Babulo Wamphamvu​—Mphamvu Yaikulu ya Dziko Yachitatu

Babulo wakale anafikira pachimake pansi pa Nebukadinezara, anapatsira chipembedzo chake kudziko, ndipo anagonjetsedwa usiku umodzi. Kudziŵa zambiri ponena za mzindawu kudzalimbikitsa chitsimikiziro chanu m’kulongosoka kwa Baibulo ndi m’kukwaniritsidwa kosalakwika kwa maulosi ake ozizwitsa.

BABULO wamphamvu anakhala mwaufulu mphepete mwa Mtsinje wa Firate kum’mwera kwa Mesopotamia. Iye anali “ulemerero wa mafumu,” maziko a chipembedzo, chuma, ndi gulu la nkhondo. (Yesaya 13:19) Iye anali ndi chuma chambiri, nyumba zokongola, ndi minda yokongola kwambiri m’dziko. Iye anali mphamvu ya dziko ya m’tsiku lake!

Ngakhale kuli tero, mneneri wa Yehova Yeremiya anauziridwa kulemba kuti: “Ndipo Babulo adzasanduka miunda, mokhala ankhandwe, chizizwitso, chotsonyetsa, wopanda okhalamo.”​—Yeremiya 51:37.

Mzinda waukulu umenewo kukhala bwinja lotheratu? Ndani amene angalingalire chinthu choterocho? Komabe, Babulo yemwe poyamba anali wonyada tsopano sali china chirichonse choposa kusonkhanitsidwa kosakaza kwa miunda ya mabwinja yokhumudwitsa, makilomita 80 kum’mwera kwa Baghdad, kum’mwera cha kum’mawa kwa Iraq. Nchiyani chimene chinatsogolera ku kugwa kwake?

Babulo, umodzi wa mizinda yakale kwambiri ya dziko, anapezedwa ndi mdzukulu wa Nowa Nimrode, mpalu wamphamvu m’kutsutsa Yehova. (Genesis 10:8-10) Komabe, nyengo imene ikutisangalatsa ife imabwera kale kwambiri itapita nthaŵi ya Nimrode. Iyo inabwera ponse paŵiri Igupto ndi Asuri atakhala kale mphamvu zolamulira za dziko.

Babulo M’tsiku la Nebukadinezara

Zaka zina 2,600 zapita, kubwerera m’chaka cha 632 B.C.E., Ababulo ndi mphamvu zogwirizana nazo zawo zinagwetsa Asuri.a Kenaka Babulo analowa m’malo Asuri, kukhala mphamvu yaikulu ya dziko yachitatu m’mbiri ya Baibulo.

Nebukadinezara, yemwe anatenga mpando wachifumu wa Ufumu umenewo wa Neo-Babulo, kapena Babulo Watsopano, sanali kokha wogonjetsa komanso womanga mzinda. Malinga a mphamvu a Babulo ndi nyumba zake zosangalatsa, kwa mbali yaikulu, zingaperekedwe kwa iye. Unyinji wokulira wa njerwa zinapezedwa zokhala ndi dzina lakuti “Nebukadinezara”​—Nebukadinezara mmodzimodziyo wotchulidwa mobwerezabwereza m’mabukhu a Baibulo a Yeremiya ndi Danieli, Nebukadinezara amene Baibulo limamgwira mawu kukhala akudzitukumula kuti: “Suyu Babulo wamkulu ndinammanga?”​—Danieli 4:30.

Malinga aŵiri a akulu anazungulira Babulo, okhala ndi zidutswa za miyala zodzaza m’mpata womwe unali pakati pawo. Zonse pamodzi, zinapanga chochinjiriza chokakala 24 m. Kunja kwa malingawo chithaphwi cha mamita 20 kufika ku 80 mulifupi, chokhala ndi mkati mwake moikidwa njerwa, chinali kugwiritsiridwa ntchito ndi ngalawa za mitundu yonse.

Msewu waukulu wochokera kumpoto unadutsa kupyola pa Chipata cha Ishtar cha mamita 12 kulowa mu msewu waukulu kwambiri wa mzindawo, msewu wotakata wa Procession Way. Nyumba yachifumu ya Nebukadinezara inali kulamanja, mkati mwa Chipata cha Ishtar. Chipinda chake chachifumu chinali chaukulu wa 17 ndi 52 m. Chipata ndi malinga otsogolera ku icho anakongoletsedwa ndi njerwa zokongoletsedwa ndi mtundu woŵala zoimira mikango, ng’ombe zazimuna, ndi njoka. Umodzi wa mkangowo ungawonedwe pa chisonyezero mu Louvre museum mu Paris.

Chipembedzo cha Chibabulo

Liwu la Chihebri la mzindawo, Babele, limatanthauza “chisokonezo,” pamene kuli kwakuti maina a chiSumeria ndi a chiAkkadia kaamba ka iwo amatanthauza “Chipata cha Mulungu.” Matanthauzo aŵiri onsewo anagwirizanitsa Babulo ndi chipembedzo chake. Ophunzira ena amakhulupirira kuti mulungu wa Chibabulo Marduk (Merodake m’Baibulo) angakhale anali Nimrode wopangidwa kukhala mulungu. Chipembedzo cha Chibabulo chimavomerezanso unyinji wa utatu wa milungu. Mmodzi woterowo anapangidwa ndi Sin (mulungu wa mwezi), Shamash (mulungu wa dzuŵa), ndi Ishtar (mulungu wachikazi wachikondi ndi mphamvu ya kubala).

Kupenda nyenyezi kunali kofala kumeneko. Ababulo anatcha mapulaneti odziŵika panthaŵiyo pambuyo pa milungu ndi milungu yawo yachikazi yotsogolera isanu. Ntchito ya mbiri ya makono imalongosola kuti: “Timalozera ku mapulaneti amenewa ndi maina awo a Chiroma, koma Aroma anatenga katchulidwe ka Chibabulo ndipo anangowatembenuza kokha m’mawu awo ofanana nawo mu Roma. Chotero pulaneti ya Ishtar, mulungu wa chikondi, anakhala Venus, ndipo lija la mulungu Marduk linasinthidwa ku Jupiter.”b Dzina lakuti “Kasidi,” logwiritsiridwa ntchito ndi Ababulo, linadzafikira kukhala lofanana ndi “openda nyenyezi.”

Baibulo limanena kuti Babulo anali “dziko la mafano osema” ndipo la “zosema zochitidwa manyazi.” (Yeremiya 50:2, 38) Komabe malingaliro ake achipembedzo anakhala magwero a akulu kaamba ka zipembedzo zina pa dziko lonse. Profesala Morris Jastrow ananena mu The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria: “M’dziko lamakedzana, kumayambiriro kwa kuuka kwa Chikristu, Igupto, Perisiya, ndi Grisi anachimva chisonkhezero cha chipembedzo cha Chibabulo.” Pambuyo pake, ambiri a malingaliro ake onyenga analandiridwa ndi kuphunzitsidwa ngakhale mu matchalitchi Achikristu cha Dziko. Chotero, Baibulo limatcha ulamuliro wa dziko lonse wa chipembedzo chonyenga “Babulo Wamkulu.”​—Chivumbulutso 17:3-5.

Yerusalemu Alandidwa ndi Babulo

Mneneri Yesaya anakhalako pamene Asuri, mphamvu ya dziko yachiŵiri, inalamulira dziko lamakedzana. Komabe iye anauziridwa ndi Mulungu kulosera kuti Yerusalemu akawonongedwa, osati ndi mphamvu ya Asuri ya panthaŵiyo, koma ndi Ababulo. (Yesaya 39:6, 7) Kodi ulosi umenewo unatsimikizira kukhala wowona? Tiyeni tiwone.

Linali zana limodzi pambuyo panthaŵi ya Yesaya pamene Babulo ndi mphamvu zake zogwirizana zinagonjetsa Asuri, ndipo Babulo anakhala mphamvu ya dziko yatsopano. Kenaka, mu 617 B.C.E., mfumu ya Babulo Nebukadinezara anagwira Mfumu Yoyakini ya Yerusalemu ndi kumtumiza iye limodzi ndi “omveka a m’dziko” monga andende ku Babulo. Nebukadinezara anapanga Mataniya kukhala mfumu mu Yerusalemu ndipo “anasanduliza dzina lake likhale Zedekiya.”​—2 Mafumu 24:11-17.

Zolembera zenizeni za Babulo, zopezeka ndi akatswiri odziŵa za zinthu zofotseredwa pansi, zimatsimikiziranso chochitika chimenechi. Mbiri ya Chibabulo, magome adothi amakedzana pa amene panalembedwa zochitika zazikulu, amanena kuti mfumu ya Babulo “inagwira mzinda wa Yuda [Yerusalemu], ndi . . . kutenga mzindawo ndi kugwira mfumu yake. Iye anaika mmenemo mfumu yodzisankhira, kulandira chopereka chake champhamvu ndi kuwatumiza (iwo) ku Babulo.”

Kuwonjezerapo, Baibulo limalozera ku thandizo la chakudya lomwe linaperekedwa kwa Yoyakini pamene iye anali m’ndende mu Babulo. (2 Mafumu 25:27-30) Akatswiri odziŵa za zinthu zofotseredwa pansi apeza zikalata za ulamuliro mu Babulo zomwe zimalozera ku chivomerezo cha chakudya choperekedwa ponse paŵiri kwa “Yoyakini, mfumu” ndi kwa “ana a mfumu ya Yuda.”

Ngakhale kuti anthu a ku Yerusalemu anali mu unansi wa pangano ndi Yehova Mulungu, iwo mouma mutu anakanabe kutsatira njira za Mulungu kapena kulabadira aneneri ake. Yehova ananena kuti iwo “anaumitsa khosi lawo kuti asamve mawu [ake].” Kupyolera mwa Yeremiya iye anawachenjeza kuti “ndidzapereka Ayuda onse m’dzanja la mfumu ya ku Babulo, ndipo iye adzawatengera iwo am’nsinga ku Babulo, nadzawapha ndi lupanga.”​—Yeremiya 19:15; 20:4.

Chotero pamene Zedekiya anaukira motsutsana ndi Nebukadinezara, Ababulo anabwerera ndi kulanda Yerusalemu. Iwo anagwetsa malinga ake pa Tammuz 9, 607 B.C.E. Iwo anatentha kachisi, kugwetsa malinga a mzindawo, ndi kutenga Zedekiya ndi ambiri a anthuwo andende ku Babulo. Mawu a Yehova ndithudi anatsimikizira kukhala owona: “Ndipo dziko lonseli lidzakhala bwinja, ndi chizizwitso, ndipo mitundu iyi idzatumikira mfumu ya ku Babulo zaka makumi asanu ndi aŵiri.”​—Yeremiya 25:11.

Loto la Chifano la Nebukadinezara

Pambuyo pake, mfumu ya Babulo Nebukadinezara, mutu wa mphamvu ya dziko ya tsiku lake, analandira chidziŵitso chachilendo. Mulungu anampatsa iye loto la chifano chachikulu. Lotolo linavumbulutsa dongosolo la mbiri ya dziko kuchokera pa nthaŵi ya Nebukadinezara kufikira ku mafumu otsatira a mphamvu za dziko a Medo-Perisiya ndi Grisi, kupitirira kufika ku Roma, ndipo ngakhale kupyola kufika ku nthaŵi yathu ku kulowedwa m’malo kotheratu kwa mafumu a anthu ndi Ufumu wa Mulungu. Mneneri wa Mulungu Danieli anamuuza Nebukadinezara kuti: “Mulungu wamkulu wadziŵitsa mfumu chidzachitika mtsogolomo, lotolo ndi lowona ndi kumasulira kwake kwakhazikika.”​—Danieli 2:28-45.

Nebukadinezara anafunikiranso kudziŵa mwaumwini, m’njira yokakamiza mwamphamvu, kuti Mulungu ali ndi mbali m’zochitika za m’dziko zoterozo​—kuti “Wam’mwambamwamba alamulira mu ufumu wa anthu, naupereka kwa aliyense Iye afuna mwini.”​—Danieli 4:25.

Kupasulidwa kwa Babulo Kunenedweratu

Komabe, nkhalwe yopitilira malire ya Babulo kwa anthu a Yehova siinayenera kupita osalangidwa. Kupyolera mwa Yeremiya, Mulungu ananena kuti: “Ndipo ndidzabwezera Babulo ndi okhala m’Kasidi zoipa zawo zonse anazichita m’Ziyoni pamaso panu.” Ndipo kupyolera mwa Yesaya iye ananeneratu kuti: “Ndidzawautsira Amedi.”​—Yeremiya 51:24; Yesaya 13:17.

Zaka zina mazana aŵiri pasadakhale, Yehova anatchula ngakhale dzina la mtsogoleri yemwe adzagwetsa Babulo ndi kuwombola anthu ake​—Koresi, wodziŵikanso monga Koresi Wamkulu. Ulosi wonena za Koresi unanena kuti adzatsegula “zitseko pamaso pake, ndi zipata sizidzatsekedwa.” (Yesaya 44:26–45:1) Kodi chinthu choterocho chinachitikadi? Mbiri iyankha.

Babulo Akugwa!

Pamene zaka zonenedweratu 70 za ukapolo wa Chiyuda zinali kufika kumapeto, Amedi ndi Aperisiya anali paulendo. Mfumu ya Babulo Nabonidus inali itathaŵa kale kuchokera kwa Koresi pabwalo la nkhondo. Wodziŵa mbiri yakale wa Chigriki Herodotus akunena kuti Ababulo anakonzekeretsedwa kudzichinjiriza ku kugwidwa kwakukulu kwambiri. Ndipo mwachiwonekere iwo anali ndi chidaliro chotheratu mu malinga amphamvu a Babulo.

Monga mmene mbiri ya Baibulo ikusimbira, pa usiku wa October 5/6 wa chaka cha 539 B.C.E, Belisazara anali ndi phwando la madyerero a akulu mkati mwa Babulo, kumwetsa vinyo ndi kudyetsa chikwi cha alendo olemekezeka. (Danieli 5:1-4) Herodotus akutsimikizira kuti panali phwando mu Babulo usiku umenewo. Iye akunena kuti anthu a mu mzindawo “anali kuvina panthaŵiyo, ndi kudzisangalatsa iwo eni.” Kunja, ngakhale kuli tero, Koresi anali atapatutsa madzi a Firate, womwe umayenda kupyola pakati pa mzinda. Pamene kuya kwa madzi kunatsika, gulu lake la nkhondo linapita m’mphepete mwa mtsinje, kupitirira malinga a atali, ndi kulowa kupyola chimene Herodotus achitcha “zipata zazing’ono zomwe zinatsogolera ku mtsinje,” zipata zinasiidwa zosatsekedwa ndi Ababulo.

Zaka zambiri pasadakhale, mneneri Yeremiya anali atalemba kalongosoledwe ka chithunzi ka kugwa kwa Babulo: “Olimba a ku Babulo akana kumenyana . . . Wamtokoma mmodzi adzathamanga kukakumana ndi mnzake, ndi mthenga mmodzi kukakumana ndi mnzake, kukauza mfumu ya ku Babulo kuti mudzi wake wagwidwa ponsepo, pamadoko patsekedwa, pamatamanda a mabango patenthedwa ndi moto.”​—Yeremiya 51:30-32.

Mbiri ya Nabonidus, tsopano mu British Museum, imatsimikizira kalongosoledwe kameneka. Imanena kuti “gulu la nkhondo la Koresi linalowa mu Babulo popanda nkhondo.”

Ulosi wa Yehova Ukwaniritsidwa

Mu usiku umodzi Babulo anagwa. Mphamvu ya dziko yachitatu ya mbiri ya Baibulo inafika kumapeto adzidzidzi. Koresi anayenera kudzitukumula pa chikalata chozokotedwa, chodziŵika monga Cyrus Cylinder: “Ndine Koresi, mfumu ya dziko, mfumu yaikulu, mfumu ya lamulo, mfumu ya Babulo, mfumu ya Sumer.” Mwamsanga pambuyo pake, Koresi anapereka lamulo lake lotchuka, ndipo chifupifupi Ayuda andende 50,000 anabwerera kukamanganso Yerusalemu ndi kachisi wa Yehova, akumafika kumeneko cha kumapeto kwenikweni kwa zaka zonenedweratu 70 za ukapolo.​—Ezara 1:1-11.

Zaka mazana angapo pambuyo pake, mtumwi wa Yesu Petro anabwera kudzaphunzitsa mudzi wa Chiyuda womwe unakula kumeneko, ndipo kunali kuchokera ku Babulo kumene Petro analemba chifupifupi imodzi ya makalata ake ouziridwa a Baibulo. (1 Petro 5:13) M’kupita kwa nthaŵi, ngakhale kuli tero, ulosiwo unakwaniritsidwa: “Ndipo Babulo, ulemerero wa maufumu, mudzi wokongolawo Akasidi anaunyadira, adzakhala monga momwe Mulungu anapasula Sodomu ndi Gomora. Anthu sadzakhalamo konse.”​—Yesaya 13:19, 20.

Lerolino, Babulo wamphamvu siali chinachake koma miulu ya fumbi ya miyala, bwinja m’dziko lopanda kanthu​—umboni wa chete ndi wokwezeka ku kulongosoka kosalephera kwa Mawu a ulosi wa Yehova.​—Yeremiya 51:36, 37.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Mapu patsamba 31]

(Onani m’magazini yeniyeni kuti mumvetse izi)

UKULU WA UFUMU WA CHIBABULO

GREAT SEA

Euphrates River

Babylon

MEDIA

Jerusalem

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Based on a map copyrighted by Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est. and Survey of Israel

[Zithunzi patsamba 31]

Kumanganso kwa Chipata cha Ishtar cha Babulo (kulamanja)

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Museum of Western Asiatic Antiquity, East Berlin, GDR

Bwinja la Babulo lerolino (pansi)