UMbuso Owawulahlekile Owadumaza Abaphikisi BeBhayibheli

“Ekuqaleni umlando wombuso wase-Asiriya wawungomunye wemilando efihlekile emilandweni yezwe.” “Konke okwakwaziwa ngeNineve yasendulo kwakuhlanganiswe ezikhombweni ezihlukahlukene naseziprofethweni ezibhekisela kuyo eBhayibhelini, kanye nasezincwadini ezingahlelekile nezingaphelele zomlando wase-Asiriya zikaDiodorus Siculus . . . nabanye.”—Cyclopædia of Biblical Literature, iMiqulu 1 no-3, ka-1862.

ISAZI-MLANDO esingumGreki uDiodorus Siculus saphila eminyakeni engu-2 000 edlule. Sathi, iNineve, yayingumuzi oyisikwele; izinhlangothi ezine zazinobude obulingana nezinkundla zemidlalo ezingu-480. Lelo ibanga elingamakhilomitha angu-96 ukuzungeza! IBhayibheli linikeza umbono ofanayo, lichaza iNineve njengomuzi ‘wohambo lwezinsuku ezintathu.’—Jona 3:3.

Abaphikisi beBhayibheli bekhulu le-19 benqaba ukukukholelwa ukuthi umuzi ongaziwa wezwe lasendulo wawungaba mkhulu kangako. Babuye bathi uma iNineve yake yaba khona, kumelwe ukuba yayiyingxenye yempucuko yasendulo eyayandulela iBabiloni.

Lombono wawuphikisana noGenesise isahluko 10, othi umzukulu kaNowa, uNimrode, wakha uhulumeni wokuqala wezombangazwe esigodini saseBabele, noma eBabiloni. “Waphuma kulelozwe,” iBhayibheli liyaqhubeka, “waya eAsiriya, wakha iNineve, neRehoboti-Ire, neKhala, neResene phakathi kweNineve neKhala; lo ungumuzi omkhulu.” (Genesise 10:8-12) Phawula, ukuthi lombhalo uchaza lemizi emine emisha yase-Asiriya ‘njengomuzi omkhulu’ owodwa.

Ngo-1843 umvubukuli ongumFulentshi, uPaul-Émile Botta, wathola amanxiwa esigodlo abonakala eyingxenye yomuzi wase-Asiriya. Lapho izindaba zalokhu okutholiwe zifinyelela emphakathini, zaletha injabulo enkulu. “Isithakazelo somphakathi sakhula,” kuchaza u-Alan Millard encwadini yakhe ethi Treasures From Bible Times, “lapho kuchazwa ukuthi lesigodlo sasingesikaSarigoni, inkosi yase-Asiriya eshiwo ku-Isaya 20:1, okuke kwangatshazwa ukuthi yake yaphila ngoba yayingaziwa.”

Ngesikhathi esifanayo, omunye umvubukuli, u-Austen Henry Layard, waqala ukumba amanxiwa asendaweni okuthiwa iNimrud ecishe ibe amakhilomitha angu-42 eningizimu-ntshonalanga yeKhorsabad. Lamanxiwa abonakala kungawaseKhala—omunye wemizi emine yase-Asiriya okukhulunywe ngayo kuGenesise 10:11. Khona-ke, ngo-1849, uLayard wavumbulula amanxiwa esigodlo esikhulu endaweni okuthiwa yiKuyunjik, phakathi kweKhala neKhorsabad. Lesigodlo sabonakala siyingxenye yeNineve. Phakathi kweKhorsabad neKhala kunamanxiwa ezinye izakhiwo, kuhlanganise nendunduma okuthiwa iKaramles. “Uma sithatha izindunduma ezine ezinkulu zaseNimrúd [eKhala], eKoyunjik [eNineve], eKhorsabad, naseKaramles, njengamakhona esikwele,” kuphawula uLayard, “kuyotholakala ukuthi izihlangothi zazo ezine ziyovumelana ngokuthe ngqó nezinkundla zemidlalo ezingu-480 noma [amakhilomitha angu-96] esazi sokuma kwezwe, okwenza uhambo lwezinsuku ezintathu lomprofethi [uJona].”

Khona-ke, kusobala ukuthi uJona wazihlanganisa zonke lezizakhiwo ‘njengomuzi omkhulu’ owodwa, ezibiza ngegama lomuzi wokuqala oshiwo kuGenesise 10:11, okungukuthi, iNineve. Nanamuhla kusenziwa okufanayo. Ngokwesibonelo, kunomehluko phakathi komuzi wokuqala waseLondon namadolobhana awo, akha lokho ngezinye izikhathi okubizwa ngokuthi ‘i-Greater London.’

INkosi Eqhoshayo Yase-Asiriya

Isigodlo saseNineve sasinamakamelo angaphezu kuka-70, sinezindonga ezicishe zibe amakhilomitha amathathu. Kulezindonga kwakunezinsalela ezishile zamatshe aqoshiwe ayisikhumbuzo sokunqoba ezimpini nokunye okwakuye kwafinyelelwa. Amaningi ayesonakele kakhulu. Nokho, ngasekupheleni kokuhlala kwakhe, uLayard wathola elinye ikamelo elalivikeleke ngendlela ephawulekayo. Ezindongeni kwakunomfanekiso obonisa ukuthunjwa komuzi oyinqaba, kanye nabathunjwa beqhutshwa phambi kwenkosi ehlaselayo, eyayihleli phezu kwesihlalo sobukhosi esingaphandle komuzi. Ngaphezu kwenkosi kunamazwi izazi zombhalo wesi-Asiriya eziwahumusha ngalendlela: “USaneheribi, inkosi yezwe, inkosi yase-Asiriya, wahlala phezu kwesihlalo sobukhosi i-nimedu futhi wahlola impango (ethathwe) eLakishi (La-ki-su).”

Namuhla lomfanekiso nombhalo kungabonwa eMnyuziyamu yaseBrithani. Kuvumelana nesenzakalo esingokomlando esilotshwe eBhayibhelini kweyesi-2 AmaKhosi 18:13, 14: “Ngomnyaka weshumi nane wenkosi uHezekiya, uSaneheribi inkosi yaseAsiriya wenyuka wahlasela yonke imizi ebiyelweyo yakwaJuda, wayithatha. UHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda wathumela enkosini yaseAsiriya eLakishi, wathi: Ngonile; buya kimi; okubeka kimi ngiyakukwenza. Inkosi yaseAsiriya yamnqumela uHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda amatalenta angamakhulu amathathu esiliva namatalenta angamashumi amathathu egolide.”

Kuye kwatholwa eminye imibhalo phakathi kwamanxiwa aseNineve enikeza imininingwane eyengeziwe yokuhlasela kukaSaneheribi uJuda nenhlawulo eyakhokhwa uHezekiya. “Mhlawumbe esinye sezenzakalo eziphawuleka kakhulu zobufakazi bomlando obulotshiwe, ubungako bengcebo yegolide eyathathwa kuHezekiya, amatalenta angamashumi amathathu, siyavumelana nokulandisa okubili okuzimele ngokuphelele,” kubhala uLayard. USir Henry Rawlinson, owasiza ekuchazeni umbhalo wase-Asiriya wamemezela ukuthi lemibhalo “iye yawuveza ngendlela engenakuphikiswa umlando [kaSaneheribi].” Ngaphezu kwalokho, uLayard uyabuza encwadini yakhe ethi Nineveh and Babylon: “Ngaphambi kokuba lezizinto zitholwe, ubani obengakholelwa ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi ngaphansi komhlaba oyindunduma nemfucumfucu eyayiphawula indawo yaseNineve, kwakuyotholakala umlando wezimpi phakathi kukaHezekiya noSaneheribi, owabhalwa uSaneheribi ngokwakhe ngaso kanye isikhathi ezalwiwa ngaso, futhi oqinisekisa ngisho nangemininingwane emincane umlando weBhayibheli?”

Yiqiniso, eminye imininingwane yomlando kaSaneheribi ayivumelani neBhayibheli. Ngokwesibonelo, umvubukuli u-Alan Millard uyaphawula: “Iqiniso eliphawuleka kakhulu livela ekugcineni [komlando kaSaneheribi]. UHezekiya wathuma isithunywa sakhe, nayo yonke inhlawulo, kuSaneheribi, ‘kamuva wasithuma eNineve’. Ibutho lama-Asiriya alizange liye nalenhlawulo ekhaya ngesimo sokunqoba ngendlela evamile.” IBhayibheli lithi lenhlawulo yakhokhwa ngaphambi kokuba inkosi yase-Asiriya iphindele eNineve. (2 AmaKhosi 18:15-17) Kungani kunomehluko? Futhi kungani uSaneheribi engakwazanga ukuqhosha ngokunqoba kwakhe inhlokodolobha yakwaJuda, iJerusalema, ngendlela aqhosha ngayo ngokunqoba kwakhe, inqaba yakwaJuda iLakishi? Abalobi beBhayibheli abathathu banikeza impendulo. Omunye wabo, ufakazi wokuzibonela, wabhala: “Kwaphuma ingelosi kaJehova, yabulala ekamu labaseAsiriya abayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili nanhlanu; sekuvukwa ngakusasa, bheka, kwakuyizidumbu ezifileyo zodwa. Wayesesuka uSaneheribi inkosi yaseAsiriya, wahamba, wabuya, wahlala eNineve.”—Isaya 37:36, 37; 2 AmaKhosi 19:35; 2 IziKronike 32:21.

Encwadini yakhe i-Treasures From Bible Times, uMillard uyaphetha: “Asikho isizathu esihle sokungabaza lombiko . . . Kuyaqondakala ukuthi, uSaneheribi wayengenakuloba ngenhlekelele enjalo ukuba ifundwe ababeyobusa emva kwakhe, ngoba yayizomehlisa.” Kunalokho, uSaneheribi wazama ukunikeza umbono wokuthi ukuhlasela kwakhe kwaJuda kwakuyimpumelelo nokuthi uHezekiya waqhubeka emthobela, ethumela inhlawulo eNineve.

Imvelaphi Ye-Asiriya Iyaqinisekiswa

Kwatholakala futhi imitapo yezincwadi equkethe amashumi ezinkulungwane ezibhebhe zobumba eNineve. Lemibhalo ibonisa ukuthi umsuka woMbuso wama-Asiriya wawuseningizimu eBabiloni, njengoba nje uGenesise 10:11 ebonisa. Besebenzisa lokhu kwaziswa, abavubukuli baqala ukugxilisa imizamo yabo ngaseningizimu. I-Encyclopædia Biblica iyachaza: “Konke ama-Asiriya akushiya ngemuva kubonisa ukuthi avela eBabiloni. Ulimi lwawo nendlela yawo yokubhala, izincwadi zawo, inkolo yawo, nesayensi yawo kwathathwa komakhelwane bawo baseningizimu kodwa kwashintshwa kancane.”

Okwatholakala okufana nokungenhla kuye kwaphoqelela abaphikisi beBhayibheli ukuba balungise imibono yabo. Ngempela, ukuhlolwa kweBhayibheli okuqotho kwembula ukuthi lalotshwa ngabalobi abacophelelayo, abathembekile. Owayengumahluleli omkhulu eNkantolo Ephakeme yase-United States uSalmon P. Chase, wathi ngemva kokuhlola kwakhe iBhayibheli: “Kuye kwaba ukuhlola okuthatha isikhathi eside, okungathi sína, nokujulile: futhi njengoba ngisebenzisa izimiso ezifanayo zobufakazi kulendaba engokwenkolo njengoba ngihlale ngenza ezindabeni zezwe, ngiye ngafinyelela esinqumweni sokuthi iBhayibheli liyincwadi engaphezu kweyemvelo, ukuthi livela kuNkulunkulu.”—The Book of Books: An Introduction.

Ngempela, iBhayibheli lingaphezu kokuba umlando onembile. LiyiZwi likaNkulunkulu eliphefumlelwe, isipho esizuzisa isintu. (2 Thimothewu 3:16) Isiqinisekiso salokhu singabonwa ngokuhlola ukuma kwamazwe aseBhayibhelini. Lokhu kuyoxoxwa ngakho kumagazini olandelayo.

[Izithombe ekhasini 6, 7]

Phezulu: Imininingwane emithathu ethathwe odongeni lwenkululeko

Ngezansi: Umdwebo wodonga lwenkululeko lwase-Asiriya obonisa ukuvinjezelwa kweLakishi

[Imithombo]

(Courtesy of The British Museum)

(From The Bible in the British Museum, published by British Museum Press)

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 4]

Courtesy of the Trustees of The British Museum