Izindengezi Zasendulo Ziqinisekisa Umlando WeBhayibheli

IBHAYIBHELI liyiZwi likaNkulunkulu eliphefumulelwe. (2 Thimothewu 3:16) Lokho elikushoyo ngabantu, izindawo, izimo zenkolo nezombangazwe zesikhathi sasendulo kunembile. Ukuba yiqiniso kwemiBhalo akuxhomekile neze ezintweni ezitholakala ngokuvubukula, nakuba izinto ezinjalo zisikhanyisela noma zikuqinisekisa ukuqonda esinakho ngomlando weBhayibheli.

Izinto eziningi kakhulu eziye zatholwa abavubukuli lapho bemba emanxiweni asendulo yizindengezi noma izingcezu zobumba ezihlephukile. Izingcezu zobumba zazisetshenziswa njengezinto zokubhalela ezingabizi ezindaweni eziningi eMpumalanga Ephakathi yamandulo, kuhlanganise naseGibhithe naseMesophothamiya. Izingcezu zobumba zazisetshenziselwa ukubhala izivumelwano, ama-akhawunti, izinto ezidayisiwe nokunye, njengoba nje namuhla umuntu engase asebenzise izincwajana zokubhala noma amakhasi amaphepha. Ngokuvamile kwakusetshenziswa uyinki, futhi ngesinye isikhathi kwakubhalwa igama elilodwa kuphela, ngesinye kubhalwe indathane yemisho noma izinhlu.

Ukumba kwabavubukuli kwelakwa-Israyeli kuye kwambulula izindengezi eziningi ezilotshiwe zangezikhathi zeBhayibheli. Sinesithakazelo esikhethekile emaqoqweni amathathu angekhulu lesi-7 nelesi-8 B.C.E. ngoba aqinisekisa imininingwane ehlukahlukene eseBhayibhelini yokwaziswa okungokomlando. Ayizindengezi zaseSamariya, zase-Aradi nezaseLakishi. Ake sibhekisise ngalinye lala maqoqo.

Izindengezi ZaseSamariya

ISamariya yayiyinhloko-dolobha yombuso wakwa-Israyeli wasenyakatho wezizwe eziyishumi kwaze kwaba yilapho lo muzi ugumbuqelwa abase-Asiriya ngo-740 B.C.E. Ngokuqondene nendabuko yeSamariya, eyoku-1 AmaKhosi 16:23, 24 ithi: “Ngonyaka wamashumi amathathu nanye ka-Asa inkosi yakwaJuda [ngo-947 B.C.E.], u-Omri waba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli . . . Wathenga intaba yaseSamariya kuShemeri ngamathalenta amabili esiliva, waqala ukwakha kuleyo ntaba waqamba igama lo muzi awakha . . . ngokuthi iSamariya.” Lo muzi waba khona kwaze kwaba sezikhathini zamaRoma lapho igama lawo lashintshwa khona kwathiwa iSebaste. Wagcina ushabalele ngekhulu lesithupha C.E.

Ngesikhathi kumbiwa eSamariya lasendulo ngo-1910, ithimba labavubukuli lathola iqoqo lezindengezi zangekhulu lesi-8 B.C.E. Umbhalo okuzo wawubonisa inani lamafutha newayini okwakufike eSamariya kuvela ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene ezakhelene nayo. Ikhuluma ngalezi zindengezi ezitholakele, incwadi ethi Ancient Inscriptions—Voices From the Biblical World ithi: “Izindengezi ezingu-63 ezatholakala ngo-1910 . . . zibhekwa ngokufanele njengelinye lamaqoqo abaluleke kakhulu okwaziswa okulotshiwe okutholakalayo kwakwa-Israyeli wasendulo. Lokhu kubaluleka akubangelwa umbhalo okulezo zindengezi . . . kodwa kubangelwa imininingwane eyigugu yamagama abantu, amagama emindeni namagama ezindawo zakwa-Israyeli.” La magama ayiqinisekisa kanjani imininingwane yomlando weBhayibheli?

Lapho ama-Israyeli enqoba iZwe Lesithembiso futhi elihlukanisela izizwana zawo, indawo iSamariya ekuyo yayisefeni lesizwana sakwaManase. NgokukaJoshuwa 17:1-6, imindeni eyishumi kaManase, evela kumzukulu wakhe uGileyadi, yanikezwa imihlaba kule ndawo. Yayingo-Abhi-ezeri, uHeleki, u-Asiriyeli, uShekemi noShemida. Owesilisa wesithupha, uHeferi, akabanga nabazukulu besilisa kodwa waba nabazukulu bamantombazane—uMahila, uNowa, uHogila, uMilka noTiriza—futhi ngamunye kubo wathola umhlaba wakhe.—Numeri 27:1-7.

Izindengezi zaseSamariya zinamagama angu-7 ale mindeni—wonke amagama amahlanu amadodana kaGileyadi namabili abazukulu bakaHeferi bamantombazane, uHogila noNowa. I-NIV Archaeological Study Bible ithi: “Amagama emindeni alondolozwe eZindengezini ZaseSamariya angobunye ubufakazi ngaphandle kobuseBhayibhelini obuhlanganisa imindeni yakwaManase nendawo iBhayibheli elithi yahlala kuyo.” Ngakho, lezi zindengezi ziyawuqinisekisa lo mniningwane womlando wokuqala wezizwana zakwa-Israyeli ochazwe eBhayibhelini.

Izindengezi zaseSamariya zibonakala futhi ziqinisekisa isimo senkolo sama-Israyeli njengoba sichazwe eBhayibhelini. Ngesikhathi izindengezi zaseSamariya zilotshwa, ama-Israyeli ayexuba ukukhulekelwa kukaJehova nokukankulunkulu wamaKhanani uBhali. Isiprofetho sikaHoseya, naso esalotshwa phakathi nekhulu lesi-8 B.C.E., sabikezela isikhathi u-Israyeli ayezophenduka ngaso abize uJehova ngokuthi “Myeni wami” angabe esambiza ngokuthi “Bhali wami,” noma “Mnikazi wami.” (Hoseya 2:16, 17) Amanye amagama abantu atholakala ezindengezini zaseSamariya ayesho ukuthi “uBhali ungubaba wami,” “uBhali uyacula,” “uBhali unamandla,” “uBhali uyakhumbula” nokunye okunjalo. Emagameni abantu angu-11 anesimo esithile segama likaJehova, kunangu-7 ahlanganisa “uBhali.”

Izindengezi Zase-Aradi

I-Aradi yayingumuzi wasendulo owawusendaweni ecishe ibe ugwadule ebizwa ngokuthi iNegebhi, eseningizimu yeJerusalema. Lapho kumbiwa e-Aradi kwatholakala izinqaba eziyisithupha zakwa-Israyeli ngokulandelana kwazo, ezakhiwa ngesikhathi kubusa uSolomoni (1037-998 B.C.E.) kwaze kwaba sekubhujisweni kweJerusalema abaseBhabhiloni ngo-607 B.C.E. E-Aradi, abembayo bathola iqoqo elikhulu kunawo wonke lezindengezi zangezikhathi zeBhayibheli. Lihlanganisa izinto ezingaphezu kuka-200 ezilotshwe ngesiHebheru, isi-Aramaic nangezinye izilimi.

Ezinye zezindengezi zase-Aradi ziqinisekisa ukwaziswa okuseBhayibhelini ngemindeni yabapristi. Ngokwesibonelo, olunye udengezi lukhuluma ‘ngamadodana kaKhora’ okukhulunywa ngawo ku-Eksodusi 6:24 nakuNumeri 26:11. Imibhalo engenhla yamaHubo 42, 44-49, 84, 85, 87 no-88 isho ngokuqondile ukuthi la mahubo alotshwa “amadodana kaKhora.” Eminye imindeni yabapristi okukhulunywa ngayo ezindengezini zase-Aradi okaPhashuri nokaMeremoti.—1 IziKronike 9:12; Ezra 8:33.

Cabanga ngesinye isibonelo. Emanxiweni enqaba ethile okuthiwa eyenkathi engaphambi nje kokubhujiswa kweJerusalema yiBhabhiloni, abembayo bathola udengezi olubhalelwe umlawuli waleyo nqaba. Ngokwencwadi ethi The Context of Scripture, ingxenye yalolo dengezi ithi: “Enkosini yami u-Eliyashibi. Kwangathi uYahweh [uJehova] angayikhathalela inhlalakahle yakho. . . . Ngokuqondene nendaba ongiyaleze ngayo: konke kuhamba kahle manje: uhlala ethempelini likaYahweh.” Izazi eziningi zikholelwa ukuthi ithempeli okubhekiselwe kulo lapha yithempeli laseJerusalema, elakhiwa okokuqala esikhathini sikaSolomoni.

Izindengezi ZaseLakishi

Umuzi wasendulo oyinqaba waseLakishi wawuqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-43 eningizimu-ntshonalanga yeJerusalema. Ngesikhathi kumbiwa ngo-1930 kwatholakala iqoqo lezindengezi, futhi okungenani ezingu-12 ziyizincwadi ezichazwe “njengezibaluleke kakhulu . . . ngenxa yokucacisa kwazo isimo sezombangazwe nenxushunxushu eyayikhona njengoba uJuda ayelungiselela ukuhlasela ayengenakukugwema kukaNebukhadinezari [inkosi yaseBhabhiloni].”

Izincwadi ezibaluleke kunazo zonke yilezo uYaosh, okungenzeka ukuthi wayengumkhuzi wamabutho eLakishi, ababebhalelana zona nesikhulu esasingaphansi kwakhe. Ulimi olusetshenziswe kulezo zincwadi lufana nalolo olusetshenziswe emibhalweni kaJeremiya, umprofethi owayephila ngesikhathi esifanayo. Cabangela indlela ezimbili zazo eziyisekela ngayo incazelo yeBhayibheli yaleyo nkathi ebucayi.

KuJeremiya 34:7, umprofethi uchaza isikhathi lapho “amabutho empi enkosi yaseBhabhiloni elwa neJerusalema nayo yonke imizi yakwaJuda eyayisele, neLakishi ne-Azeka; ngoba yiyo le mizi enezivikelo eziqinile eyayisele phakathi kwemizi yakwaJuda.” Umlobi wenye yalezo Zincwadi ZaseLakishi ubonakala echaza izenzakalo ezifanayo. Uyabhala: “Silinde izimpawu [zomlilo] zaseLakishi . . . , ngoba asikwazi ukubona i-Azeqah.” Izazi eziningi zikholelwa ukuthi lokhu kubonisa ukuthi abaseBhabhiloni basebeyinqobile i-Azeqah, noma i-Azeka nokuthi kwase kuzolandela iLakishi. Umniningwane othakazelisayo kulo mbhalo yilona okhuluma ‘ngezimpawu zomlilo.’ UJeremiya 6:1 naye ukhuluma ngezimpawu ezinjalo ezazisetshenziswa ekuxhumaneni.

Enye iNcwadi YaseLakishi kukholelwa ukuthi isekela lokho abaprofethi uJeremiya noHezekeli abakushoyo ngemizamo yenkosi yakwaJuda yokuthola usizo eGibhithe lapho ivukela iBhabhiloni. (Jeremiya 37:5-8; 46:25, 26; Hezekeli 17:15-17) Le Ncwadi YaseLakishi ithi: “Manje inceku yakho isithole ukwaziswa okulandelayo: UJenene Konyahu indodana ka-Elinathani uye eningizimu ukuze ayongena eGibhithe.” Ngokuvamile izazi zichaza lesi senzo njengomzamo wokuthola usizo lwabaseGibhithe lwezempi.

Izindengezi zaseLakishi zikhuluma nangamagama amaningi atholakala encwadini kaJeremiya. Lawo magama oNeriya, uJahazaniya, uGemariya, u-Elinathani noHoshaya. (Jeremiya 32:12; 35:3; 36:10, 12; 42:1) Ayikho indlela yokwazi ngokuqinisekile ukuthi la magama ayebhekisela kubantu abafanayo yini. Nokho, njengoba uJeremiya aphila phakathi naleyo nkathi, kuyaphawuleka ukufana kwawo.

Isici Afana Ngaso

Amaqoqo ezindengezi zaseSamariya, e-Aradi nezaseLakishi aqinisekisa imininingwane eminingana eseBhayibhelini. Ihlanganisa amagama emindeni nezindawo kanye nezici eziphathelene nesimo senkolo nesezombangazwe sangaleso sikhathi. Nokho, kunesici esibalulekile la maqoqo amathathu afana ngaso.

Izincwadi ezitholakale emaqoqweni ase-Aradi nawaseLakishi ziqukethe imishwana enjengethi, “Kwangathi uJehova angakucelela ukuthula.” Emiyalezweni yaseLakishi engu-7, igama likaNkulunkulu liphathwa izikhathi ezingu-11. Ngaphezu kwalokho, amagama amaningi abantu esiHebheru atholakala kuwo womathathu la maqoqo anegama likaJehova elifushanisiwe. Ngakho, lezi zindengezi ziqinisekisa ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu lalisetshenziswa nsuku zonke phakathi kwama-Israyeli angaleso sikhathi.

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Udengezi olwatholakala emanxiweni ase-Aradi olubhalelwe umuntu othile okuthiwa u-Eliyashibi

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Photograph © Israel Museum, Jerusalem; courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority

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Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum

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INcwadi YaseLakishi ebonisa igama likaNkulunkulu