C is for Candace

“So Philip got ready and went. On the road he saw a man from Ethiopia, a eunuch. He was an important officer in the service of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians; he was responsible for taking care of all her money. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship.” Acts 8:27 ncv

Candace means verdure—green, lush vegetation, freshness—and reminds me of a breath of fresh air. In the passage above she is of little consequence but I’ll explore a bit about Her Majesty the Queen of Ethiopia.

The name Candace is not her given name but rather her title like Pharaoh, Caesar, or Herod. In my research, I found it was not uncommon in certain nations for women to rule as female warrior queens.

She is only mentioned because of her trusted servant’s encounter with Philip after he went to worship. It doesn’t tell if he was or was not with his queen, but because the eunuch even made the trip, she must have been in agreement.

And then the fact that the keeper of the treasury was reading from the book of Isaiah—53:7-8 to be exact—is another indication of her consent. A man of his prominent position would not have participated in such activities if his queen disapproved in any way. Because Ethiopians embraced Judaism, maybe she encouraged him to worship in Jerusalem and to read the scriptures.

Of course, I don’t know; this is only speculation. I respect the fact she allowed the treasurer of her kingdom to worship God in Jerusalem and to read the Prophet Isaiah’s writings, which resulted in his baptism into the Christian faith. It’s like a breath of fresh air to think she led in such a way.

If you've never read this remarkable event, I encourage you to take a look at Acts 8:26-39.

While you're here:

• Check the What’s Up page for the latest goings on with my writing (1st of month)
• Read an excerpt from my Fiction W.I.P. (15th of month)
• Sign up from the side bar to be a
•       Fellow Sojourner (aka Join this Site)
•       Facebook follower (aka Join me on Facebook)
•       Or receive Email notifications (aka Follow LOL4J)
• Mark the Reaction box(s) below you each blog
• Better yet, Leave a Comment; I love hearing from you