Person Old Testament
Sheba
Sheba, a descendant of Joktan, is associated with the ancient kingdom of Sheba in southern Arabia, known for its wealth and trade. Mentioned in 2 verses across 2 books, first at Genesis 10:28.
Why it matters. Descendant of Joktan, settling in southern Arabia
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Sheba
Sheba, mentioned in Gen.10.28 and 1Ch.1.22, was a descendant of Joktan, who was a descendant of Shem, one of Noah's sons. Joktan's descendants are associated with the peoples and tribes of southern Arabia. Sheba, in particular, is linked to the ancient kingdom of Sheba, located in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, in modern-day Yemen. The Sabeans, the inhabitants of Sheba, were renowned for their wealth, trade in spices, gold, and precious stones, and their influential position in the ancient Near Eastern trade network. The connection between Sheba, the descendant of Joktan, and the kingdom of Sheba suggests that the Joktanites may have been among the early settlers and founders of this prosperous kingdom. The mention of Sheba in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10) and the genealogy in 1 Chronicles highlights the spread and distribution of the descendants of Noah's sons after the Flood and their role in populating various regions of the ancient world.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
- Parents
- Joktan
Appears in Scripture
Named in 2 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.