Candace or Kandake?

What do we know of the Ethiopian Queen of Acts 8

In Acts 8, Philip finds himself in the wilderness between Jerusalem and Gaza. As he goes, he encounters an Ethiopian eunuch. The text tells us this eunuch was “a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians” and he “was in charge of all her treasure.”

So this is a very important person. But who is this Queen Candace?

In Greek, it would be a three-syllable word, more like “Kan-da-ke” Some quick digging revealed that many of our English translations make a mistake by translating the Greek word as Candace because Kandake is not a name. It’s a title.

There were several Kandakes in the Nubian or Ethiopian Kingdom. Kandake was the title given to the queen mother who served as queen regent until her son came of age. Occasionally in this kingdom, the king would not have an heir and the king’s sister would become Kandake until her son could take the throne.

If I were to translate this passage, I think I’d say, “a court official of the Kandake, the Queen Regent of the Ethiopians.” And I’d include footnotes about the succession practice and the Nubian kingdom.

I just found that one interesting. Hope you did too.

Thanks for reading!

Be Curious. Ask Questions.

Andy