Kebra Negast

The Kebra Negast seems to both give and take power and stature from Ethiopia, in that the old culture of Ethiopia (pre-solomon) seems to be seen in an inferior light. The fact that the child of King Solomon will now rule seems to be a "good" thing- it provides a connection between the country and such a powerful, wise, and clearly influential man. This and the conversion of Ethiopia to Christianity (through the influence of Solomon and Sheba) sort of allies the country with Israel- as any potential future conflict would therefore be between family members. It also lends spiritual significance (from a christian viewpoint) to Ethiopia- this is spelled out in the metaphorical dream solomon has in which the sun leaves Israel and goes to Ethiopa. The sun seems to represent a spiritual goodness and divine favor which Sheba will carry with her back to Ethiopia.

At the same time, the Kebra Negast does not give much credit to pre-solomon ethiopia. Sheba, as the main representative of Ethiopia, seems to grovel at his feet throughout- at his suggestion she is converted to his religion without hesitation. When she bears his child, she overrules the traditional form of government to ensure that Solomon's superior influence will remain concrete within Ethiopia. Her behavior in general with Solomon (perhaps because of the time the text was written and how women were often portrayed then) seems to be somewhat weak- although she does seem to get what she wants- and this reflects on the relationship between Ethiopia and Israel.

There is also the detail of what is taken back to Ethiopia by Sheba- it is written that she took treasures away carried by six thousand camels and wagons, a sea-vessel, and apparently some kind of flying vessel as well- though it gives no details on this. This seems to indicate some transfer of power (though given Solomon's wealth it is likely more charity than an actual shift) from Israel to Ethiopia.