Ingabe Bewazi?
Kweyabase-Efesu 2:11-15, ingabe umphostoli uPawulu wayekhuluma ngomngcele ongokoqobo lapho ekhuluma ngodonga oluhlukanisa amaJuda nabeZizwe?
Lapho ebhalela abase-Efesu, umphostoli uPawulu waqhathanisa ama-Israyeli “nezihambi.” Wathi kwakukhona ‘udonga olwaluhlukanisa’ la maqembu amabili. (Efesu 2:11-15) UPawulu wayekhuluma ‘ngoMthetho wemiyalo’ owanikezwa uMose, kodwa ukusebenzisa kwakhe igama elithi “udonga” kungenzeka kwakhumbuza abafundi bakhe ngomngcele wamatshe owawukhona ngempela.
Ekhulwini lokuqala C.E., ithempeli likaJehova eJerusalema lalinamagceke amaningana abantu ababengavunyelwe ukungena kuwo. Noma ubani wayengangena eGcekeni LabeZizwe, kodwa amaJuda namaproselithe kuphela ayevunyelwe ukungena kunoma iliphi igceke lethempeli. Kwakunodonga olukhulu lwamatshe okuthiwa i-Soreg, okuthiwa lwalungamamitha angu-1,3 ukuphakama, olwaluhlukanisa izindawo ezibekelwe umngcele nalezo okwakungena kuzo bonke abantu. Ngokwesazi-mlando esingumJuda sekhulu lokuqala uFlavius Josephus, kwakuqoshwe imibhalo ngesiGreki nesiLatini kulolu donga, eyayixwayisa abeZizwe ukuba bangalweqi bangene ezindaweni ezingcwele.
Kuye kwatholakala umbhalo owodwa ophelele wesiGreki owawukulolu donga oluhlukanisayo. Ufundeka kanje: “Abezizwe abavunyelwe ukweqa lo mngcele nothango oluzungeze ithempeli. Noma ubani oweqayo uyobulawa.”
Kubonakala sengathi uPawulu wasebenzisa i-Soreg ukuze afanekisele isivumelwano soMthetho KaMose, okwase kuyisikhathi eside sihlukanisa amaJuda nabeZizwe. Ukufa kukaJesu okuwumhlatshelo kwasichitha isivumelwano soMthetho kanjalo ‘kwabhidliza udonga olwaluphakathi.’
Kungani kuvame ukukhulunywa ngezizwe ezingu-12 zakwa-Israyeli kanti empeleni zazingu-13?
Izizwe, noma imindeni yakwa-Israyeli yayizalwa amadodana kaJakobe, owashintshwa igama kwathiwa u-Israyeli. Le nzalamizi yayinamadodana angu-12—uRubeni, uSimeyoni, uLevi, uJuda, uDani, uNafetali, uGadi, u-Asheri, u-Isakare, uZebhuloni, uJosefa noBhenjamini. (Genesise 29:32–30:24; 35:16-18) Ezingu-11 kulezi zelamani zaba nezizwe ezethiwa ngazo, kodwa asikho isizwe esethiwa ngoJosefa. Kunalokho, izizwe ezimbili zethiwa ngamadodana akhe, u-Efrayimi noManase, abanikezwa ilungelo eligcwele njengezinhloko zezizwe. Ngakho inani lezizwe zakwa-Israyeli laba ngu-13. Pho, kungani iBhayibheli livame ukukhuluma ngezizwe ezingu-12?
Kuma-Israyeli, amadoda esizwe sakwaLevi ayehlukaniselwe inkonzo yetabernakele likaJehova, futhi kamuva eyethempeli. Ngakho, ayengabuthelwa empini. UJehova watshela uMose: “Isizwe sakwaLevi kuphela akumelwe usibhalise, futhi isibalo sawo akumelwe usibale phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli. Wena ngokwakho misa amaLevi phezu kwetabernakele lobuFakazi naphezu kwazo zonke izinto zalo naphezu kwakho konke okungokwalo.”—Numeri 1:49, 50.
AmaLevi awazange asithole isabelo sendawo naseZweni Lesithembiso. Kunalokho, anikwa imizi engu-48 eyayisabalele kulo lonke elakwa-Israyeli.—Numeri 18:20-24; Joshuwa 21:41.
Ngenxa yalezi zizathu ezimbili, isizwe sakwaLevi sasingavamile ukuhlanganiswa lapho kubalwa izizwe. Ngakho izizwe zakwa-Israyeli ngokuvamile kwakuthiwa zingu-12.—Numeri 1:1-15.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 21]
Archaeological Museum of Istanbul