Kodi Amakabe Anali Ayani?

ANTHU ambiri amaona nthaŵi ya Amakabe kukhala yosadziŵika bwino yobisika pakati pa Malemba Achihebri ndi kubwera kwa Yesu Kristu. Monga momwe black box ya m’ndege imavumbulira zinthu zina itafufuzidwa ndegeyo itagwa, tingapeze chidziŵitso china mwa kutsatira bwino zochitika za m’nthaŵi ya Amakabe​—nthaŵi ya kusintha ndi kusandulika kwa mtundu wachiyuda.

Kodi Amakabe anali ayani? Kodi ndi motani mmene anakhudzira Chiyuda asanadze Mesiya woloseredwayo?​—Danieli 9:25, 26.

Kufalikira kwa Chihelene

Alexander Wamkulu analanda madera onse kuchokera ku Girisi mpaka ku India (336-323 B.C.E.). Kukula kwa ufumu wakewo kunathandizira kuti Chihelene​—chilankhulo ndi chikhalidwe cha Girisi​—chifalikire. Nduna za Alexander ndi asilikali ake anakwatira akazi a komweko, zimene zinachititsa kuti chikhalidwe chachigiriki ndi chakomweko zisakanikirane. Alexander atamwalira, akazembe ake ankhondo anagaŵana ufumu wake. Kuchiyambi kwa zaka zana lachiŵiri B.C.E., Antiochus III wa mzere wa mafumu a Seleucid achigiriki a ku Suriya analanda Israyeli kuchokera ku ulamuliro wa a Ptolemy achigiriki a ku Igupto. Kodi Ayuda a ku Israyeli anakhudzidwa motani ndi ulamuliro wachihelene?

Wodziŵa mbiri wina analemba kuti: “Popeza kuti Ayuda sakanapeŵa kuchitira zinthu pamodzi ndi anansi awo otsatira Chihelene, ndipo sakanachitira zinthu pamodzi ndi abale awo okhala kutali, iwo sakanapeŵa kutengerako chikhalidwe ndi maganizo achigiriki. . . . Kukhalapo kokhako m’nthaŵi yachihelene kunatanthauza kutengerako chikhalidwe chachigiriki!” Ayuda anakhala ndi maina achigiriki. Mwanjira zosiyanasiyana, iwo anatengerako miyambo ndi kavalidwe kachigiriki. Mosazindikira, iwo anali kuloŵerera kwambiri m’chikhalidwe chachigiriki.

Ukatangale wa Ansembe

Ansembe ndiwo ena mwa Ayuda amene anangotengeka ndi Chihelene. Ambiri mwa iwo ankaona kulandira Chihelene ngati kulola Chiyuda kutsogola. Mmodzi mwa Ayuda oterowo anali Yasoni (wotchedwa Yoswa m’Chihebri), mbale wake wa Onias III, mkulu wa ansembe. Pamene Onias anapita ku Antiokeya, Yasoni anapereka chiphuphu kwa akuluakulu achigiriki. Chifukwa? Kuwasonkhezera kuti aike Yasoni kukhala mkulu wa ansembe m’malo mwa Onias. Wolamulira wachigiriki wa Seleucid, Antiochus Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.E.), anangolandira chiphuphucho. Poyamba, olamulira achigiriki sanali kuloŵererapo pankhani yonena za munthu woyenera kukhala mkulu wa ansembe wa Ayuda, koma Antiochus ankafuna ndalama zochirikizira magulu ankhondo. Anakondweranso kukhala ndi mtsogoleri wa Ayuda amene adzachirikiza Chihelene mwachangu. Atapemphedwa ndi Yasoni, Antiochus anapatsa Yerusalemu dzina laulemu la mzinda wachigiriki (polis). Ndipo Yasoni anamanga malo amaseŵero kumene Ayuda achinyamata ndiponso ngakhale ansembe anapikisana pamaseŵero.

Chinyengo chinabala chinyengo. Patapita zaka zitatu, Menelaus, amene ayenera kuti sanali mumzere wa ansembe, anapereka chiphuphu chachikulupo, ndipo Yasoni anathaŵa. Pofuna kulipira Antiochus, Menelaus anatenga ndalama zambiri za m’kachisi. Popeza kuti Onias III (amene anathaŵira ku Antiokeya) anatsutsa zimenezi, Menelaus anamkonzera chiwembu chomupha.

Mphekesera yonena kuti Antiochus anamwalira itafalikira, Yasoni anabwerera ku Yerusalemu ndi amuna chikwi chimodzi pofuna kulanda Menelaus udindo wa mkulu wa ansembe. Koma Antiochus anali asanamwalire. Atamva za zochita za Yasoni ndi msokonezo umene unali pakati pa Ayuda monyozera malamulo ake ofuna kuwanditsira Chihelene, Antiochus anachitapo kanthu mwamphamvu.

Antiochus Achitapo Kanthu

M’buku lake lakuti The Maccabees (Amakabe), Moshe Pearlman analemba kuti: “Ngakhale kuti zolembedwa sizikunena mwachindunji, zikuoneka kuti Antiochus analingalira kuti kupatsa Ayuda ufulu wachipembedzo kunali kulakwitsa ndale. Kwa iye, chipanduko chatsopanocho m’Yerusalemu sichinachitike pazifukwa zachipembedzo makamaka koma chifukwa cha malingaliro ofala m’Yudeya okhalira kumbuyo Igupto, ndipo malingaliro andale amenewa anaonekera mwanjira yoopsa makamaka chifukwa chakuti Ayuda, okhawo mwa anthu ake onse, anafunafuna ndipo anapatsidwa ufulu waukulu wotsatira chipembedzo chawo. . . . Zimenezi, anagamula motero, ziyenera kuletsedwa.”

Wandale ndiponso katswiri wamaphunziro wachiisrayeli Abba Eban anafotokoza mwachidule zimene zinatsatira: “Motsatizana pafupipafupi m’zaka za 168 ndi 167 [B.C.E.], Ayuda anapululidwa, Kachisi kusakazidwa, chipembedzo chachiyuda kuletsedwa. Mdulidwe unakhala mlandu wachilango cha imfa, monga momwe kusunga Sabata kunakhalira. Chitonzo chenicheni chinadza m’December 167, pamene, mwa lamulo la Antiochus, guwa la nsembe la Zeu linamangidwa mkati mwa Kachisi, ndipo Ayuda anafunikira kupereka nsembe za nyama yankhumba​—imenetu inali yodetsedwa malinga ndi lamulo lachiyuda​—kwa mulungu wa Agiriki.” Panthaŵi imeneyi, Menelaus ndi Ayuda ena a moyo wachihelene anakhalabe pamalo awo, akumatumikira pakachisi amene tsopano anali wodetsedwa.

Pamene Ayuda ambiri analandira Chihelene, gulu latsopano la anthu odzitcha kuti Ahasidi​—opatulika​—linalimbikitsa anthu kutsatira kwambiri Chilamulo cha Mose. Tsopano atanyansidwa ndi ansembe otsatira Chihelene, anthu wamba anayamba kukhala kumbali ya Ahasidi. Nthaŵi yofera chikhulupiriro inayamba pamene Ayuda m’dziko lonselo anakakamizidwa kutsatira miyambo ndi kupereka nawo nsembe zachikunja kapena kufa. Mabuku a apokirifa a Amakabe amasimba nkhani zambiri zokhudza amuna, akazi, ndi ana amene anasankha kufa kusiyana nkutsatira miyamboyo.

Amakabe Achitapo Kanthu

Nkhanza za Antiochus zinachititsa Ayuda ambiri kumenyera nkhondo chipembedzo chawo. Ku Modiʼin, kumpoto cha kumadzulo kwa Yerusalemu pafupi ndi mzinda wamakono wa Lod, wansembe wotchedwa Matatio anaitanidwa kupita pakati pa tauniyo. Popeza kuti Matatio ankalemekezedwa ndi anthu ambiri akomweko, woimira mfumu anayesa kumsonkhezera kuti apereke nawo nsembe za akunja​—kuti apulumutse moyo wake ndi kupereka chitsanzo kwa ena onse. Matatio atakana, Myuda wina analoŵapo, wokonzekera kupereka nawo nsembezo. Atakwiya, Matatio anatenga chida ndi kumupha. Atazizwa ndi chiwawa cha mwamuna wachikulireyu, asilikali achigiriki sanachitepo kanthu msanga. Patimphindi tochepa, Matatio anali ataphanso nduna yachigirikiyo. Ana asanu a Matatio ndi anthu a m’tauniyo anapondereza asilikali achigiriki asanadziteteze.

Matatio anafuula kuti: ‘Aliyense wotsatiradi Chilamulo anditsate.’ Pothaŵa kuti angawabwezere, iyeyo ndi ana ake aamuna anathaŵira kumapiri. Ndipo pamene mbiri ya zochita zawo inafalikira, Ayuda (kuphatikizapo Ahasidi ambiri) anagwirizana nawo.

Matatio anasankha mwana wake Yuda kutsogolera zankhondo. Mwinamwake chifukwa cha ukatswiri wa Yuda pa zankhondo, iye anatchedwa kuti Makabe, kutanthauza “nyundo.” Matatio ndi ana ake ankatchedwa Ahasimoni, dzina lotengedwa ku dzina la tauni yotchedwa Hesimoni kapena kwa kholo lina lakale la dzina lomwelo. (Yoswa 15:27) Komabe, popeza kuti Yuda Makabe anakhala munthu wotchuka pachipandukocho, banja lonselo linadzatchedwa kuti Amakabe.

Kachisi Atengedwanso

M’chaka choyamba cha chipandukocho, Matatio ndi ana ake anatha kukhala ndi gulu lankhondo laling’ono. Asilikali achigiriki ankakonda kuukira magulu ankhondo a Ahasidi pa Sabata. Ngakhale kuti akanatha kudzitetezera, iwo ankaopa kuipsa Sabata. Choncho ambiri ankaphedwa. Matatio​—amene tsopano ankaonedwa ngati mtsogoleri wachipembedzo​—anapereka lamulo limene linalola Ayuda kudzitetezera pa Sabata. Lamulo limeneli silinapereke chabe mphamvu yatsopano ku chipandukocho koma linayambitsanso njira yochitira zinthu m’Chiyuda yolola atsogoleri achipembedzo kusintha lamulo lachiyuda malinga ndi kusintha kwa zinthu. Pambuyo pake Talmud inasonyeza njira imeneyi m’mawu akuti: “Aipse Sabata limodzi kuti ayeretse ma Sabata ambiri.”​—Yoma 85b.

Atate ake achikulirewo atamwalira, Yuda Makabe anakhala mtsogoleri wachipandukocho popanda mafunso. Ataona kuti sangathe kugonjetsa adani ake m’nkhondo yapoyera, anapanga njira zatsopano, monga nkhondo zamakono zakabisira. Iye anakantha magulu ankhondo a Antiochus pamalo amene maguluwo sakanatha kudziteteza mwa njira yawo yanthaŵi zonse. M’nkhondo zotsatizana, Yuda anagonjetsa kotheratu magulu ankhondo aakulu zedi kuposa gulu lake.

Poyang’anizana ndi mikangano ya pakati pawo ndi Roma amene anali kukula mphamvu, olamulira a Ufumu wa Seleucid sanatayirenso nthaŵi pa kusungitsa malamulo otsutsana ndi Chiyuda. Zimenezi zinapatsa Yuda mpata womenya nkhondo mpaka kuzipata zenizenizo za Yerusalemu. M’December 165 B.C.E., iyeyo ndi asilikali ake analanda kachisi, kuyeretsa zipangizo zake, ndi kumpatuliranso​—ndendende zaka zitatu kuchokera pamene anaipitsidwa. Ayuda amakondwerera chochitikachi chaka chilichonse pochita Hanukkah, phwando la kupatulira.

Ndale Osati Chipembedzo

Zolinga za chipanduko zinali zitakwaniritsidwa. Malamulo oletsa Chiyuda anachotsedwapo. Kulambira ndi kupereka nsembe pakachisi kunayambiranso. Atakhutira tsopano, Ahasidi anasiya gulu lankhondo la Yuda Makabe nabwerera kunyumba zawo. Koma Yuda anali ndi malingaliro ena. Anali ndi gulu lankhondo lophunzitsidwa bwino, choncho bwanji osaligwiritsa ntchito kukhazikitsa boma lachiyuda lodziimira palokha? Zolinga zachipembedzo zimene zinayambitsa chipandukocho tsopano zinaloŵedwa m’malo ndi zolinga zandale. Choncho nkhondoyo inapitiriza.

Pofuna chichirikizo pankhondo yake ndi ulamuliro wa Seleucid, Yuda Makabe anachita pangano ndi Roma. Ngakhale kuti anaphedwa m’nkhondo mu 160 B.C.E., abale ake anaipitiriza nkhondoyo. Yonatani, mbale wake wa Yuda, anachita nzeru ina ndipo olamulira a Seleucid anavomera kuti akhale mkulu wa ansembe ndiponso wolamulira wa Yudeya, ngakhale kuti anali adakali mu ufumu wawo. Pamene Yonatani ananyengedwa, kugwidwa, ndi kuphedwa m’chiŵembu cha ku Suriya, mbale wake Simeoni​—womaliza wa Amakabe​—anatenga malowo. Mu ulamuliro wa Simeoni, mbali zotsalira za ulamuliro wa Seleucid zinachotsedwa (mu 141 B.C.E.). Simeoni anabwezeretsa mgwirizano wawo ndi Roma, ndipo atsogoleri achiyuda anamlandira monga wolamulira ndiponso mkulu wa ansembe. Choncho ulamuliro wodziimira pawokha wa Ahasimoni unakhazikitsidwa m’manja mwa Amakabe.

Amakabe anayambitsanso kulambira kwa pakachisi Mesiya asanadze. (Yerekezerani ndi Yohane 1:41, 42; 2:13-17.) Koma monga momwe anthu anasiyira kudalira ansembe chifukwa cha zochita za ansembe otsatira Chihelene, chidalirocho chinawonongekeratu mu ulamuliro wa Ahasimoni. Ndithudi, ulamuliro wa ansembe andale m’malo mwa mfumu yokhulupirika ya mumzere wa Davide sunadzetse madalitso enieni kwa anthu achiyuda.​—2 Samueli 7:16; Salmo 89:3, 4, 35, 36.

[Chithunzi patsamba 21]

Matatio, atate wa Yuda Makabe, anafuula kuti: ‘Aliyense wotsatiradi Chilamulo anditsate’

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Matatio akuchonderera Ayuda othaŵa kwawo/​The Doré Bible Illustrations/​Dover Publications