UBukumkani Bamandulo BaseLydia Busichaphazela Njani Namhlanje
MHLAWUMBI akuzange ukhe uve ngobukumkani baseLyidia, ngoko ke unokothuswa kukwazi ukuba oko kwafunyaniswa apho kwatshintsha indlela ihlabathi elishishina ngayo. Abafundi beBhayibhile basenokubamb’ ongezantsi kukwazi ukuba oko kwafunyaniswa eLydia kuyasinceda siqonde isiprofeto seBhayibhile. Yintoni le yafunyaniswa ngabemi baseLydia? Ngaphambi kokuba siphendule kubangel’ umdla ukufunda ngobomi nangexesha obabukho ngalo obu bukhosi obusele bulityelwe.
Ookumkani baseLydia babelawula kwikomkhulu labo elalibizwa ngokuba yiSardis, kwinxalenye esentshona eyayibizwa ngokuba yiAsia Minor kodwa eyaziwa ngokuba yiTurkey ngoku. Ukumkani wokugqibela waseLydia, uCroesus, wayesesingawothiyo umlilo isityebi, kodwa ngowama-546 B.C.E., woyiswa nguKoreshi Omkhulu WamaPersi—ikwangula Koreshi woyisa uBukhosi baseBhabhiloni kwiminyaka embalwa kamva.
Oosomashishini baseLydia kuthiwa baba ngabokuqala ukusebenzisa imali ezingqekembe. Kwakusele kulithuba abantu besebenzisa igolide nesilivere, kodwa ngenxa yokuba izitena zegolide nemisesane zazishiyana ngobukhulu yaye kwakufuneka zibekwe esikalini ngaphambi kokuba bathenge. Ngokomzekelo, kwaSirayeli, umprofeti kaThixo uYeremiya wathenga umhlaba waza wabhala wathi: “Ndayilinganisa imali kuye, iishekele ezisixhenxe namaqhosha alishumi esilivere.”—Yeremiya 32:9.
Abantu baseLydia ababephila ngexesha likaYeremiya bakwenza kwalula ukurhweba—ngokusebenzisa iingqekembe zemali ezazizinobunzima obulinganayo yaye zaziqinisekiswe ngokugximfizwa ngesitampu esisemthethweni. Iingqekembe zokuqala zaseLydia zazenziwe ngomxube wegolide nesilivere. Xa kwakulawula uCroesus, wazitshitshisa waza wasebenzisa iingqekembe ezenziwe ngegolide nesilivere engaphithikezwanga. Urhulumente waseLydia weza nenkqubo yokudibanisa iingqekembe ezili-12 ezikumgangatho ophantsi ukuze zikwazi ukwenza ingqekembe enye yexabiso elikhulu. Kodwa le nkqubo yayisongelwa ziingqekembe zomgunyathi ezazenziwe ngegolide nezimbiwa zexabiso eliphantsi. Abarhwebi babefuna indlela elula yokuvavanya ukusulungeka kwegolide.
Kwafunyaniswa ukuba kwakukho uhlobo oluthile lwelitye laseLydia elalinokucombulula le ngxaki. Xa ingqekembe iye yakhuhleka kweli litye ligudileyo ishiya imitshitha. Umbala wale mitshitha xa uthelekiswa nemitshitha ekuqinisekiweyo ukuba yeyegolide kwakuye kubonakale ukuba ungakanani umlinganiselo wegolide okulo ngqekembe. Ukufumanisa eli litye kwenza abarhwebi baqiniseka ngexabiso leengqekembe. Ukwazi ngeli litye kusinceda ngantoni ekuqondeni iBhayibhile?
Ilitye Lokomfuziselo EliseBhayibhileni
Njengokuba abarhwebi babesebenzisa “ilitye ukuhlola igolide,” le yaba yindlela eqhelekileyo yokuhlola igolide. Ulwimi lwesiGrike, ekwabhalwa ngalo inxalenye yeBhayibhile, lusebenzisa le ndlela yokuhlola xa luthetha ngokungcungcuthekisa abantu.
Ekubeni yayingabalindi bentolongo ababengcungcuthekisa amabanjwa eli gama lalikwabhekisela nakubo. Kungenxa yoko le nto eBhayibhileni kwingxelo ethetha ngomzekeliso kaYesu ikhoboka elingenambulelo kuthiwa lanikelwa “kumgcini mabanjwa” okanye ngokutsho kwezinye iinguqulelo “kubathuthumbisi.” (Mateyu 18:34) Ithetha ngale ndinyana, iThe International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia ithi: “Kusenokwenzeka ukuba ukuvalelwa entolongweni kwakujongwa ‘njengokuthuthunjiswa’ (ngokungathandabuzekiyo kwakunjalo), yaye ‘abathuthumbisi’ bafanele ukuba babengabalindi bentolongo.” Oku kusenza sicacelwe yindinyana yeBhayibhile ebangel’ umdla.
Iqhina Lisonjululwe
Abafundi beBhayibhile kudala bezibuza ngesiphelo sikaSathana. IBhayibhile ithi: “UMtyholi. . .waphoswa edikeni lomlilo nesalfure, apho lalisele liphoswe khona irhamncwa nomprofeti wobuxoki; yaye baya kuthuthunjiswa imini nobusuku ngonaphakade kanaphakade.” (ISityhilelo 20:10) Kakade ke, isibakala sokuba uYehova avumele umntu athuthunjiswe ngonaphakade siyangqubana neempawu zakhe eziluthando nokusesikweni. (Yeremiya 7:31) Ukongezelela, iBhayibhile ithetha ngobomi obungunaphakade njengesipho kungekhona isohlwayo. (Roma 6:23) Licacile elokuba, incwadi yeSityhilelo 20:10 ibhalwe ngolwimi olufuziselayo. Irhamncwa nedike lomlilo nazo ziyafuzisela. (ISityhilelo 13:2; 20:14) Ngaba ukuthuthunjiswa nako kuyafuzisela? Inoba lithetha ukuthini eli binzana?
Njengokuba sele sikhankanyile ngasentla, igama lesiGrike elithi “ukuthuthumbisa” lisusela kwinkqubo yokuhlola igolide yaye linokubhekisela ekuthuthunjisweni entolongweni. Ngoko ke, ukuthuthunjiswa kukaSathana ngonaphakade kubhekisela ekuvalelweni kweyona ntolongo inqabisekileyo ngonaphakade—ukufa kokoqobo.
Ilitye laseLydia lokuhlola igolide liyasinceda siqonde enye into ngokuthuthunjiswa kukaSathana ngonaphakade evisisana nokuthanda kukaThixo. Kwezinye iilwimi ilitye lokuhlola liyindlela esetyenziswayo neqhelekileyo yokuhlola izinto. Ngokomzekelo, kulwimi lwesiNgesi ukuhlola kuthetha “ukuvavanya umgangatho wento ethile.” Ngaloo ndlela “ukuthuthunjiswa” kukaSathana ngonaphakade kuya kubonisa oko kuya kwenziwa kuye nabanina oya kuvukela uYehova kwixesha elizayo. Akusayi kuphinda kube yimfuneko ukuba kuvavanywe ulongamo lukaYehova ixesha elide.
Ukuqonda isizathu sokuba bonke abarhwebi besebenzisa le nkqubo yokuhlola yaseLydia noko kuthethwa yile nkqubo ngendlela efuziselayo kuye kwasinceda sabona oko kuya kwenzeka kuSathana. Isiphelo sakhe sokugwetywa ngonaphakade siya kubonisa ukuba akunakuze kuphinde kube yimfuneko ngoThixo ukuba avumele imvukelo kwakhona.—Roma 8:20.
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 23]
Ukuthuthunjiswa kukaSathana ngonaphakade kuya kubonisa oko kuya kwenziwa kuye nabanina oya kuvukela uYehova kwixesha elizayo
[Imaphu ekwiphepha 21]
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
Ulwandle Olumnyama
LYDIA
SARDESI
Ulwandle LweMeditera
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 21]
Amabhodlo aseSardesi
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 22]
Kumaxesha amandulo, kwakusetyenziswa izikalali ukulinganisa imali
[Inkcazelo]
Strouhal/Werner Forman/Art Resource, NY
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 22, 23]
Ilitye lokuvavanya lisasetyenziswa nanamhlanje
[Inkcazelo]
Iingqekembe: Courtesy Classical Numismatic Group, Inc.; touchstone: Science Museum/Science & Society Picture Library
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 21]
Ingqekembe yeElectrum: Courtesy Classical Numismatic Group, Inc.