Kusasa Lenkolo Uma Kubhekwa Isikhathi Sayo Esidlule

Ingxenye 2:2369-1943 B.G.E.—Iphisi, Umbhoshongo, Kanye Nawe!

“Kunenkolo eyodwa kuphela, nakuba kunezinhlobo eziyikhulu zayo.”—UGeorge Bernard Shaw, umlobi wemidlalo waselreland (1856-1950}

IEKUDALWENI komuntu, nangemva kukaZamcolo wosuku lukaNowa, kwakuyiqiniso ukuthi kwakunenkolo eyodwa kuphela. Ungase ubuze, ‘Khona-ke kungani kunezinhlobo zayo eziyikhulu namuhla—futhi ngisho nangaphezulu?’

Ukuze sithole impendulo, siphendulela ukunakekela kwethu kuNimrode, omunye wabazukulu bakaNowa. Ngaye iBhayibheli lithi: “Waqala ukubangonamandla emhlabeni. Wayeyiphisi elinamandla ebusweni bukaJehova; . . . Ukubusa kwakhe kwaqala eBabele, nase-Ereke, naseAkade, naseKaline, ezweni laseShineyari. Waphuma kulelozwe, waya eAsiriya, wakha iNinive, neRehobotiIre, neKhala.”—Genesise 10:8-11.

Njengoba uNimrode ‘aqala ukubangonamandla emhlabeni,’ ngokusobala waqalisa okuthile okusha. Kodwa kuyini lokho? Amazwi athi “ukubusa kwakhe kwaqala” asinikeza umkhondo. Khona-ke uma uNimrode ayenombuso, kumelwe ukuba wayeyinkosi, umbusi. Ngakho ukukhulumela kweBhayibheli lesiJalimane ngoDkt. August Knobel, kumbiza kahle ngokuthi “umbusi wokuqala wangemva kukaZamcolo,” okuchaza ukuthi akekho onjengaye owayekhona ngaphambili. Ngokuvumelana nalokho, iThe Bible in Living English ihumusha uGenesise 10:8 ngokuthi: “Wayengowokuqala ukuba abe umbusi emhlabeni.”

UNimrode wazenza wamelana noMdali, owayengazange ahlose ukuba abantu bazibuse. Futhi lapho ‘eya eAsiriya,’ uNimrode waqhubeka wandisa umbuso wakhe wezombangazwe, ngokunokwenzeka ngezikhali. Uma kunjalo, lokhu kwamenza “iphisi elinamandla” hhayi nje lezilwane kuphela kodwa futhi nelabantu.

Ingabe Wayekhona Ngempela UNimrode, Nombhoshongo?

ICollier’s Encyclopedia, ithi: “Izazi ziye zazama, kwabanhlanga zimuka nomoya ukuba zifanise uNimrode namakhosi ayidlanzana akudala, amaqhawe, noma onkulunkulu, phakathi kwabo okukhona uMerodaki (Marduk), unkulunkulu waseAsiriya naseBabiloni; uGilgamesh, iqhawe laseBabiloni elalaziwa ngokuthi liyiphisi; noOrion, iphisi okuxoxwa ngalo ezinganekwaneni Zakudala.” Khona-ke incwadi enezikhombo yaseJalimane iyavuma ukuthi empeleni “asazi lutho ngaye ngaphandle kwalokho esikutshelwa ukulandisa kweBhayibheli.”

Nokho, uNimrode wayekhona. Isiko laseArabhu liyakhuluma ngaye. Igama lakhe, elithi Nimrud noma Nimroud, liyavela emagameni ezindawo eziseMpumalanga Eseduze. Izinkondlo ezifundisayo zaseSumeri naseAkade zibika ngemisebenzi yakhe yobuqhawe. Futhi isazimlando esingumJuda uJosephus sibhekisela kuye ngegama.

Isimiso sikaNimrode sezombangazwe, njengoba sasiklanyelwe ukuketula ukubusa kukaNkulunkulu okufanelekile phezu kwesintu, senza izinguquko ezingokwenkolo. Abantu baqala ukwakha ‘umbhoshongo osiqongo sawo sisezulwini’ ukuze ‘bazenzele igama [bona],’ hhayi uNkulunkulu.—Genesise 11:4.

Nakuba abavubukuli beye behluleka ukufanisa izincithakalo zasendulo noMbhoshongo waseBabele kaNimrode, baye bathola izakhiwo eziya emashumini amathathu ezifana nawo eMesopotamiya. Eqinisweni, loluhlobo lombhoshongo lwaluwuphawu lwemiklamo yalapho yethempeli. Incwadi iPaths of Faith ithi amathempeli aseBabiloni “ayeba umbhoshongo, owawuba isicaba phansi ucije ngenhla bese uba nealtare phezulu.” Iyenezela: “Njengoba kungokufanayo ngezakhiwo ezinkulu zenkolo ezisukela ezindlini okwakungcwatshwa kuzo amakhosi zaseGibithe kuye embhoshongweni oyindingilizi phezulu waseNdiya noma izindlu eziwumbhoshongo zamaBuddha, umbhoshongo oyithempeli . . . cishe wawuyisibonelo sesonto eliwumbhoshongo.”

Umvubukuli waseJalimane uWalter Andrae wamba wajula kulendawo ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20 leminyaka. Wabhala ukuthi ialtare eliphezu kwethempeli eliwumbhoshongo, kwakucatshangwa ukuthi ‘liyisango . . . uNkulunkulu wasezulwini ayehla ngalo ezitebhisini zethempeli eliwumbhoshongo ukuze afinyelele endaweni yakhe yokuhlala yasemhlabeni.” Akumangalisike ukuthi izakhamuzi zaseBabele zazithi igama lomuzi wazo lalisho “iSango likaNkulunkulu,” elisuselwa kuBab (isango) nelithi ilu (uNkulunkulu).

Kodwa njengoba sizobona kunezinye izizathu zokungakungabazi ukulandisa kweBhayibheli ngoNimrode nombhoshongo wakhe.

Imiphumela Efinyelela Nakuwe

UNimrode, ongowokuqala ukuhlanganisa inkolo nezombangazwe, wabekela isibonelo bonke ababezomlandela abanezithakazelo ezifana nezakhe. Ingabe kwakuyoba nokuvunyelwa kwaphezulu? Isimiso esakhishwa kamuva eBhayibhelini sokuthi “umuthi omuhle ungethele izithelo ezimbi, nomuthi omubi ungethele izithelo ezinhle” sase sizosebenza.—Mathewu 7:18.

Ekuqaleni, bonke abantu basemhlabeni babekhuluma ulimi olulodwa.a Kodwa lapho uNimrode nabasekeli bakhe behlela ukwakha lombhoshongo eBabele, uNkulunkulu wabonisa ukungajabuli kwaKhe. Siyafunda: “Kanjalo uJehova wabahlakazela emhlabeni wonke, bephuma lapho; bayeka ukwakha umuzi. Ngalokho igama lalo lathiwa iBabele [elisuselwa kwelithi balal’, elisho “ukuphambanisa”], ngokuba uJehova wasanganisa khona ulimi lomhlaba wonke.” (Genesise 11:1, 5, 7-9) Yeka ukuthi kumelwe ukuba abakhi bakhungatheka kangakanani lapho ngokushesha bengasakwazi ukuxoxa ngalokho okwakwenzekile, ingasaphathwa eyokuvumelana ngokuthi kungani kwakwenzekile! Ngokungangabazeki izimfundiso eziningi zathuthukiswa, ukungafani kwabo kwandiswa ukungakwazi ukukhulumisana kwamaqembu anezilimi ezihlukahlukene.

Lapho lamaqembu esakazekela ezingxenyeni ezihlukahlukene zomhlaba, ngokuzenzakalelayo ahamba nezimfundiso zawo ezingokwenkolo. Njengoba isikhathi siqhubeka, lemibono, nakuba ngokuyisisekelo ifana, yanongwa amasiko endawo nezenzakalo. “Enkolweni eyodwa kuphela” ngokushesha kwavela “izinhlobo eziyikhulu zayo.” Ngokusobala, lokhu kuhlola kokuqala komsebenzi wokuxuba inkolo nezombangazwe kwaba nemiphumela emibi.

Imiphumela yakho iye yadlula amakhulu eminyaka ukuze ifinyelele kuwe, okuyiqiniso ongaliqaphela uma wake wazama ukuxoxa ngenkolo nothile wenye inkolo. Ngisho namagama avamile angokwenkolo anjengathi “uNkulunkulu,” “isono,” “umphefumulo,” nelithi “ukufa” asho izinto ezihlukahlukene kubantu abahlukahlukene. Ayafaneleka amazwi esazi esiyiNgisi uJohn Selden, eminyakeni engama-300 edlule esathi: “Uma indaba ibihlolisiswa, ubungethukela uthole [abantu] abathathu noma kuphi benkolo efanayo bevumelana ngakho konke.” Lokhu kuyifa lesintu, ngenxa nje yokuthi lelophisi elinamandla lakudala, njengoba lalingenaso isibusiso soMdali, lehluleka ukuqeda umbhoshongo walo.

Izinto Ezidluliselwe Kithi Zivela EBabele

Umlobi wesifazane uPetra Eisele uthi: “Ayikho ezinkolweni esizaziyo engeza nonkulunkulu abaningi kangaka njengeSumeri, iAsiriya, neBabiloni.” Ukhuluma ngonkulunkulu abangama-500, ethi ezinye zezinhlu ezinde kakhulu zinamagama ayizi-2 500. Ekugcineni, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, “izazi zenkolo ezingokomthetho zaseBabiloni zamisa izinhlu zonkulunkulu ezingaphezu noma ngaphansi kwamashumi amabili, zibehlukanisa ngokoziquzintathu,” kusho iNew Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology. Omunye uziquzintathu ovelele wonkulunkulu wawakhiwa uAnu, uEnlil, noEa. Omunye wawakhiwa onkulunkulu bezinkanyezi uSin, uShamash, nolshtar, owayaziwa futhi ngokuthi uAstarte, unkulunkulukazi omkhulu, umngane kaTamuzi.

UMarduk, unkulunkulu ovelele kakhulu waseBabiloni, kamuva owaziwa ngokuthi uEnlil noma uBel, wayengunkulunkulu wempi. IPaths of Faith ithi lokhu “kwakha ukuqapheleka okukhulu okungokwenkolo kweqiniso elingokomlando lokuthi impi yaba umsebenzi ogcina izigqila zaseBabiloni zonkulunkulu zimatasa ngokwengeziwe.” Iphisi elinamandla njengoNimrode, elalizingela abantu nezilwane, ngokunengqondo laliyokhulekela unkulunkulu wempi, hhayi “uNkulunkulu wothando nokuthula” iBhayibheli elikhuluma ngaye.—2 Korinte 13:11.

Onkulunkulu baseBabiloni naseAsiriya ‘babefana nabantu’ ngokumangalisayo, benezidingo nezinkanuko ezifana nezabantu abafayo. Lokhu kwaphumela ezinkonzweni ezinemicikilisho ezingokwenkolo nemikhuba okufana nobufebe basethempelini, okwakungeke neze kucatshangelwe njengokwaphezulu.

Ubuthakathi, ukubhula, nokufundwa kwezinkanyezi nakho kwakuqukethwe inkolo yaseBabiloni. UPetra Eisele uthi “kungokunokwenzeka ngempela ukuthi ukukhathazeka kwaseNtshonalanga ngabathakathi . . . kwaqala eKhaledi.” Futhi abaseBabiloni bathuthuka ngendlela emangalisayo ekufundweni kwezinkanyezi kuyilapho bezama ukufunda ikusasa ezinkanyezini.

AbaseMesopotamiya nabo babekholelwa ekungafini komphefumulo womuntu. Lokhu bakubonisa ngokufaka izinto lapho bengcwaba isidumbu ukuze sizisebenzise ekuphileni kwakamuva.

Manje, ake ucabangele okwesikhashana ezinye zezinkolo ezinkulu zanamuhla. Ingabe ikhona oyaziyo efundisa ngokungafi komphefumulo womuntu, efundisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu unguZiquzintathu wonkulunkulu abathathu koyedwa, evumela ukuba amalungu ayo akholelwe ekungafini komphefumulo ngaphandle kokukuhlolisisa, ezizigaxa kwezombangazwe, noma enamalungu azimisele kakhulu ukunikela ukuphila kwawo kunkulunkulu wempi kunakuNkulunkulu wokuthula? Uma kunjalo, khona-ke uye wazibona izinhlangano zanamuhla ezinjengamadodakazi aseBabele, ezisasakaza uwangala olungokwenkolo olusukela ezinsukwini zombhoshongo kaNimrode. Ngokufanelekile, igama elithi “Babiloni” liyasetshenziswa eBhayibhelini ukuze kuchazwe umbuso wezwe lonke wenkolo yamanga.—Bheka isAmbulo, izahluko 17 no-18.

Yebo, akusibo bonke abantu bangemva kukaZamcolo abawela ekusanganeni okungokwenkolo kwaseBabiloni. Ngokwesibonelo, uAbrahama, owazalwa esizukulwaneni seshumi kusukela kuNowa, walondoloza ukukhulekela kweqiniso. UNkulunkulu wenza isivumelwano nalomzukulu kaShemi, emthembisa kuGenesise 22:15-18 ukuthi yonke imikhaya yomhlaba iyakubusiswa ngokuhlanganyela nalenkolo eyodwa. Ngokusobala lesivumelwano saqala ukusebenza ngo-1943 B.C.E., okwasho ukuthi umehluko wokungqubuzana phakathi ‘kwewukuphela [kwenkolo] yeqiniso’ kanye ‘nezinhlobo eziyikhulu’ zenkolo yamanga manje kwase kuzobonakala kahle. Ukulwa okubalulekile phakathi kwalezinkolo ezimbili kwakuzokwenzeka ngokushesha. Funda ngakho engxenyeni yesithathu esihlokweni esilandelayo esithi: “IGibithe—Inkundla Yempi Yonkulunkulu.”

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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Izinganekwane Ezivumelana Nokulandisa KweBhayibheli

Abantu enyakatho Burma bakholelwa ukuthi bonke abantu ekuqaleni “babehlala emzini omkhulu futhi bekhuluma ulimi olulodwa.” Khona-ke bahlela ukwakha umbhoshongo ofinyelela enyangeni, okwadinga ukuba basebenze ezitezi ezihlukene zombhoshongo, kanjalo ababange besaxhumana. (Kancane kancane bazuza izejwayezi ezingafani, amasiko, nezindlela zokukhuluma.’ AmaYeniseiOstyaks asenyakatho Siberia athi abantu bazisindisa kuzamcolo ngokuntanta ngezingodo nezihlenga. Kodwa umoya onamandla ovela enyakatho wabahlakaza kangangokuba “ngemva kukazamcolo, baqala ukukhuluma izilimi ezingefani nokuzala abantu abangefani.—“The Mythology ofAll Races.”

Abantu baseAztec bakuqala babefundisa ukuthi “ngemva kukaZamcolo isiqhwaga sakha intaba eyafika emafwini, kanjalo sathukuthelisa onkulunkulu, abehlisa umlilo namatshe kuvela ezulwini.” NgokukaMaya, uVotan, umuntu wokuqala, wasiza ekwakheni indlu enkulu eyafika emazulwini, eyaphenduka yaba “indawo lapho uNkulunkulu anikeza zonke izizwe izilimi zazo.” Futhi amaNdiya okuthiwa amaMaidu aseCalifornia athi “phakathi nenkonzo yomngcwabo, [bonke abantu] ngokungazelele baqala ukukhuluma ngezilimi ezihlukahlukene.”—“Der Turmbau von Babel” (Ukwakhiwa Kombhoshongo WaseBabele).

Izinganekwane ezinjengalezi zifakazela amazwi omlobi uDkt. Ernst Boklen okuthi “kunokwenzeka okukhulu ukuthi uGenesise 11 kanye nezindaba ezihlobene naye ezivela kwabanye abantu kusekelwe ezinkumbulweni ezingokoqobo zomlando.”

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Ingabe Isiphambano Savela EBabiloni?

“IBabiloni,” “iKaledi,” ‘neMesopotamiya’ konke kubhekisela endaweni eyodwa namuhla eyaziwa ngokuthi iIraq. UJulien Ries weUniversite Catholique de LouvainlaNeuve waseBelgium uyabhala: ‘Isiphambano sikhona emasikweni asendulo aseAsia, eYurophu, eNyakatho Afrika, naseMelika [kuhlanganise] neMesopotamiya [lapho] isiphambano esinezingalo ezine ezilinganayo siwuphawu lwezulu nonkulunkulu uAnu.’ I“Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words” iqonde ngokwengeziwe, ithi isiphambano “saqala eKaledi lasendulo, futhi sasisetshenziswa njengesifanekiselo sikankulunkulu uTamuzi (esasime njengoTau oyimfihlo, okuyisiqalo segama lakhe).” Ngakho isiphambano saqala ngaphambi kobuKristu. Abanye baye basikisela ukuthi uTamuzi, owayebizwa futhi ngokuthi uDumuzi, ekuqaleni wayeyinkosi futhi wayekhulekelwa ngemva kokufa kwakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, uO. R. Gurney uyabhala kuyi“Journal of Semitic Studies”: “Ekuqaleni uDumuzi wayewumuntu, inkosi yase-Ereke.” Ingabe lokhu kungenzeka ukuthi kwakubhekiselwa kuNimrode, iBhayibheli elithi ngaye, “Ukubusa kwakhe kwaqala eBabele, nase-Ereke”? (Genesise 10:10) Okwamanje, ayikho indlela yokwazi ngokuqinisekile.

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Izinsalela zamathempeli anombhoshongo aseMesopotamiya zisekela ukulandisa kweBhayibheli ngoMbhoshongo waseBabele