Bible Dictionary
Candace
Candace was a title used by successive queens of Ethiopia. Her treasurer heard the gospel from Philip and was baptized.
Definition
Candace was a title borne by successive queens of Ethiopia, rather than the personal name of one individual. The country ruled by these queens was called Meroe by the Greeks and lay in Upper Nubia.
Biblical Usage
Candace is associated with the Ethiopian queen whose treasurer, returning from worship in Jerusalem, was baptized through Philip’s ministry.
Historical Background
Meroe was a center of commercial intercourse between Africa and southern Asia and was known for wealth. Female sovereignty appears to have prevailed in Ethiopia, where Candace functioned as a dynastic title.
Scripture References
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
The queen of the Ethiopians whose “eunuch” or chamberlain was converted to Christianity by the instrumentality of Philip the evangelist (Acts 8:27). The country which she ruled was called by the Greeks Meroe, in Upper Nubia. It was long the centre of commercial intercourse between Africa and the south of Asia, and hence became famous for its wealth (Isa. 45:14). It is somewhat singular that female sovereignty seems to have prevailed in Ethiopia, the name Candace (compare “Pharaoh,” “Ptolemy,” “Caesar”) being a title common to several successive queens. It is probable that Judaism had taken root in Ethiopia at this time, and hence the visit of the queen’s treasurer to Jerusalem to keep the feast. There is a tradition that Candace was herself converted to Christianity by her treasurer on his return, and that he became the apostle of Christianity in that whole region, carrying it also into Abyssinia. It is said that he also preached the gospel in Arabia Felix and in Ceylon, where he suffered martyrdom. (See PHILIP.)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>kan'-da-se (Kandake): Queen of the Ethiopians (Ac 8:27). Pliny states that the name Candace had already been borne for many years by the queens of Ethiopia (vi,29). See ETHIOPIA. Her treasurer, "a eunuch of great authority," was baptized by Philip the Evangelist on his return from worshipping in Jerusalem.</p>