Betlehem Buronya Ho Nokwasɛm No Ne Dɛn?

“SƐ YESUSUW Betlehem Ahintasɛm no ho a, yɛrentumi nkwati nsemmisa ne akyinnyegye a ɛbɛba yɛn adwenem no.”​—Bethlehem, a Maria Petrozzi kyerɛwee.

Ebia wubebisa sɛ: ‘Dɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ nsemmisa ne akyinnyegye ba yɛn adwenem?’ Anyɛ yiye koraa no, Buronya ho gyidi horow, ne mmeae a wɔde bata gyidi horow yi ho no gyina nokwasɛm so. Anaa so ɛnte saa?

Wɔwoo No Bere Bɛn?

Maria Teresa Petrozzi bisa bere a wɔwoo Yesu no ho asɛm sɛ: “Bere pɔtee bɛn na wɔwoo Agyenkwa no? Yɛbɛpɛ sɛ yehu ɔsram no, da no, ne dɔn ko no na ɛnyɛ afe no nko. Wɔanka bere pɔtee no ankyerɛ yɛn.” New Catholic Encyclopedia gye eyi tom sɛ: “Yɛrentumi nhu bere pɔtee a wɔwoo Yesu Kristo no.” Ɛka bere a wɔkyerɛ sɛ wɔwoo Kristo no ho asɛm sɛ: “December 25 ne Kristo awoda nhyia na mmom ɛne Natalis Solis Invicti, Romafo owia afahyɛ wɔ bere a owia no mmɛn nkyempɛ no koraa no na ehyia.”

Enti ebia wubebisa sɛ, ‘Sɛ wɔanwo Yesu December 25 a, bere bɛn na wɔwoo no?’ Efi Mateo atiri 26 ne 27 no, yehu sɛ Yesu wui wɔ Yudafo Twam bere a efii ase April 1, 33 Y.B. mu no mu. Afei nso, Luka 3:21-23 bɔ yɛn amanneɛ sɛ na Yesu adi bɛyɛ mfe 30 bere a ofii ne som adwuma ase no. Esiane sɛ ɔyɛɛ n’asase so som adwuma no mfe abiɛsa ne fã nti, na wadi bɛyɛ mfe 33 1/2 bere a owui no. Na anka Kristo benya mfe 34 pɛpɛɛpɛ wɔ asram asia akyi, na anka ɛno bɛyɛ October 1. Sɛ yɛkan kɔ yɛn akyi na ama yɛahu bere a wɔwoo Yesu no a, yɛrennu December 25 anaa January 6, na mmom yebedu October 1 wɔ afe 2 A.Y.B. mu.

Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛhyɛ no nsow sɛ wɔ December ɔsram no mu no, awɔw ba Betlehem ne ne mpɔtam hɔ, nsu a ɛma awɔw tɔ, na ɛtɔ mmere bi a, sukyerɛma tɔ. Obi nhu sɛ nguanhwɛfo ne wɔn nguan wɔ abɔnten anadwo wɔ saa bere no mu. Na wim tebea no te saa fi tete. Kyerɛwnsɛm no bɔ amanneɛ sɛ na Yuda hene Yehoiakim “te awɔw bere dan mu, ɔsram a ɛto so akron no mu [Kislew, ɛba wɔ November ne December ntam], na ade mu gya a ɛredɛw taa n’anim.” (Yeremia 36:22) Na ohia ɔhyew no na ama ne ho ayɛ no hyew. Bio nso, wɔ Esra 10:9, 13 no, yehu adanse foforo a ɛkyerɛ sɛ Kislew yɛ ‘osutɔ bere a na wontumi nnyina abɔnten.’ Eyi nyinaa kyerɛ sɛ Betlehem wim tebea wɔ December mu ne nsɛm a esisii wɔ Yesu Kristo awo mu a Bible no ka ho asɛm no nhyia.​—Luka 2:8-11.

Wɔ He?

Beae a ɛno ka ho nti na wɔkoo Crimea ɔko (1853-56) a ‘emu apereperedi a mogyahwiegu wom’ kunkum Fransefo asraafo ɔpeha ne akyi no ho adwene a ɛteɛ ne dɛn? So ɛhɔnom ankasa na wɔwoo Yesu?

Nea edi kan no, Bible no ankasa nka faako pɔtee a wɔwoo Yesu. Mateo ne Luka si so dua sɛ Yesu awo maa Mesia no ho nkɔmhyɛ a ɛwɔ Mika 5:2, a na aka asie sɛ Betlehem na ‘nea ɔbɛyɛ Isreal sodifo a n’adifi fi tete nteredee no’ befi aba no nyaa mmamu. (Mateo 2:1, 5; Luka 2:4) Asɛmpa no mu kyerɛwtohɔ abien nyinaa no ka ahiade atitiriw no nkutoo ho asɛm, ɛne sɛ wɔwoo Yesu wɔ Betlehem, na sɛnea Luka kyerɛ no, wɔde ntama kyekyeree akokoaa no na wɔde no too mmoa adididaka mu.​—Luka 2:7.

Dɛn nti na Asɛmpa no akyerɛwfo amfa nkyerɛkyerɛmu pii anka ho? Maria Teresa Petrozzi ka sɛ: “Asɛmpakafo bu ani gu nkyerɛkyerɛ yi so, efisɛ ɛda adi sɛ wobu no sɛ ɛnkyerɛ hwee.” Nokwarem no, ɛda adi sɛ Yesu ankasa ammu n’awo ho nkyerɛkyerɛmu sɛ ehia titiriw efisɛ wɔnkaa pɛnkoro mpo da sɛ ɔbɔɔ faako a wɔwoo no anaa baabi pɔtee a wɔwoo no din. Ɛwom mpo sɛ wɔwoo no wɔ Betlehem de, nanso Yesu ammu hɔ sɛ ne kurom, na mmom ɔkaa Galilea mpɔtam hɔ ho asɛm sɛ “ne kurom.”​—Marko 6:1, 3, 4; Mateo 2:4, 5; 13:54.

Yohane 7:40-42 akenkan kyerɛ sɛ na nnipa no ankasa nnim faako a wɔwoo no, na wosusuwii sɛ wɔwoo no Galilea: “Na afoforo se: So Kristo no befi Galilea nen?” The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem gyina nea wɔakyerɛw wɔ Yohane 7:41 no so kae sɛ: “Nkɔmmɔbɔ a ɛte sɛɛ no nkyerɛ ankasa sɛ nokwasɛm a ɛne sɛ wɔwoo Kristo wɔ Betlehem no nyɛ nokware; nanso anyɛ yiye koraa no, ɛkyerɛɛ sɛ na N’ahokafo pii nnim.”

Ɛda adi sɛ wɔ Yesu ankasa asase so asetra mu no, wammɔ n’awo ho nkyerɛkyerɛmu dawuru. Wɔansi faako a wɔwoo no so dua. Ɛnde, dɛn so na wogyina gye di sɛ Nativity Grotto no ne faako a Yosef de Maria bae sɛ ɔmmɛwo?

Petrozzi gye tom pefee sɛ: “Yentumi nhu ankasa sɛ ebia na ɔbodan no yɛ abodan pii a na ɛwɔ Betlehem mpɔtam hɔ no mu biako, anaasɛ ɔbodan a wɔayɛ no apɔnkɔdan wɔ ahɔhodan bi mu. Nanso, atetesɛm a efi afeha a ɛto so 2 no fã a edi kan no mu da adi pefee; ɛyɛ ɔbodan mu apɔnkɔ dan.”​—Yɛn na yɛde nkyerɛwde soronko akyerɛw afã bi no.

Atetesɛm Kɛkɛ

Maria Teresa Petrozzi ne R. W. Hamilton ne Betlehem ho abakɔsɛm asuafo afoforo kyerɛ sɛ Justin Martyr a ɔtraa ase wɔ afeha a ɛto so abien Y.B. mu no na odii kan kyerɛe sɛ wɔwoo Yesu wɔ ɔbodan bi mu a wankyerɛ ɔbodan ko. Hamilton ka nea Justin Martyr kae no ho asɛm sɛ: “Eyi yɛ asɛm bi a ɔkae kɛkɛ, na sɛ yenya adwene sɛ ɔbodan pɔtee bi ho asɛm na ɛwɔ Ɔhotefo Martyr adwenem, ne sɛ na ɔreka mprempren Cave of the Nativity no ho asɛm a, ɛnde na yɛrehwehwɛ asɛmfua bi ho adanse pii dodo.”

Hamilton kyerɛwee wɔ ne nhoma no ase hɔ asɛm bi mu sɛ: “Nativity no ho kyerɛwtohɔ bi a epue wɔ ‘Yakobo Nhoma’ anaasɛ ‘Protevangelium’ a wommu no sɛ ɛyɛ Kyerɛwnsɛm no fã, a wɔkyerɛw no bere koro no ara mu no mu nso ka ɔbodan bi ho asɛm, nanso ɛka sɛ ɛda ɔkwan a ɛkɔ Betlehem no mfinimfini. Bere dodow a ɛka abakɔsɛm mu nokwasɛm bi ho asɛm no, asɛm no kyerɛ sɛ na wonnya nkyerɛe sɛ ɛwɔ beae bi pɔtee, na ɛda adi sɛ ɛnkyerɛ Cave of the Nativity no.”

Afeha a ɛto so abiɛsa no mu nyamesom akyerɛwfo, Origen ne Eusebius ka sɛ saa atetesɛm a na wonim wɔ saa bere no mu no sii wɔ beae pɔtee bi. Hamilton ka sɛ: “Bere a wɔde asɛm no abata ɔbodan pɔtee bi ho no, na ɛte sɛ nea ɛbɛyɛ nokware; na ɛyɛ papa sɛ yɛbɛka sɛ ɔbodan a wɔde kyerɛɛ nsrahwɛfo wɔ 200 Y.B. akyi pɛɛ no ne mprempren Cave of the Nativity no sɛ.”

W. H. Bartlett ka nea edi so yi fa ɔbodan yi ho wɔ ne nhoma Walks About the City and Environs of Jerusalem (1842) no mu sɛ: “Ɛwom sɛ atetesɛm a ɛne sɛ ɛha ne baabi a wɔwoo yɛn Agyenkwa no, yɛ tete ade a ɛwɔ obu, na Ɔhotefo Jerome a ɔtraa ase na owui wɔ afiasedan bi a ɛbɛn hɔ no mu kaa ho asɛm de, nanso beae no ne nokwasɛm nhyia, efisɛ ɛwom sɛ ɛtɔ da bi a, wɔde abodan di dwuma sɛ apɔnkɔdan wɔ Palestina de, nanso emu dɔ kɔ fam sen sɛnea ɛbɛfata sɛ wɔde bedi dwuma a ɛte sɛɛ; na afei nso, sɛ yesusuw nkokorafo su a ɛne sɛ wɔkyerɛ sɛ Kyerɛwnsɛm mu nsɛm atitiriw sisii wɔ abodan mu, ebia esiane sɛ wɔn ani gye beae a ɛte sɛɛ no ho nti ho a, ɛkame ayɛ sɛ adwene a wɔwɔ sɛ ɛnyɛ hɔnom na esii no yɛ nokware.”

Dɛn na yebetumi agyina abakɔsɛm mu adanse a yɛwɔ no so aka, ne titiriw no Kyerɛwnsɛm mu nokwasɛm a ese Yesu ne n’asuafo no ammu faako wɔwoo no no sɛ asɛnhia no? Ɛda adi sɛ bere a Ɔhemmea Helena, Konstantino Ɔkɛseɛ no maame kyerɛɛ baabi a ɛsɛ sɛ wosi Church of the Nativity no wɔ afe 326 Y.B. mu no, ogyinaa nea Hamilton ka sɛ ɛyɛ ‘atetesɛm a akyɛ a wɔde bata ho’ no so na ɛyɛɛ saa. Na ennyina abakɔsɛm anaa Bible mu adanse so.

Eyi ma yɛde ba awiei bio sɛ yennim baabi pɔtee a wɔwoo Kristo no. Enti, so ntease wom sɛ anokwafo no bɛkɔ akɔhwɛ kronkronbea wɔ mmeae te sɛ Grotto of the Nativity no mu na wɔasom? Nokwarem no, sɛ wɔhwehwɛ sɛ Kristofo yɛ saa a, so anka Yesu ankasa renka asɛyɛde yi anaa saa ade a ɔpɛ yi no nkyerɛ n’asuafo? So anka wɔrenkyerɛw wɔ Onyankopɔn Asɛm a ɛne Bible no mu mma adesamma nkenkan? Bere a adanse a ɛte sɛɛ nni Bible no mu no, eye sɛ yebebisa dekode a Yesu buu no sɛ ɛfata sɛ yɛkae.

Sɛ yɛhwehwɛ mu dɛn ara a, bere biako pɛ a yebehu sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ Yesu asuafo kae wɔ awo ntoatoaso no nyinaa mu ne n’afɔrebɔ wu no. Owui wɔ fefɛw bere mu, bere a ɔne n’asuafo dii ne Twam aduan a etwa to no wiei akyi pɛɛ. Saa bere no, ɔhyɛɛ n’asuafo anokwafo no sɛ wɔnyɛ sɛnkyerɛnne kwan so adidi a wɔde abodo a mmɔkaw nnim, te sɛ matzoth, ne bobesa kɔkɔɔ bedi dwuma. Ɔde ahyɛde mae wɔ ade a ne yɛ nyɛ den a wodii kan yɛe wɔ April 1, 33 Y.B. mu no ho sɛ: “Monyɛ eyi mfa nyɛ me nkae.”​—Luka 22:19, 20.

Yehowa Adansefo a wɔwɔ wiase nyinaa di Kristo afɔrebɔ wu Nkae afahyɛ no afe biara de di saa Kyerɛwnsɛm mu ahyɛde a Yesu ankasa de mae no so. Wɔnyɛ Kristofo nhyiam yi wɔ beae titiriw bi wɔ abansoro bi so wɔ Yerusalem, efisɛ Yesu ankyerɛ saa. Nanso, wɔ wiase nyinaa no, wohyiam wɔ wɔn Ahenni Asa ahorow so ne wɔn mpɔtam hɔ nhyiambea afoforo a ɛfata mu. Wobedi afahyɛ a edi hɔ no March 30, 1991, bere a owia akɔtɔ. Yɛto nsa frɛ wo sɛ kɔ bi wɔ Yehowa Adansefo Ahenni Asa a ɛbɛn wo fie sen biara no so.

Sɛ wobɛkɔ afahyɛ titiriw yi de adi Yesu ahyɛde no so a, enhia sɛ wutu kwan kɔ Yerusalem anaa Betlehem. Yesu ne n’asuafo nyinaa ankyerɛ sɛ mmeae yi yɛ Kristofo som mu mmeae atitiriw. Ɔkwan foforo so no, Yesu ka kyerɛɛ Samariani bea bi a na ɔsom wɔ Gerisim, Samaria bepɔw bi a ɛwɔ Yerusalem kusuu fam so no sɛ: “Ɔbea, gye me di sɛ, da no reba a ɛnyɛ bepɔw yi so anaasɛ Yerusalem na mobɛsɔre agya no. Na bere no reba, na adu, sɛ nokware asɔrefo bɛsɔre agya no honhom ne nokware mu; na wɔn a wɔsɔre no saa no nso na agya no rehwehwɛ.”​—Yohane 4:21, 23.

Wɔn a wɔsom Agya no honhom ne nokware mu no mfa wɔn ho nto mmeae atitiriw, te sɛ Betlehem, anaa nneɛma te sɛ ahoni so wɔ wɔn som mu. Ɔsomafo Paulo kae sɛ: “Sɛ yɛte nipadua mu fie yi, yɛnte fie Awurade nkyɛn; efisɛ yɛnam gyidi mu, na ɛnyɛ ohu mu.”​—2 Korintofo 5:6, 7.

Nanso, ebia wobɛkɔ so abisa sɛ, ɔkwan bɛn so na obi betumi asom Onyankopɔn wɔ ɔkwan a ɛsɔ n’ani so? Bere foforo a Yehowa Ɔdansefo bi bɛba wo fie no, yɛsrɛ wo, bisa no.

[Mfonini wɔ kratafa 5]

Awɔw bere mu no, sukyerɛmma betumi akata asase a ɛbɛn Betlehem no so. So nguanhwɛfo ne wɔn nguan bɛda abɔnten?

[Mfonini Fibea]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Mfonini wɔ kratafa 7]

Church of the Nativity a ɛwɔ Betlehem ne n’asase ase ɔbodan

[Mfonini Fibea]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Mfonini Fibea]

Garo Nalbandian