INgxenye 1—IGibithe Lasendulo—Umbuso Wokuqala Emibusweni Yezwe Emikhulu

IGIBITHE—izwe lasendulo loFaro nelinomfula iNayile—lalingelinye lamazwe aphucuke kakhulu omhlaba. Imisebenzi yalo yobuciko ihlobise amamnyuziyamu amakhulu. Umlando walo ubhalwe ezincwadini ezifundwa esikoleni. Izakhiwo zalo ezinkulu zesikhumbuzo zethusa izivakashi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izenzakalo eziningi zeBhayibheli zenzeka kulelizwe noma zalithinta. Kubhekiselwa eGibithe nakubantu balo izikhathi ezingaphezu kwama-700 eBhayibhelini.

Nokho, yini ngempela oyaziyo ngeGibithe lasendulo? Ukufunda okwengeziwe ngalo kuyokusiza ukuba uqonde izinto eziningi eziphawulwe eBhayibhelini.

EGibithe, abavubukuli baye bathola okuningi okuqinisekisa umbhalo weBhayibheli. Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela indaba kaJosefa. Amagama, iziqu, isikhundla sikaJosefa njengomphathi wendlu, isikhundla anikezwa sona njengombusi wezwe wesibili nanjengomphathi wokudla, imikhuba yokungcwaba yaseGibithe, ngisho nomkhuba wabapheki-zinkwa wokuthwala amaqoma ezinkwa emakhanda abo—konke lokhu kuye kwatholwa kuvumelana namasiko aseGibithe angalesosikhathi.—Genesise izahluko 39–47; 50:1-3.

Izwe Nabantu Balo

IGibithe incike emfuleni iNayile. Imfunda enothile yalowomfula, enobubanzi obulinganiselwa cishe kumakhilomitha ayi-19 ukusuka eAswân kuya eCairo, yenabela enyakatho inqamule ugwadule lwaseAfrika oluyisigagadu njengomdweshu omncane oluhlaza. Endulo, izikhukhula zawo zaminyaka yonke zaziletha udaka oluvundisa inhlabathi olwalwenza iGibithe ithumele ukudla kwamanye amazwe futhi ibe yindawo yokuphephela ngesikhathi sendlala. (Genesise 12:10) Imihlanga yokwenza iphepha, eyayitholakala ogwini lwawo, kwakwenziwa ngayo iphepha lakuqala.

Indawo ebanzi engenela olwandle ngezizalo eziningi, lapho amanzi eNayile ahlukana khona ngaphambi kokuba angene olwandle oluluhlaza iMedithera, ibizwa ngokuthi kuseMzansi-Gibithe. Ngokusobala lapha, ‘kwakunezwe laseGosheni,’ lapho amaIsrayeli ayehlala khona phakathi nokugogobala kwawo isikhathi eside eGibithe.—Genesise 47:27.

Inkolo YaseGibithe

Abantu baseGibithe lasendulo babekholelwa ukuthi uFaro wabo wayengunkulunkulu. Leliqiniso lifakazelwa umbuzo wokwedelela uFaro awubuza uMose: “Ngubani uJehova ukuba ngilalele izwi lakhe?” (Eksodusi 5:2) Abantu baseGibithe babenabanye onkulunkulu abaningi. Amagama abanye balabonkulunkulu abangama-740 atholakala ohlwini olwatholwa ethuneni likaThutmose III. Abantu baseGibithe babekhulekela onkulunkulu abathathu abahlangene, noma oziqu-zintathu, futhi omunye owayedume kakhulu kulaba kwakunguziqu-zintathu ohlanganisa uOsiris, Isis, noHorus.

Iningi lonkulunkulu abadume kakhulu baseGibithe lalenziwa lifane nemizimba yabantu namakhanda ezilwane. Abantu baseGibithe benza uHorus wafana nekhanda lokhozi noThoth wafana nekhanda lenkankane noma inkawu. Amakati, izimpungushe, izingwenya, izimfene, nezinyoni ezihlukahlukene zazibhekwa njengezingcwele ngenxa yokuhlobana kwazo nonkulunkulu abathile. Inkunzi okwakuthiwa uApis, eyayibhekwa njengefana nonkulunkulu uOsiris, yayigcinwa ethempelini eMemphis, yabe seyenzelwa umngcwabo onemicikilisho futhi isidumbu sayo saze somiswa lapho isifile. Amabhungane adumile aseGibithe, ayegqokiswa okobuhlalu njengezintelezi zokuzivikela, ayeyimifanekiso yezinkuba-bulongwe—ayecatshangelwa njengamelela unkulunkulu ongumdali.

Naphezu kokuhlala isikhathi eside eGibithe nokusondelana eduze nabantu balelozwe, amaIsrayeli ayenoNkulunkulu oyedwa kuphela, uJehova, futhi kwakumelwe akhonze yena yedwa. Axwayiswa ukuba angenzi noma yimuphi umfanekiso ongokwenkolo—kungaba okaNkulunkulu ngokwakhe, noma owenyoni, owesilwane, owenhlanzi, noma owanoma iyiphi enye into. Ukukhulekela kwawo ithole legolide ngokushesha ngemva kokuphuma kwawo eGibithe kungenzeka ukuthi kwakungenxa yethonya laseGibithe.—Eksodusi 32:1-28; Duteronomi 4:15-20.

Ukukholelwa Ekungafini Komphefumulo

Abantu baseGibithe babekholelwa kakhulu ekungafini komphefumulo. Ngakho-ke, ababusi baseGibithe babelungiselela amathuna amakhulu, agcwaliswe ngezidingo zokuphila nezinto zokunethezeka, benethemba lokuthola injabulo yaphakade ekuphileni kwangemva kokufa. Imibhoshongo iyizibonelo ezivelele zalomkhuba.

Amatshe ayigugu okuhloba egolide, izingubo, ifenisha, iwayini, ukudla, izitsha zebumba, amabhokisi ophondo lwendlovu, ngisho namatshe ayizicaba okugaya upende wamehlo konke kwakufakwa ngokunakekela ethuneni lomuntu waseGibithe. Babekholelwa ukuthi lezizinto zazingasetshenziswa ekuphileni kwangemva kokufa. Ezikhathini zasendulo, kwakubulawa izigqila zingcwatshwe nabanikazi bazo, ukuze zibasebenzele ngemva kokufa. Iqoqo lezibikezelo ezaziwa ngokuthi “Incwadi Yabafileyo” liye latholakala ezinkulungwaneni zamabhokisi angcwabe abantu baseGibithe. Kwakwethenjwa ukuthi lezibikezelo zaziyosiza umuntu ofile ukuba anqobe izingozi ezihlukahlukene ekuphileni kwangemva kokufa.

Yeka ukuthi wawuhluke kanjani umbono wamaIsrayeli! Ayazi, njengoba iBhayibheli kamuva laliyosho, ukuthi “abafileyo abazi-lutho.” Futhi uma umuntu efa, “ngalona lolosuku amacebo akhe ayaphela.”a Ithemba labo lokuphila kwesikhathi esizayo lalisovukweni.—UmShumayeli 9:5, 10; IHubo 146:4; Jobe 14:13-15.

Obani Abaphila Nini?

Izazi zeGibithe lasendulo ziveza ukuthi kukhona uhlu ‘lwababusi’ abangama-31 abangamakhosi aseGibithe futhi zikhuluma ngoMbuso oMdala (Ababusi 3-6), uMbuso oPhakathi (Ababusi 11, 12), noMbuso Omusha (Ababusi 18-20). Kodwa lendlela yokubala ayiqondile neze. Ihilela imibhalo engabazisayo nengaphelele, futhi kungenzeka ihlanganise namakhosi amaningana abusa ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene ngesikhathi esifanayo, kunokuba abuse ngokulandelana, enye ilandele enye.b

Lapho uMose eqala ukubhala izincwadi zokuqala zeBhayibheli, walandela lokho cishe okwakuyisiko labantu baseGibithe lokubhekisela enkosini yabo ‘njengoFaro,’ ngaphandle kokusebenzisa igama layo loqobo. Ngakho-ke, asiwazi amagama oFaro ababaziwa uAbrahama noJosefa noma owayebusa ngesikhathi sokuphuma kwamaIsrayeli eGibithe. Nokho, isiqu esithi “Faro” kamuva sabe sesihambisana negama loqobo lenkosi, okwenza kwaba nokwenzeka ukuhlanganisa izenzakalo zeBhayibheli nohlu lwamakhosi aseGibithe. Abanye oFaro abathakazelisa kakhulu kumfundi weBhayibheli yilaba:

UAkhenaton (walokho okubizwa ngokuthi uhlu loMbusi we-18) wayengumkhulekeli oshisekayo kankulunkulu welanga uAton. Ngo-1887 kwatholakala izingcwecwe zebumba ezingama-377 eTel el-Amarna, eseningizimu Cairo cishe ngamakhilomitha angama-320. Lezingcwecwe ezithakazelisayo zaziyizincwadi ezivela kwamanye amazwe ezatholwa uAkhenaton noyise uAmenhotep III. Phakathi kwalezincwadi kwakukhona ezazivela kubabusi baseJerusalema, eMegido, eHasori, eShekemi, eLakishi, eHebroni, eGaza, nakwamanye amadolobha ayinhloko asePalestina. Mhlawumbe ngenxa yokuthi zabhalwa ngaphambi nje kokungena kwamaIsrayeli eKhanani, lezincwadi zembula ukulwa kwezigodi nozungu. Futhi zibonisa ukuthi umuzi ngamunye wawunenkosi yawo, njengoba incwadi yeBhayibheli kaJoshuwa ibonisa.

UTutankhamen, umkhwenyana ka-Akhenaton, ‘uyiNkosi uTut’ eyaziwayo ezimpahla zayo zokunethezeka ezazisethuneni elihle legolide zavubukulwa abavubukuli futhi bezilokhu zibukiswa emamnyuziyamu ahlukahlukene. Lezimpahla zokunethezeka ziwukubonakaliswa okuvelele komcebo wawoFaro. Kwakuwumcebo onjengalona lowo uMose esikhathini esidlule awushaya indiva ngesikhathi ‘ala ukubizwa ngokuthi indodana yendodakazi kaFaro, kunalokho ekhetha ukuphathwa kabi kanye nabantu bakaNkulunkulu kunokuba athokoze isikhashana esonweni.’—Heberu 11:24, 25.

UMerneptah ‘wayenguMbusi we-19’. Esikhumbuzweni sokunqoba esatholakala ethempelini eThebes, loFaro waloba ukuthi “uIsrayeli uqothuliwe, nenzalo yakhe ayisekho.” Lana ukuphela kwamazwi akhuluma ngoIsrayeli ngokuqondile njengesizwe futhi atholakala emibhalweni yasendulo yaseGibithe. Nakuba kusobala ukuthi ayebonisa ukuqhosha ngamanga, lamazwi kubonakala sengathi abonisa ukuthi ukunqoba kwamaIsrayeli iKhanani kwase kwenzekile kakade. Ngakho-ke, lokho kunqoba kwango-1473 B.C.E. kumelwe ukuba kwenzeka phakathi nesikhathi uAkhenaton athola ngaso izincwadi ezivela eTel el-Amarna nezinsuku zikaMerneptah.

UShishaki (Sheshonk I, “uMbusi wama-22”) uFaro wokuqala ophawulwe ngegama eBhayibhelini. Ngezinqola zempi ezinamandla nabagibeli bamahhashi, wahlasela uJuda, wasongela iJerusalema, futhi “wathatha ingcebo yendlu kaJehova nengcebo yendlu yenkosi, yebo, wathatha konke.” (2 IziKronike 12:9) Lesisenzakalo siqinisekiswa umfanekiso oqoshwe odongeni oluseningizimu yethempeli lika-Amoni eKarnak (iThebes yasendulo). Ubonisa iziboshwa eziyi-156 ezifakwe ozankosi, ngasinye simelela umuzi noma umuzana owathunjwa, kuhlanganise iMegido, iShunemi, neGibeyoni. Phakathi kwezindawo ezathunjwa, uShishaki ufaka ohlwini ngisho ‘neNsimu ka-Abrama.’—Isikhombo sokuqala esikhuluma ngoAbrahama emibhalweni yaseGibithe.

Eminye Imibuso Yezwe Iyavela

Ekugcineni, iGibithe yathathelwa isikhundla iAsiriya njengombuso wezwe onamandla. Kodwa yahlala inamandla kwezombangazwe. UHosheya, inkosi yokugcina yezizwe eziyishumi zombuso wamaIsrayeli osenyakatho, wenza uzungu neNkosi uSo yaseGibithe emzamweni ongaphumelelanga wokususa ijoka labaseAsiriya. (2 AmaKhosi 17:3, 4) Eminyakeni eminingi kamuva, phakathi nokubusa kweNkosi uHezekiya wakwaJuda, iNkosi uTirahaka yase-Etiyopiya (mhlawumbe ongumbusi waseGibithe ongumTiyopiya, uFaro Taharqa) yaya eKhanani futhi yalibazisa okwesikhashana ukuhlasela kwenkosi yaseAsiriya uSaneheribi. (2 AmaKhosi 19:8-10) Amarekhodi omlando kaSaneheribi, atholakala eAsiriya, ngokusobala abhekisela kulokhu lapho ethi: “Mina ngokwami ngabathumba bephila . . . abagibeli bezinqola zempi zenkosi yase-Etiyopiya.”—Oriental Institute Prism of Sennacherib, University of Chicago.

Umprofethi kaJehova uIsaya wayebikezele ukuthi iGibithe laliyonikelwa “esandleni senkosi elukhuni” futhi inkosi “enamandla” yayiyobusa phezu kwabaseGibithe. (Isaya 19:4) Ukuba yiqiniso kwalesiprofetho kuqinisekiswa umbhalo waseAsiriya lapho indodana kaSaneheribi uEsa-hadoni eqhosha khona ngokunqoba kwakhe iGibithe, ethi: “UTirahaka inkosi yalo, ngimgwaze ngemicibisholo izikhathi eziyisihlanu futhi ngabusa phezu kwalo lonke izwe lakhe.”

UFaro Nekho waya enyakatho cishe ngo-629 B.C.E. eyovimbela izimpi zombuso wezwe wesithathu ophakamayo, iBabiloni. IBhayibheli lithi uJosiya waseJerusalema ngobuwula wazama ukumisa amabutho aseGibithe eMegido futhi wanqotshwa wabulawa.c (2 IziKronike 35:20-24) Cishe eminyakeni emine kamuva, ngo-625 B.C.E., uFaro Nekho yena ngokwakhe wanqotshwa abaseBabiloni eKharikemishi. Kokubili iBhayibheli neMilando yaseBabiloni kubhekisela kulesenzakalo, esenza abaseBabiloni babuse phezu kwentshonalanga Asiya.

Ngo-525 B.C.E. iGibithe laba ngaphansi kokuphathwa kombuso wezwe wesine, owamaMede namaPheresiya. Cishe emakhulwini amabili eminyaka kamuva, ngo-332 B.C.E., uAlexander oMkhulu waba umbusi futhi waletha iGibithe ngaphansi kombuso wezwe wesihlanu, iGrisi. UAlexander wakha idolobha iAlexandria eGibithe endaweni okungenela kuyo iNayile olwandle, lapho, cishe ngo-280 B.C.E., ukuhunyushwa kokuqala kweBhayibheli lisuka esiHeberwini liya esiGrekini kwaqala khona. Lenguqulo, kamuva eyaziwa ngokuthi iSeptuagint, yayiyiBhayibheli elalisetshenziswa abalandeli bakaJesu ezweni elalikhuluma isiGreki.

Ngesikhathi sokubusa kweRoma, umbuso wezwe wesithupha, uJesu walethwa eGibithe njengomntwana omncane ukuze asindiswe kuHerode owayenomona. (Mathewu 2:13-15) Abantu baseGibithe babekhona eJerusalema ngosuku lwePentekoste ngo-33 C.E. ukuze bazokuzwa ukushunyayelwa okumangalisayo kwezindaba ezinhle zobuKristu. Futhi uApholo, ongumKristu wekhulu lokuqala owayeyiqaphuqaphu wayevela lapho.—IzEnzo 2:10; 18:24.

Yebo, iGibithe nabantu baseGibithe kwakuvelele emlandweni weBhayibheli, futhi imibuvukulo eminingi iqinisekisa lokho imiBhalo ekushoyo ngalelizwe lasendulo. Yebo, iGibithe lalidume kakhulu kangangokuba kwezinye iziprofetho, lifanekisela izwe lonke ngaphansi kokubusa kukaSathane. (Hezekeli 31:2; IsAmbulo 11:8) Kodwa iGibithe lasendulo, naphezu kwamandla alo njengombuso wezwe, alikwazanga neze ukubhuntshisa ukugcwaliseka kwezinjongo zikaJehova. Futhi kwaba njalo nangombuso wezwe wesibili womlando weBhayibheli, iAsiriya, njengoba sizobona esihlokweni esilandelayo sikamagazini INqabayokulinda.

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(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Ulwandle IMedithera

IKharikemishi

IEwufrathe

IMegido

IJerusalema

IAlexandra

IGOSHENI

IMemphis

INayile

UMZANSI GIBITHE

IThebes

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Based on a map copyrighted by Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est. and Survey of Israel

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Unkulunkulu waseGibithe ofanekiswe ngomzimba womuntu nekhanda lokhozi

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Courtesy of the British Museum, London

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Ingxenye ‘yeNcwadi Yabafileyo’ eyatholakala phakathi ebhokisini lomuntu ofile waseGibithe

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Courtesy of the Superintendence of the Museo Egizio, Turin

Ibhokisi lomuntu ofile waseGibithe nesembozo esemboze isidumbu esigqunyiswe ngemithi

[Umthombo]

Courtesy of the Superintendence of the Museo Egizio, Turin

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INkosi uTutankhamen eseduze nonkulunkulu ohlezi uAmoni

[Umthombo]

Courtesy of the Superintendence of the Museo Egizio, Turin