“Mawu Akale Kwambiri Otengedwa M’Baibulo”
ZAKA 25 zapitazo, akatswiri a mbiri ya zinthu zakale zokumbidwa pansi a ku Israel anapeza zinthu zochititsa chidwi kwambiri. M’manda a ku phanga m’mphepete mwa chigwa cha Hinomu ku Yerusalemu, anapezamo mipukutu ya siliva iwiri ing’onoing’ono, yokhala ndi malemba otengedwa m’Baibulo. Mipukutu imeneyi inalembedwa kale kwambiri, Ababulo asanawononge Yerusalemu mu 607 B.C.E. Mipukutuyo inanena za ena mwa madalitso opezeka pa Numeri 6:24-26. Dzina la Mulungu, lakuti Yehova, limapezeka maulendo angapo m’mipukutu yonseyo. Anthu amati mipukutuyi ndi “zinthu zakale kwambiri zamakedzana zomwe zili ndi nkhani za malemba a m’Baibulo a Chihebri.”
Komabe, akatswiri ena amaphunziro, ankatsutsa za nthawi imene mipukutuyi inalembedwa ndipo ankaganiza kuti inalembedwa m’zaka za m’ma 100 B.C.E. Chimodzi mwa zinthu zimene zinachititsa kusiyana maganizoku ndi chakuti zithunzi zoyambirira za mipukutu yaing’ono kwambiri imeneyi zinali zosatheka kuziunika mokwanira chifukwa choti zinali zosaoneka bwino. Pofuna kuthetsa kusiyana maganizoku, gulu la akatswiri amaphunziro linayamba kufufuzanso zinthu zokhudza mipukutuyi. Iwo anagwiritsa ntchito njira zatsopano zojambulira zithunzi n’cholinga chotulutsa zithunzi zooneka bwino kwambiri za mipukutuyi. Zotsatira za kufufuza kumeneku zinasindikizidwa posachedwapa. Kodi gulu la akatswiri amaphunziro limeneli linapeza zotani?
Choyamba, akatswiri amaphunzirowa ananenetsa kuti malo omwe anapezako zinthu zamakedzanazi akugwirizana ndi zoti mipukutuyi inalembedwa ukapolo wa ku Babulo usanachitike. Kaonekedwe ka zilembo za mipukutuyi, kutanthauza kuti kaimidwe, ndi kasanjidwe ka zilembozo kakusonyeza kuti inalembedwa cha panthawi yomwe inatchulidwa poyamba ija, yomwe ndi chakumapeto kwa zaka za m’ma 600 B.C.E. Ndipo pomaliza, poganizira za masipelo amene anagwiritsidwa ntchito, gulu la ofufuzali linati: “Zinthu zofukulidwa m’mabwinja ndiponso kaonekedwe ka zilembo za m’mipukutuyi zikusonyeza kuti masipelo akewa n’ngogwirizana ndi nthawi imene tikuganizira kuti mipukutuyi inalembedwa.”
Magazini ya Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research imalongosola mwachidule kafukufuku wa mipukutu ya silivayi, imene imatchedwanso kuti zolemba za Ketef Hinnom, motere: “Ndiyetu sitingakayikire zimene akatswiri ambiri amaphunziro ananena kuti mawu ali pa mipukutuyi ndi mawu akale kwambiri otengedwa m’Baibulo.”
[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 32]
Cave: Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.; inscriptions: Photograph © Israel Museum, Jerusalem; courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority