“Isacholo SaseGalili”

MALUNGA neekhilomitha ezi-6,5 emntla ntshona weNazarete, idolophu awakhulela kuyo uYesu, kukho isixeko ekungazange kwathethwa nto ngaso kwiincwadi zeVangeli. Ukanti, sasisothulelw’ umnqwazi ‘njengesacholo saseGalili’ ngumbhali-mbali ongumYuda wenkulungwane yokuqala nowaziwayo uFlavius Josephus. Esi yayisisixeko saseSepphoris. Yintoni esiyaziyo ngesi sixeko?

Emva kokufa kukaHerode Omkhulu, malunga nowe-1 B.C.E., abemi baseSepphoris bavukela iRoma, nto leyo eyaphumela ekubeni esi sixeko sitshatyalaliswe. Unyana kaHerode uAntipas wafumana ummandla waseGalili nowasePereya waza wakha ikomkhulu lakhe kumabhodlo aseSepphoris. Esi sixeko sakhiwa ngokutsha safana nezixeko zamaGrike namaRoma, kodwa abantu ababehlala kuso bengamaYuda ubukhulu becala. Ngokutsho kukaNjingalwazi uRichard A. Batey, “yayisisigqubo solawulo sikarhulumente eGalili nasePereya,” de uAntipas wakha iTibheriya malunga nowama-21 C.E. ukuze ibe likomkhulu endaweni yeSepphoris. Ngeli xesha uYesu wayehlala kufutshane nesi sixeko.

UNjingalwazi uJames Strange, owemba amabhodlo aseSepphoris, ucingela ukuba esi sixeko sasineendawo zokugcina iingxelo ezibalulekileyo, ezokugcina imali, izixhobo, iibhanki, oobhazabhaza bezakhiwo neendawo zokuthengisa izinto zeseramiki, iglasi, izinto zesinyithi, izacholo neentlobo ngeentlobo zokutya. Kwakukho abaluki, abathengisi bempahla, iivenkile zeminyazi, ezempahla yendlu, nezinye izinto. Kuqikelelwa ukuba abemi balapho ngelo xesha babephakathi kwama-8 000 ukusa kwali-12 000.

Ngaba uYesu wakha watyelela kwesi sixeko, singekude kuyaphi eNazarete? Akukho nto siyichazelwa ziincwadi zeVangeli ngalo mbandela. Noko ke, iThe Anchor Bible Dictionary ithi, “indlela emfutshane ukusuka eNazarete ukuya eKana yelaseGalili yayinqumla eSepphoris.” (Yohane 2:1; 4:46) Xa useNazarete, induli yaseSepphoris iyabonakala, malunga neemitha ezili-120 ukuphakama. Abanye bacingela ukuba xa uYesu wenza umzekeliso ‘ngesixeko esingenako ukufihlakala xa simi phezu kwentaba,’ kunokwenzeka ukuba wayecinga ngesi sixeko.—Mateyu 5:14.

Emva kokutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem ngowama-70 C.E., iSepphoris yaba sesona sixeko siphambili samaYuda kummandla waseGalili kamva yaba sisigqubu seSanhedrin, inkundla ephakamileyo yamaYuda. Kwadlula iqela leminyaka iliziko lemfundo yamaYuda.

[Imaphu/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 32]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

ULwandle LwaseGalili

GALILI

Kana

Tibheriya

SEPPHORIS

Nazarete

PEREYA

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 32]

Pottery: Excavated by Wohl Archaeological Museum, Herodian Quarter, Jewish Quarter. Owned by Company for the Reconstruction of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, Ltd