Candace: A Queen Named in the Story of the Ethiopian Official | Women of the Bible
Scripture: Acts 8:26–39, especially verse 27 In Acts 8, Philip meets a man from Ethiopia who holds “great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians” and has charge of her treasure (Acts 8:27, KJV). The official has traveled to Jerusalem to worship. On his return journey, he reads Isaiah, hears Philip preach Jesus, and is baptized. Candace does not appear in the encounter herself, but her position tells us something about the world from which the official came. What does Candace’s name mean? Candace is the form used in the KJV for Kandake , a royal title associated with the queens of ancient Kush, in the region of present-day Sudan. It was used by more than one woman. Acts identifies the queen by her title; it does not give us her personal name. The title is often understood as referring to a queen mother or royal woman , though its precise use could vary. What can we as women learn? A woman’s authority is visible in this account. Acts names Candace as queen and says...