying device which allowed him to travel without hassle to different places in the Middle East, to a number of mountains commonly dubbed as Mountains of Solomon.

Furthermore, a man called Nicholas Rourke, who was a Russian-American explorer traveled across Asia and Tibet and its mountains in the 1920’s and claimed that the Tibetans had legends that spoke of King Solomon flying to Tibet with his magnificent flying machine.

This makes me wonder whether we are really speaking of a flying carpet, or perhaps, as some Ancient Astronaut theorists suggest, of ancient flying machines, bestowed upon man by being snot from Earth?

But these legends do not speak of flying carpets as only a mode of transportation. In numerous accounts, flying carpets are depicted as being used as mighty weapons.

In fact, if we take a look at stories from the second century BC, we find how Phraates II, a Parthian King engaged into battle with Antiochus VII, king of the Seleucid Empire.

This is where the story gets interesting.

The story tells that King Phraates flew ‘aboard’ a flying carpet from the heights of the Zagros Mountain. Upon reaching his enemy, he fired—from the flying carpet—fire and lightning.

After his victorious attack, King Phraates is said to have flown above the heads of his soldiers in a triumphant reception.

According to Hai ben Sherira of the Talmudic academy, the lost library of Alexandria was home to countless ‘magic carpets’.

So, flying carpets or ancient Vimana?

If we take a look at ancient Hindu mythology, we will find a number of descriptions detailing powerful flying machines called the Vimana.

These mighty flying crafts are said to have existed thousands of years ago, allowing ‘Gods’ and ‘deities’ to travel great distances, and even into outer space.

Could all of these incredible ‘ancient flying devices’ be the Chariots of the gods Erich Von Daniken mentioned in his books?

Featured Image Credit: The Flying Carpet, a depiction of the hero of Russian folklore, Ivan Tsarevich. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain