Mwaanaacuwela?

Isiyani yaamwiirannyenle isittatti yo Niivine uvira waya uwakati wa Jonas?

MWAAKHA wo 670 hinatthi uwa Kristu, ilapo yo Asiriya phaavirihenle ulipa ni wuunuwa ntuninyani motheene. Isayiti yo Museu Britânico ineera wiira “ncoko waahooleliya ni Asiriya waapacera u Chipre ni waanaaphiya mpaka u Irão, mphantte unkhuma ncuwa; ni uhaavo ukati waaphiyaaya mpaka u Egipto.” Isittatti yuulupale yokuvernu yo Asiriya yeehaniya Niinive; ni iyo phaari isittatti yooverihela wuunuwa ntuninyani motheene. Atthu o Niinive yaanawiicoona cinene, kontha isittattyaaya yahaana iparasa cooreeraca, ijardim cooratteliya, ipalaasiyu comaana ni yahaana mapuro yaasunkiya ilivuru cinci. Moolumo yantikhaciye imuuru yokhalayi yo Niinive, anthoonyera wiira mwene Assurbanipal eeciihana “mwene o ntuninyani” khampa caayiihanaaya mamwene akiina o Asiriya. Ule ukatyuule, waakhala toko khaavo aahala ukhitiri utthema ni ukwanyulaca umwene wo Asiriya ni isittatti yo Niinive.

Masi, ukati ikuvernu yo Asiriya waatepilyaaya ukhomaala, porofeeta a Yehova, Sofoniya, aheera: “[Yehova] naahala ukwanyulaca umwene wo Asiriya, ni naahala umalamaliha isittatti yo Niinive, ni uhiya inoomale khampa ninkaare.” Ni porofeeta Nawu enre co: “Ncise iparata, ncise iwooru! . . . Isittatti irii woohaatthu, khinkhaliya ni ihokwanyulaciya! . . . Atthu otheene anhala uwoona ankootthawa ni anhala wiira co: ‘Niinive hokwanyulaciya!’” (Sof. 2:13; Nawu 2:9, 10; 3:7) Atthu yeewa nnyo inatirinnyo atthunaka yaaneekoha co: ‘Masi iyo itthwiiyo khweeliini inaahala wiirannya? Ikuvernu yo Asiriya wanihukuni inaahala ukwanyulaciya?’ Ukwanyulaciya isittatti yo Asiriya waakhala toko yaari itthu yahahaahala wiirannya!

Hataa ukhalaka commo, iyo itthwiiyo yaheerannya! Mwaakha 600 hinatthi uwa Kristu, ababilooniya ni ameedu yahotthema ikuvernu yo Asiriya. Nlattu wo iyo itthwiiyo, isittatti yo Niinive yahokwanyulaciya ni mpaka ilelo iholiyaliya! Toko cineeraaya mwaha wantikhiye ni unthoonyihiya nhina Museu Metropolitano de Arte de Nova York, “iyo isittattiiyo yahothamiya ni vakaani-vakaani ihovuheleliya niitthaya, ni atthu aneewa iromolaciyaka mbiiblyani paahi.” Isayiti yo Sociedade de Arqueologia Bíblica ineera wiira ukhuma wiipaceroni mwaakha wo 1800 “atthu khayaacuwela hataa vakaani wiira khweeliini yahaavo isittatti yuulupale yoomwene wo Asiriya.” Masi mwaakha wo 1845, namasoma eehaniya Austen Henry Layard ahancera nteko woothipathipa nipuro naaphwanyannya khalayi isittatti yo Niinive. Ihalahalo caaphwanyilyaawe uyo namathipathipooyo cinthoonyera wiira Niinive yaari isittatti yuulupale khalayi.

Inatiri ca Nluku cooluma isittatti yo Niinive khweeliini ciheerannya ni hiiva ninaatepa ukhuluvela wiira ciicammo cinaahala wiirannya inatiri co mbiiblyani cinooluma umalamalihiya wokuvernu colelo.—Dan. 2:44; Apoka. 19:15, 19-21.