‘IPim’ Ingqinela Imbali YeBhayibhile
IGAMA elithi “Pim” livela isihlandlo esinye kuphela eBhayibhileni. Ngemihla kaKumkani uSawule, izixhobo zamaSirayeli zazilolwa ngamaFilisti. IBhayibhile ithi “ixabiso lokulola amakhuba neepeki nezixhobo ezimazinyo mathathu namazembe nokubaza iimviko laliba yipim.”—1 Samuweli 13:21.
Kanye kanye yayiyintoni ipim? Lo mbuzo wahlala uyindida de kwangowe-1907 C.E. xeshikweni kwavunjululwa ingqakumba yokuqala yepim kwisixeko saseGezer samandulo. Abaguquleli beBhayibhile bamandulo babengakwazi ukuguqulela igama elithi “pim.” Ngokomzekelo inguqulelo iKing James, xa iguqulela eyoku-1 kaSamuweli 13:21 ithi: “Babe nesixhobo sokulola iipeki, amakhuba, iifolokhwe, amazembe neemviko.”
Namhlanje abaphengululi bayazi ukuba ipim yayiyingqakumba yokulinganisa emalunga neegram ezisi-7,82 okanye malunga nesibini kwisithathu sobunzima beshekele, owona mlinganiselo waziwayo wawusetyenziswa ngamaHebhere. AmaFilisti ayebiza iqhekeza lesilivere elilingana nobunzima bepim xa elola izixhobo zamaSirayeli. Inkqubo yokulinganisa ngeshekele yaphelelwa ngonoquku xa kwawa ubukumkani bakwaYuda nekomkhulu labo, iYerusalem ngowama-607 B.C.E. Ngoko ke isikali sepim singqinelana njani nembali ebhaliweyo yamaHebhere?
Bambi abaphengululi bathi izicatshulwa zeZibhalo zesiHebhere kuquka nencwadi Yokuqala kaSamuweli, zisusela kwixesha lamaGrike namaRoma, nakamva kwinkulungwane yesibini ukuza kutsho kweyokuqala ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Ngenxa yoko bathi, “asizoncwadi . . . ’zembali,’ inkcazelo yazo ayichananga kangako okanye ayichananga kwaphela ngokuphathelele ‘iBhayibhile,’ okanye ‘uSirayeli wamandulo,’ zayilwa zikhiwa nje entloko kamva ngexesha lamaYuda namaKristu.”
Noko ke, xa wayehlomla ngepim ekuthethwa ngayo kweyoku-1 kaSamuweli 13:21, unjingalwazi uWilliam G. Dever oyingcali yezifundo zokumbiwa kwezinto zakudala namasiko eMpuma Ekufutshane, uthi: “Akunakwenzeka ukuba ezi zikali zibe zayilwa ngababhali ababephila ngexesha lamaGrike namaRoma ekubeni kwakusele kudlule iinkulungwane ezininzi zingasetyenziwa sele zaphoswa kwelokulibala. Inyaniso kukuba, esi sicatshulwa seBhayibhile . . . asizange siqondwe de kwasebutsheni benkulungwane yama-20 A.D., xa kwavunjululwa ipîm yokuqala ebhalwe ngesiHebhere.” Lo njingalwazi utyatyadula athi: “Ukuba onke amabali aseBhayibhileni ‘ayilwa’ ngexesha lamaGrike namaRoma, kwenzeka njani ukuba lona eli ibali livele kwiBhayibhile yamaHebhere? Mhlawumbi ungaphikisa uthi, isiganeko sepîm ‘lisolotya nje elahlukileyo.’ Ewe injalo lonto; eso sisibakala esaziwayo ukuba, ‘imbali iyilwa ziziganeko ezahlukahlukeneyo.’”
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]
Isilinganiso sepim sasimalunga nesibini kwisithathu sobunzima beshekele