Zvinyorwa Zvinofadza zvaJosephus
VADZIDZI venhau vanguve vachifungisisa manyoro anofadza aJosephus. Akaberekwa makore mana chete pashure porufu rwaKristu, akanga ari chapupu chakaona zadziko inotyisa youporofita hwaJesu pamusoro porudzi rwechiJudha rwezana rokutanga ramakore. Josephus akanga ari mutungamiriri wehondo, mumiriri wenyika, muFarise, uye nyanzvi.
Manyoro aJosephus akazara noudzame hunofadza. Anojekesa manyoro eBhaibheri apo anenge achigovera nhungamiro yokunyora mabhuku kuzvimiro zvenyika nomugariro wapasi weParestina. Hakushamisi kuti vakawanda vanorangarira mabhuku ake kuva wedzero inokosha kumupakwa wavo wamabhuku!
Upenyu Hwake Hwapakuvamba
Joseph ben Matthias, kana kuti Josephus, akaberekwa muna 37 N.V., gore rokutanga rokutonga kwamambo weRoma Caligula. Baba vaJosephus vaiva vemhuri youprista. Amai vake, iye akataura kudaro, vakanga vari muzukuru womuprista mukuru waHasmonaean Jonathan.
Apo akanga ari mumakore ake ouduku, Josephus akanga ari mudzidzi anodisa Mutemo waMosesi. Akasanonzvera masekete matatu echiJudha—vaFarise, vaSadhuse, uye vaEssene. Achida hake yapashure, akasarudza kugara kwamakore matatu nazindoga womurenje ainzi Bannus, sezvingabvira muEssene. Achirega ikoku pazera ramakore 19, Josephus akadzokera kuJerusarema ndokukumbanira vaFarise.
Kuenda kuRoma uye Kudzoka
Josephus akaenda kuRoma muna 64 N.V. kundoreverera vaprista vechiJudha avo mumiriri weJudhea Feriksi akanga atumira kuna Mambo Nero kundotongwa. Achitambura kupunzika kwechikepe ari munzira, Josephus akapona napaburi retsono. Vane 80 bedzi vavakwiri 600 vaiva muchikepe vakanunurwa.
Mukati mokushanyira Roma kwaJosephus, mutambi wemitambo wechiJudha akamusuma kumudzimai waNero, mambokadzi Poppaea. Akaita basa guru mukubudirira kwebasa rake. Kuisvonaka kweguta kwakaorora Josephus kwenguva refu.
Apo Josephus akadzoka kuJudhea, kumukira Roma kwakasimbiswa zvakasimba mundangariro dzavaJudha. Akaedza kuorora vokunyika yake nokusava namaturo kwehondo mukurwisana neRoma. Asingakwanisi kuvadzora uye sezvingabvira achitya kuti aizorangarirwa kuva munyengeri, akagamuchira kugadzwa somutungamiriri wamauto echiJudha muGarirea. Josephus akaunganidza ndokurovedza varume vake ndokuwana migove inodikanwa mukugadzirira hondo yokurwisana namauto eRoma—asi pasina maturo. Garirea yakawira kuhondo yaVespasian. Pashure pokukomba kwamazuva 47, nhare yaJosephus paJotapata yakakundwa.
Apo akatera, Josephus nenzira yokuchenjera akadeya kutaura kuti Vespasian aizokurumidza kuva mambo. Akapfigirwa asi asingarangwi nemhaka youku kudeya kutaura, Josephus akasunungurwa apo kwakava kwechokwadi. Iyoyo yakanga iri nhambo yechinjo muupenyu hwake. Kworutivi rwose rwakasara rwehondo, akabatira vaRoma somuturukiri nomurevereri. Achiratidzira kutsigira Vespasian navanakomana vake Titus naDominitian, Josephus akawedzera zita remhuri “Flavius” kune rake amene.
Mabhuku aFlavius Josephus
Ekaresa amanyoro aJosephus ane musoro unoti The Jewish War. Kunodavirwa kuti akagadzirira iyi nhauro yamavhoriyamu manomwe kuti ape vaJudha mufananidzo wakajeka wesimba guru reRoma nokugovera chinodzivisa kumukira kwomunguva yemberi. Aya manyoro anonzvera nhau yechiJudha kubvira pakupambwa kweJerusarema naAntiochus Epiphanes (muzana ramakore rechipiri P.N.V.) kusvikira kurwisano yamasimba masimba ya 67 N.V. Sechapupu chakaona, Josephus ipapo anokurukura hondo inoguma muna 73 N.V.
Rimwe ramabhuku aJosephus rakanga riri The Jewish Antiquities, nhau yamavhoriyamu 20 yavaJudha. Richitanga naGenesi nechisiko, rinopfuurira kusvikira kukutanga kwehondo neRoma. Josephus anosanotevera nhevedzano yenhauro yeBhaibheri, achiwedzera dudziro dzegamuchidzanwa necherekedzo dzokunze.
Josephus akanyora nhauro yomunhu oga ine musoro unongoti Life chete. Mairi anotsvaka kururamisa chimiro chake mukati mehondo uye anoedza kunyaradza pomero dzinounzwa kwaari naJusto weTibherio. Bhuku rechina—mavhoriyamu maviri okukumbira ruregerero ane musoro unoti Against Apion—rinodzivirira vaJudha pakukwenengerwa.
Nzwisiso muShoko raMwari
Hapana panikiro kuti yakawanda yenhau yaJosephus yakarurama. Mubhuku rake rine musoro unoti Against Apion, anoratidza kuti vaJudha havana kutongobatanidza mabhuku eApokirifa sorutivi rwaMagwaro akafuridzirwa. Anopupurira kururama netsinhirano yomukati yamanyoro oumwari. Josephus anoti: “Isu hatina mabhuku mazhinji asingaverengeki pakati pedu, asingabvumirani uye anopokanidzana, . . . asi mabhuku makumi maviri namaviri bedzi, [akaenzana nokukamura kwedu kwazvino uno Magwaro kuva mabhuku 39], ayo ane zvinyorwa zvenguva dzose dzakapfuura; ayo anodavirwa nenzira yakarurama kuva oumwari.”
MuThe Jewish Antiquities, Josephus anowedzera udzame hunofadza kunhauro yeBhaibheri. Anotaura kuti “Isaka akanga ane makore makumi maviri namashanu okukura” apo Abrahama akamusunga maoko namakumbo nokuda kwechibairo. Mukuwirirana naJosephus, pashure pokubatsira mukuvakwa kweatari, Isaka akataura kuti “‘akanga asina kufanirwa nokuberekwa pakutanga, kana achifanira kuramba kutsunga kwaMwari nokwababa vake’ . . . Naizvozvo akaenda pakarepo kuatari kuti abairwe.”
Kunhauro yapaMagwaro yokubva kwaIsraeri muEgipita yakare, Josephus anowedzera uhu udzame: “Chiverengero chakavatevera chakanga chiri ngoro mazana matanhatu, navatasvi vamabhiza zviuru makumi mashanu, uye vanofamba netsoka zviuru zvine mazana maviri, vose vakashongedzerwa nezvombo.” Josephus anotaurawo kuti “apo Samueri akanga ane makore gumi namaviri okukura, akavamba kuporofita: uye kamwe apo akanga akarara, Mwari akamudana nezita rake.”—Enzanisa na 1 Samueri 3:2-21.
Mamwe manyoro aJosephus anogovera nzwisiso mumitero, mitemo, uye zvinoitika. Anodudza zita Sarome somukadzi akatamba pamutambo waHerodhe uye uyo akakumbira musoro waJohane Mubhapatidzi. (Marko 6:17-26) Zvizhinjisa zvezvatinoziva pamusoro pavanaHerodhe zvakanyorwa naJosephus. Iye anototaura kuti “kuti afukidze kukura kwake zvikuru, [Herodhe] akachinja ruvara rwebvudzi rake kuti rive rakasviba.
Kumukira Kukuru Kwokurwisana neRoma
Makore 33 chete pashure pokunge Jesu apa uporofita hwake pamusoro peJerusarema netembere yaro, kuzadzikwa kwahwo kwakavamba kupetenuka. Mapato echiJudha anochinja muJerusarema akanga akatsunga kubvisa joko reRoma. Muna 66 N.V., mashoko aikoku akanyandura kuunganidzwa nokutumwa kwamapoka amauto eRoma achitungamirirwa nagavhuna weSiria Cestius Gallus. Basa ravo rakanga riri rokukurira kupanduka ndokuranga vagumburi. Pashure pokuparadza misha yakapoteredza Jerusarema, varume vaCestius vakadzika musasa vakakomba guta rose rine rusvingo. Vachishandisa muitiro unonzi testudo, vaRoma vakabatanidza nenzira inobudirira nhovo dzavo somusana wekamba nokuda kwokudzivirirwa pamuvengi. Achipupurira kubudirira kwouyu mutoo, Josephus anoti: “Miseve yakatsvedza yakadonha, uye yakawa isingatongovakuvadzi; naizvozvo varwi vakasekesa rusvingo, vasingakuvadzwi ivo vamene, uye vakagadzirira zvinhu zvose nokuda kwokupisa suo retembere.”
“Ipapo kwakaitika,” anodaro Josephus, “kuti Cestius . . . akadanazve varwi vake kubva munzvimbo yacho . . . Akabva muguta, pasitongorina chikonzero chipi nechipi.” Sezviri pachena asingadi kukudza Mwanakomana waMwari, Josephus akanyora chiito chimene icho maKristu echokwadi muJerusarema akanga amirira. Kwakanga kuri kuzadzikwa kwouporofita hwaJesu Kristu! Makore akati pamberi pezvi, Mwanakomana waMwari akanga anyevera, kuti: “Kana muchiona Jerusarema rakombwa nehondo, zivai kuti rodokuparadzwa. Musi uyo vari muJudhea ngavatizire kumakomo; navari pakati paro ngavabude; navari kuruwa ngavarege kupindamo. Nokuti iwayo ndiwo mazuva okutsiva, kuti zvose zvakanyorwa zviitike.” (Ruka 21:20-22) Sokurairidza kwakaita Jesu, vateveri vake vakatendeka vakakurumidza kutiza guta racho, vakagara vari kure, uye vakadzivisirwa marwadzo akariwira gare gare.
Apo mauto eRoma akadzokera muna 70 N.V., miuyo yacho yakanyorwa muudzame hwakajeka naJosephus. Mwanakomana mukurusa waVespasian, Mutungamiriri wehondo Titus, akauya kuzokunda Jerusarema, netembere yaro yakaisvonaka. Mukati meguta, mapato anorwisa akaedza kudzora. Akatendeukira kukunyanyisa, uye ropa rakawanda rakateurwa. Vamwe “vakanga vachitambudzwa zvakadaro nengwavaira dzavo dzomukati, zvokuti vaida kuti vaRoma vavhozhokere,” vachikarira “kununurwa murusuruvaro rwavo rwomunyika yavo,” anodaro Josephus. Anodana vapandukiri vomuguta kuti “makororo” akabatikana mukuparadza zvinhu zvavapfumi nokuponda vanhu vanokosha—avo vainyumwirwa kudisa kubvumirana pane zvisina kufanira navaRoma.
Pakati pehondo yavagari vemo, migariro yokurarama muJerusarema yakasvika kumwero isingafungidziriki, uye vakafa vaisara vasina kuvigwa. Vapandukiri vamene “vakarwisana, apo vaitsika-tsika zvitunha sezvo zvakanga zvakaturikidzwa.” Vakapamba vanhuwo zvavo, vachiponda nokuda kwezvokudya nepfuma. Kudanidzira kwavanotambudzwa kwakanga kuchipfuurira.
Titus akapa zano vaJudha kuti varege guta nokudaro ndokuzviponesa vamene. Aka“tuma Josephus kuti ataure kwavari mumutauro wavo vamene; nokuti akafungidzira kuti vangatera kunyengetedzo yomunhu wokunyika yavo vamene.” Asi vakazvidza Josephus. Titus akatevera kuvaka rusvingo rwembango kupota guta rose. (Ruka 19:43) Nekariro yose yokupukunyuka yagurwa uye kufamba kwaganhurirwa, nzara “yakaparadza dzimba dzose nemhuri.” Hondo inopfuurira yakawedzera kuvakafa. Achizadzika uporofita hweBhaibheri asingazivi, Titus akakunda Jerusarema. Pashure pacho, achicherekedza masvingo aro makuru nenhare, akakuwa, kuti: “Akanga asati ari mumwe kunze kwaMwari akabudisa vaJudha muidzi nhare.” VaJudha vanopfuura mirioni imwe vakaparara.—Ruka 21:5, 6, 23, 24.
Pashure Pehondo
Pashure pehondo Josephus akaenda Roma. Achifarikanya kutsigirwa navanaFlavius, akagara somugari wemo weRoma mune yaichimbova imba youmambo yaVespasian ndokugamuchira mudyandigere woumambo pamwe chete nezvipo zvakabva kuna Titus. Josephus ipapo akaronda basa rokunyora mabhuku.
Kunofadza kucherekedza kuti Josephus sezviri pachena akaronga shoko rokuti “Ubati Ushe hwaMwari.” Pamusoro porudzi rwechiJudha, iye akanyora, kuti: “Hurumende yedu . . . inganzi Ubati Ushe hwaMwari, kupfurikidza nokutaura kuti chiremera nesimba ndezvaMwari.”
Josephus haana kutongotaura kuti muKristu. Haana kunyora achifuridzirwa naMwari. Bva, mune ukoshi hwenhau hunojekesa muzvinyorwa zvinofadza zvaJosephus.
[Mufananidzo uri papeji 31]
Josephus pamasvingo eJerusarema