Abantu BakaThixo Babuyela Kwilizwe Labo

UMMANDLA obizwa ngokuba yi-Iran kule mihla ungqongwe ziintaba ezimbini ezidumileyo—iElburz (ekumazantsi oLwandle lweCaspian) kwakunye neZagros (ekumzantsi-mpuma wePersian Gulf). Zahlulahlulwe ziintlambokazi ezichumileyo namageduka anemithi ethe tshitshilili. Noko imozulu iyancumisa kwezi ntlambo, kodwa xa usiya unyuka, ufika kukho amathafa awomileyo nanemimoya ebhudlayo, ibe ebusika ingqele yalapho iqhaqhazelis’ amazinyo. Kude kufuphi apho kukho intlango enabemi abambalwa. Kulo mmandla, okwimpuma yeMesopotamiya, kwavela uBukumkani bamaMedi namaPersi.

AmaMedi ayemi kumantla alo mmandla, nangona kwathi ethubeni aya kutsho eArmenia, naseKilikiya. Wona amaPersi, ayemi kumzantsi-ntshona walo mmandla, okwimpuma yeNtlambo yeTigrisi. Njengoko ayephantsi kolawulo lukaKoreshi phakathi kwinkulungwane yesithandathu ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, la magunya mabini aba yimbumba yamanyama, aza abumba iGunya elinye Lehlabathi lamaMedi namaPersi.

UKoreshi waya kuthimba iBhabhiloni ngowama-539 B.C.E. Ubukumkani bakhe banda baya kutsho eIndiya. Banwenwela nangasentshona, baquka iYiputa nendawo ngoku ebizwa ngokuba yiTurkey. Wayefanele uDaniyeli ukuthi uBukumkani bamaMedi namaPersi bufana ‘nebhere’ ekhohlakeleyo ‘edla inyama eninzi.’ (Dan 7:5) UKoreshi lo wayenobuntu, yaye ebaphatha ngolwazelelelo abantu. Ubukumkani bakhe wabahlulahlula baba ngamaphondo. Ngalinye kula maphondo lalinenkulumbuso yalo, ngokuqhelekileyo eyayiba ngumPersi, kubekho ke nabanye abalawuli ababephantsi kwayo. Iintlanga ezahlukahlukeneyo ezaziphantsi kobu bukumkani zazikhuthazwa ukuba zingazilahli izithethe nonqulo lwazo.

Elandela lo mgaqo, uKoreshi wawakhulula amaYuda ukuba ahambe aze abuyisele unqulo lokwenyaniso, aphinde akhe ngokutsha iYerusalem, ngokutsho kukaEzra noNehemiya. Ngaba ucinga ukuba le nyambalala ingaka yabantu yagoduka isebenzisa indlela awahamba ngayo uAbraham, ndlela leyo enyusa umEfrate isiya ngaseKarkemishe, okanye mhlawumbi ibe yahamba ngendlela emfutshane enqumla eTademore naseDamasko? IBhayibhile ayithethi nto ngaloo nto. (Bona iphepha 6-7.) Ekuhambeni kwexesha, amaYuda aphinda ahlala kweminye imimandla yobo bukumkani, njengakwiNtili yomNayile nakwiindawo ezikumazantsi. Iqaqobana lamaYuda alizange limke eBhabhiloni, nto leyo ekusenokwenzeka ukuba yabangela umpostile uPetros atyelele apho kwiinkulungwane eziliqela kamva. (1Pe 5:13) Eneneni, uBukumkani bamaMedi namaPersi baba negalelo ekusasazekeni kwamaYuda kumazwe amaninzi ngexesha lobukumkani bamaGrike nobamaRoma obalandelayo.

Emva kokuthimba iBhabhiloni, amaMedi namaPersi asenza iziko lolawulo eso sixeko sinelanga elinqanqazayo ukutshis’ oku ehlotyeni. Phakathi kwezixeko zakomkhulu, kwakukho iShushan, eyayisakuba likomkhulu lakwaElam. Kulapho ke ekwathi kamva uKumkani wamaPersi uAhaswerosi (ekubonakala ukuba wayenguXerxes I) wathabatha uEstere wamenza inkosikazi yakhe waza watshitshisa iqhinga lokutshabalalisa bonke abantu bakaThixo ababephantsi kobo bukumkani bukhulu. Phakathi kwezixeko zekomkhulu lamaMedi namaPersi kwakukho nezinye ezibini, iEkbhatana (ekwindawo ephakame kangangeemitha ezili-1 900, nenemozulu entle ehlotyeni) kwakunye nePasargadae (ephakame ngendlela elinganayo, nemalunga neekhilomitha ezingama-650 ukuya kumzantsi-mpuma).

Laphelela phi ke eli gunya lehlabathi? Lithe kanye xa liqonda ukuba lizibambile iintambo igunya lamaMedi namaPersi, langenelela kwimvukelo eyayibangelwa ngamaGrike awayekumda okumntla-ntshona. Ngelo xesha iGrisi yayahlulelene kukho iimfazwe zezixeko, kodwa yadibana xa iyonke yaza yayibetha yayoyisa imikhosi yamaPersi kwidabi elaliwa eMarathon naseSalami. Yenzeka ngolo hlobo ke into yokuba amaGrike amanyane aze alawule amaMedi namaPersi.

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 25]

Ekhokelwa nguZerubhabheli, amaSirayeli amalunga nama-50 000 athabatha uhambo lweekhilomitha ezingama-800 ukuya kwezili-1 600 (kuxhomekeka ukuba athabatha yiphi na indlela) ebuyela eYerusalem. Afika apho indlal’ ibomvu. Ilizwe lawo lalisele lineminyaka engama-70 ngoku liyinkangala. Aqalisa ukubuyisela unqulo lokwenyaniso ngokuphinda akhe isibingelelo aze anyuse amadini kuYehova. Uthe xa usiya kusithela owama-537 B.C.E., abhiyozela uMthendeleko weMinquba. (Yer 25:11; 29:10) Emva koko, abeka isiseko sendlu kaYehova.

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 25]

IINCWADI ZEBHAYIBHILE EZINEZIGANEKO ZELO XESHA:

UDaniyeli

UHagayi

UZekariya

UEstere

IiNdumiso (inxalenye)

Eyoku-1 neyesi-2 yeziKronike

UEzra

UNehemiya

UMalaki

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 24]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

UBukumkani BamaMedi NamaPersi

A2 IMAKEDONI

A2 ITHRACE

A4 IKirene

A4 ILIBHIYA

B2 IByzantium

B2 ILYDIA

B3 ISardesi

B4 IMemfis (INofu)

B5 IYIPUTA

B5 INo-amon (IThebes)

B5 ISiyene

C3 IKILIKIYA

C3 ITarso

C3 I-Issus

C3 IKarkemishe

C3 ITademore

C3 ISIRIYA

C3 Isidon

C3 IDamasko

C3 ITire

C4 IYerusalem

D2 IPhasis

D2 IARMENIA

D3 IASIRIYA

D3 INineve

D4 IBhabhiloni

E3 IMEDI

E3 IEkbhatana (IAchmetha)

E3 IHYRCANIA

E4 IShushan (ISusa)

E4 IELAM

E4 IPasargadae

E4 IPersepolis

E4 IPERSI

F3 IPARTI

F4 IDRANGIANA

G2 IMaracanda (ISamarkand)

G3 ISOGDIANA

G3 IBACTRIA

G3 IARIA

G4 IARACHOSIA

G4 IGEDROSIA

H5 I-INDIYA

[Ezinye iindawo]

A2 IGRISI

A3 IMarathon

A3 IAthene

A3 ISalami

C1 ISKITIYA

C4 IElati (IEloti)

C4 ITema

D4 IARABHIYA

[Iintaba]

E3 IINTABA ZE-ELBURZ

E4 IINTABA ZEZAGROS

[Amanzi]

B3 Ulwandle LweMeditera (Ulwandle Olukhulu)

C2 Ulwandle Olumnyama

C5 Ulwandle Olubomvu

E2 Ulwandle LweCaspian

E4 IPersian Gulf

[Imilambo]

B4 UmNayile

C3 UmEfrate

D3 ITigrisi

H4 I-Indus

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

Amajoni kaKoreshi kwafuneka anqumle iiNtaba zeZagros ukuze aye kufika eBhabhiloni

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]

Ngasentla: Isango Leentlanga Zonke, ePersepolis

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]

Umfanekiso omncinane: Ingcwaba likaKoreshi, ePasargadae