Malo Otchulidwa m’Baibulo Kodi Ngolondola?

DZUŴA langoloŵa kumene ku Palestine. Chakacho ndi 1799. Gulu lankhondo la Afalansa lamanga chigono pambuyo poguba tsiku lotentha kwambiri, ndipo Napoléon, mkulu woyang’anira asilikaliwo, akupumula m’hema wake. Mounikiridwa ndi kandulo, mmodzi wa antchito ake akuŵerenga mofuula Baibulo Lachifalansa.

Mwachiwonekere zimenezi zinali kuchitika kaŵirikaŵiri m’nthaŵi ya mkupiti wa nkhondo wa Napoléon ku Palestine. “Pamene anagona m’mabwinja a matawuni amakedzana amenewo,” iye analemba motero pambuyo pake m’buku la mbiri yake, “iwo anaŵerenga mofuula Malemba masiku onse madzulo . . . Kufanana ndi kuwona kwa malongosoledwewo kunali kochititsa chidwi: kumagwirizanabe bwino ndi dziko limeneli pambuyo pa zaka mazana ambiri ndi kusintha kwakukulu.”

Ndithudi, apaulendo opita ku Middle East amakupeza kukhala kosavuta kugwirizanitsa zochitika za m’Baibulo ndi malo amakono. Gulu lankhondo la Falansa lisanagonjetse Igupto, zochepa zinali kudziŵika ndi alendo ponena za dziko lamakedzana limenelo. Ndiyeno asayansi ndi akatswiri, amene Napoléon anapita nawo ku Igupto, anayamba kusonyeza anthu maumboni a ulemerero wa Igupto wakale. Zimenezi zachititsa kukhala kosavuta kuyerekezera “ntchito yosautsa” imene Aisrayeli anaigwira panthaŵi ina.​—Eksodo 1:13, 14.

Usiku umene anamasulidwa ku Igupto, Aisrayeli anasonkhana pa Ramese ndiyeno anayenda kufika ku “malekezero a chipululu.” (Eksodo 12:37; 13:20) Ali pamalo ameneŵa, Mulungu anawalamula kuti “abwerere m’mbuyo” ndi ‘kugona panyanja.’ Kayendedwe kachilendo kameneka kanamasuliridwa kukhala ‘kumizidwa m’dziko,’ ndipo mfumu ya Igupto inapita ndi gulu lake lankhondo ndi magaleta ankhondo 600 kuti ikagwirenso omwe kale anali akapolo ake.​—Eksodo 14:1-9.

Kutuluka

Malinga nkunena kwa Josephus, wolemba mbiri wa m’zaka za zana loyamba C.E., gulu lankhondo la Aigupto linakusira Aisrayeli “m’malo opapatiza” ndipo linawatsekereza “pakati pa materezi ovuta kukwera ndi nyanja.” Pamalo penipeni pamene Aisrayeli anaolokera Nyanja Yofiira sipamadziŵika kwenikweni lerolino. Komabe, nkosavuta kuyerekezera chochitikacho utaima pamwamba pa ntandadza wa mapiri okhala chakumpoto kwa Nyanja Yofiira. Mokondweretsa, phirilo limatchedwa Jebel ʽAtaqah, kutanthauza “Phiri la Chipulumutso.” Pakati pa ntandadza umenewu ndi Nyanja Yofiira pali dambo laling’ono limene limamka likumachepa kufikira pamalo pamene timapiri timakumana ndi nyanjayo. Kutsidya lina la Nyanja Yofiira kuli malo amadzi, okhala ndi akasupe ambiri, otchedwa ʽAyun Musaʼ, kutanthauza “zitsime za Mose.” Nyanjayi imamka ikuzama mbali ina pang’onopang’ono pakati pa malo aŵiri ameneŵa, pamene kuli kwakuti kumalo ena njakuya kwambiri kufika mamita 9 ndi 18.

Akatswiri amaphunziro azaumulungu osakhulupirira a Chikristu Chadziko ayesa kutsutsa chozizwitsa chimene Mulungu anachita pamene anagaŵanitsa madzi a Nyanja Yofiira ndi kukhozetsa Aisrayeli kuolokera pamtunda pouma. Iwo amanena kuti chochitikacho chinachitikira ku thawale kapena dambo la kumpoto kwa Nyanja Yofiira. Koma zimenezo sizimagwirizana ndi mbiri ya Baibulo, imene imanena mobwerezabwereza kuti kuolokako kunachitikira pa Nyanja Yofiira pamalo pamene panali madzi okwanira kumiza Farao ndi gulu lake lonse lankhondo, inde, kuwameza iwo.​—Eksodo 14:26-31; Salmo 136:13-15; Ahebri 11:29.

Chipululu cha Sinai

Mikhalidwe yoipa yopezeka pandomo ya Sinai imasonyezedwa bwino m’mbiri ya Baibulo yonena za kupupulika kwa Israyeli. (Deuteronomo 8:15) Chotero, kodi mtundu wonsewo ukanakhoza kusonkhana patsinde la phiri la Sinai kulandira Chilamulo cha Mulungu ndiyeno kuchoka ‘kukaima patali’? (Eksodo 19:1, 2; 20:18) Kodi pali malo okwanira kulola khamu loyerekezeredwa kukhala anthu mamiliyoni atatu kupanga kayendedwe kameneko?

Wapaulendo wa zaka za zana la 19 ndi katswiri wophunzira Baibulo, Arthur Stanley, anapita kudera limene kuli phiri la Sinai ndipo analongosola zimene gulu lake linawona pambuyo pokwera phiri la Ras Safsafa: “Chiyambukiro chake pa ife, mofanana ndi aliyense amene anawona ndi kulongosola malowo, chinali chamwadzidzidzi. . . . Patsogolo pathu panali chidikha chachikulu chokhala ndi maluŵa achikasu amene anafika mpaka pamalekezero a materezi . . . Polingalira za kusoŵa kwa kugwirizana koteroko kwa chidikha ndi phiri m’chigawo chino, ulidi umboni wofunika wotsimikizira kuwona kwa nkhaniyo, kuti kugwirizana kumodzi koteroko kungapezeke, ndi kuti kumapezeka m’dera la Sinai.”

Dziko Lolonjezedwa

M’chaka cha 40 cha kupupulika kwa Israyeli m’chipululu, Mose anafotokoza motere mawonekedwe a dziko limene anali pafupi kuloŵamo: “Yehova Mulungu wanu akuloŵetsani m’dziko lokoma, dziko la mitsinje yamadzi, la akasupe, ndi la maiŵe akutuluka m’zigwa, ndi m’mapiri.”​—Deuteronomo 8:7.

Kulondola kwa lonjezo limeneli kunawonedwa mwamsanga pamene mtundu wonsewo unasonkhana pamodzi​—amuna, akazi, ana, ndi alendo​—pachigwa cha Sekemu chokhala ndi madzi ambiri pakati pa phiri la Ebala ndi phiri la Gerizimu. Patsinde la phiri la Gerizimu panaima mafuko asanu ndi limodzi. Mafuko asanu ndi limodzi enawo anasonkhana kutsidya lina la chigwacho patsinde la phiri la Ebala kuti amve madalitso aumulungu amene mtunduwo ukalandira ngati ukamvera Chilamulo cha Yehova ndi matemberero amene ukalandira ngati ukalephera kusunga Chilamulo cha Mulungu. (Yoswa 8:33-35) Koma kodi panali malo okwanira mtundu wonsewo m’chigwa chaching’ono chimenechi? Ndipo kodi onsewo anamva bwanji popanda ziŵiya zokuzira mawu zamakono?

Mwinamwake Yehova Mulungu anakuza mozizwitsa mawu a Alevi. Komabe, kukuwoneka kuti chozizwitsa chimenecho chinali chosafunikira. Kamvekedwe ka mawu m’chigwa chimenechi kali kabwino kwambiri. Katswiri wophunzira Baibulo wa m’zaka za zana la 19 Alfred Edersheim analemba kuti: “Oyendera malo onse amagwirizana pamfundo ziŵiri: 1. Kuti sikukanakhala kovuta kumva bwino lomwe zinthu zimene zinalankhulidwa m’chigwacho ngati anthu anali ponse paŵiri pa Ebala ndi Gerizimu. 2. Kuti mapiri aŵiri ameneŵa anali ndi malo okwanira oimapo Aisrayeli onse.”

Katswiri wina wophunzira Baibulo wa m’zaka za zana la 19, William Thomson, anafotokoza chokumana nacho chake cha m’chigwa chimenecho m’buku lake lakuti The Land and the Book: “Ndinafuula kuti ndimve namaloŵe, ndipo ndinayerekezera mmene zinamvekera pamene Alevi ofuulawo analengeza kuti . . . ‘Wotembereredwa munthu amene apanga chifano chosema, chimene Yehova amanyansidwa nacho.’ Ndiyeno kuvomereza kwamphamvu kwakuti AMEN! kofuula kuŵirikiza nthaŵi khumi, kochokera kumpingo waukulu, kukumakwera, ndi kukula, namaloŵe wake akumamveka kuchokera ku Ebala kufika ku Gerizimu, ndi kuchokera ku Gerizimu kufika ku Ebala.”​—Yerekezerani ndi Deuteronomo 27:11-15.

Chigwa cha Yezreeli

Chakumpoto kwa Sekemu kuli chigwa china chachonde, chimene chimakwera kuchokera pansi pa malekezero anyanja ndi kukhala dambo lalikulu. Chigawo chonsechi chimatchedwa Chigwa cha Yezreeli, dzina lotengedwa kumzinda wa Yezreeli. Chakumpoto kwa chigwacho kuli mapiri a Galileya kumene kunali mudzi wa kwawo kwa Yesu wa Nazerete. George Smith akufotokoza m’buku lake lakuti The Historical Geography of the Holy Land, kuti: “Nazarete ali pachidikha cha pakati pa mapiri; koma mutatsikira kumalekezero a chidikha chimenechi, . . . mumawona zodabwitsa chotani nanga! [Chigwa cha Yezreeli] chimakhala patsogolo panu, limodzi ndi . . . mabwalo ake ankhondo . . . Ndimapu a mbiri ya Chipangano Chakale.”

M’chigwa chachidikha chimenechi, ofukula za m’mabwinja afukula mabwinja a mizinda ya maufumu ogonjetsedwa ndi Israyeli m’masiku a Yoswa monga Taanaki, Megido, Yokineamu, ndipo mwinamwake Kadesi. (Yoswa 12:7, 21, 22) M’chigawo chimodzimodzichi, m’nthaŵi ya Woweruza Baraki ndi Woweruza Gideoni, Yehova analanditsa mozizwitsa anthu ake kumitundu yamphamvu koposa ya adani.​—Oweruza 5:1, 19-21; 6:33; 7:22.

Zaka mazana ambiri pambuyo pake, Mfumu Yehu anayenda ndi galeta m’chigwacho kupita kumzinda wa Yezreeli kukapereka chiweruzo cha Yehova pa Yezebeli ndi nyumba yampatuko ya Ahabu. Kuchokera pansanja ya ku Yezreeli, kunali kosavuta kuwona chakum’maŵa magulu ankhondo a Yehu akubwera pamtunda wa makilomita 19. Chifukwa chake, panali nthaŵi yokwanira kuti Mfumu Yoramu atumize mthenga wapakavalo woyamba ndiyeno wachiŵiri, ndipo, pomalizira pake, kuti mfumu Yoramu ya Israyeli ndi Ahaziya wa Yuda amange magaleta awo ndi kukumana ndi Yehu asanafike mumzinda wa Yezreeli. Yehu anapha Yoramu nthaŵi yomweyo. Ahaziya anathaŵa koma pambuyo pake anavulazidwa, ndipo anafera ku Megido. (2 Mafumu 9:16-27) Ponena za malo ankhondo onga amene atchulidwa pamwambapawa, George Smith analemba kuti: “Nkwachilendo kuti palibe paliponse m’nkhani zimenezi pamene . . . pali malo otchulidwa osapezeka.”

Mosakayikira Yesu anayang’ana kaŵirikaŵiri pa Chigwa cha Yezreeli ndi kusinkhasinkha pazipambano zosangalatsa zimene zinachitika kumeneko, podziŵa kuti iye, Mesiya wolonjezedwayo, anaikidwa kudzakwaniritsa mbali ya Yoswa Wamkulu, Baraki Wamkulu, Gideoni Wamkulu, ndi Yehu Wamkulu kulemekeza uchifumu wa Yehova. Ndithudi, Baibulo limagwiritsira ntchito Megido, mzinda wokhala pamalo abwino koposa m’chigwa chachidikha chimenechi, monga chophiphiritsira malo a nkhondo ya Mulungu ya Harmagedo (kutanthauza “Phiri la Megido”). Imeneyo idzakhala nkhondo yapadziko lonse lapansi mmene Yesu Kristu, monga Mfumu ya mafumu, adzawononga adani onse a Mulungu ndi a mpingo Wachikristu, anthu enieni a Mulungu.​—Chivumbulutso 16:16; 17:14.

Baibulo limasimba kuti Ayuda okwiya a ku Nazarete panthaŵi ina anayesa kuponya Yesu kuti afe kuchokera “pamutu pa phiri pamene panamangidwa mudzi wawo.” (Luka 4:29) Mokondweretsa, chakum’mwera koma chakumadzulo kwa mzinda wa Nazarete wamakono kuli therezi la mamita 12 kumene mwinamwake kunachitikira zimenezi. Yesu anawathaŵa adani akewo, ndipo Baibulo limawonjezera kuti, “iye anatsika nadza ku Kapernao.” (Luka 4:30, 31) Ndithudi, Kapernao, pa Nyanja ya Galileya ali pamalo otsika kwambiri.

Zimenezi ndi tsatanetsatane wina wambiri zachititsa ena kuwonjezera pa Napoléon kudabwa ndi kulondola kwa malo otchulidwa m’Baibulo. “Umboni wa malo otchulidwa [m’Baibulo] ngwambiri, ndipo ngwokhutiritsa kotheratu,” analemba motero Thomson m’buku lakuti The Land and the Book. “Nkosatheka kusachititsidwa chidwi ndi kugwirizana kwamphamvu pakati pa mbiri yolembedwa ndi malo enieni otchulidwa ponse paŵiri m’Chipangano Chakale ndi Chatsopano,” akuthirira ndemanga motero Stanley m’buku lakuti Sinai and Palestine.

Kulondola kodabwitsa kwa Baibulo pankhani ya malo ndiumboni umodzi wokha wakuti sibuku wamba la anthu. Makope atatu apitawo a Nsanja ya Olonda anali ndi nkhani zonena za Baibulo. Tikupemphani kupeza makopewo ndi kusangalala ndi mbali zina zitatuzo mumpambo uno.

[Mapu patsamba 7]

(Onani m’magazini yeniyeni kuti mumvetse izi)

CHIGWA CHA YEZREELI

Yezreeli

Nazarete

Taanaki

Megido

Yokineamu

Kadesi

N

NYANJA YA GALILEYA

NYANJA YAIKULU

mamailo

makilomita

5

10

10

20

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Chozikidwa pa mapu a Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est. and Survey of Israel.

[Chithunzi patsamba 5]

Israyeli analandira Chilamulo pa phiri la Sinai

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.