INtaba YeSinayi—Isacholo Esithe Ngcu Entlango

ANDINAKUZE ndiyilibale into yokuba ndavuy’ okomntwana mhla ndaqal’ ukubona iNtaba yeSinayi yamandulo. Njengoko sasidubada loo mmandla ushush’ okovundu nomgqubagqubane woSingasiqithi weSinayi eYiputa, iteksi yethu yaya kuthi thaphu kulwabhebhe lweThafa lase-er-Raha. INtaba yeSinayi emangalisayo yenze umqulu omde ukususela kweli thafa. Nqwa nesacholo esithiwe chu entlango. Kwakuvuyisa ukucinga nje ukuba le isenokuba yilaa ntaba uMoses wafumana kuyo uMthetho kaThixo!

Nangona iintetho zisaman’ ukuwa ngokuwa ngeyona ndawo ikuyo iNtaba yeSinayi yaseBhayibhileni, sele kuziinkulungwane ngoku abahambi ngezonqulo bequqa bebuyelela kule ndawo kuba bezixelele ukuba le yintaba yodumo. Kuthe mfamlibe phayaa kwinkulungwane yesithathu yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, kwagaleleka oonkom’ idla yodwa, phofu oophoph’ aba bezahlula nje kwabanye ngenxa yonqulo lwabo. Kwathi ke kwinkulungwane yesithandathu, uMlawuli waseByzantium uJustinian I wakhuph’ umgqala wokuba kwakhiwe kule ndawo inqaba eyayiza kuba likhaya leemonki ukuze kukhuselwe aba nkom’ idla yodwa, waye ke efuna nokuqinisekisa ukuba amaRoma akapheli kuloo ndawo. Elo khaya leemonki, elikumazantsi eNtaba yeSinayi yamandulo, xa kungoku libizwa ngokuba yiSt. Catherine’s. Kutheni ungakhe uthi chu nam njengoko ndithabatha uhambo oluya kwiNtaba yeSinayi?

Makhe Siyihl’ Amahlongwane Le Ntaba

Emva kokudubad’ eluqayini phakathi kweentaba, umqhubi weteksi esasiyikhwele ongumBedouin wasehlisa sineqabane lam kanye ngezantsi kwelo khaya leemonki. Usakungena nje apho, wamkelwa kukubona imixawuka enamatye atsolo neendonga zelo khaya leemonki zikufutshane nemithi ekrozileyo kwakunye nemiyezo eluhlaza yaka. Kodwa sagqitha apho, kuba eyona nto iphambili sasifuna ukunyuka umnqantsa ongasemazantsi sigxumek’ iintente size silalise apho. Lo mnqantsa, iGebel Musa, okuthetha “iNtaba kaMoses,” ngokuqhelekileyo ufaniswa neNtaba yeSinayi.

Emva kokuba sinyuke intaba kangangeeyure ezimbini saya kuthi gangqa kwindawo ekuthiwa siSidibi sikaEliya, isigingqana nje esahlula ummango oziikhilomitha ezintathu weNtaba yeSinayi. Kukho inkolelo yokuba uEliya wayekufutshane naloo mqolomba xa weva ilizwi likaThixo. (1 Kumkani 19:8-13) Sikhe sabek’ amathambo phantsi komthi womsipres oneminyaka engama-500 ukho. Kukho ke nequla elalikho kwamhlamnene. Kaloku amanzi alo acwengileyo napholileyo esiwaphiwe yeny’ indedeba engumBedouin nenobuhlobo afike atshw’ emanxebeni!

Njengoko silandela indlela eqhelekileyo yabahambi, siye senza amatile-tile kangangemizuzu engama-20 sizama ukunyuka kumchankcatho onamatye angama-750 ukuya phezulu. Safika apho kukho icawa encinane. Zithi ke iimonki le tyalike yakhiwe kanye kwindawo uMoses awafumana kuyo uMthetho. Ecaleni kwale tyalike ke kukho umqolomba ekuthiwa uMoses wazifihla kuwo xa uThixo wayedlula. (Eksodus 33:21-23) Kodwa xa sitheth’ inyani, akukho mntu waziyo ukuba ziphi kanye ezo ndawo. Ngaphandle koko, ubona yonk’ into kakuhle xa umi enkcochoyini! Sikhe saphos’ amehlo kwimiqolo ngemiqolo yeentaba ezinelitye elibomvu lenyengane kanye emva kwentili enamatye ngasezantsi. Ngakumzantsi ntshona kukho iGebel Katherina, okanye iNtaba iCatherine—elona cala liphakamileyo layo lingangeemitha ezingama-2 637.

Sinyukile Ke Saya Kutsho NakwiRas Safsafa

Kaloku ngosuku olulandelayo safumana ithuba lokunyuka iRas Safsafa, inkcochoyi yentaba ekummango oziikhilomitha ezintathu kanye njengeGebel Musa. IRas Safsafa isemantla, yaye ingasezantsi kancinane kuneGebel Musa. IRas Safsafa le ngumnqantsa nyhani hayi nje, isusela kwiThafa lase-er-Raha, ndawo leyo ekusenokwenzeka ukuba amaSirayeli ayegxumeke kuyo iintente xa uMoses wayenyukile eye kufumana uMthetho kuYehova.

Njengoko sisiya ngakwiRas Safsafa sihamba kwindawo enemiqhokro nemiqolomba emincinane, siye sadlula kwiicawa, imiyezo nemithombo engasasetyenziswayo—zinto ezo ezibubungqina bokuba kwakha kwahlala iimonki ezingaphezu kwekhulu noonkom’ idla yodwa apho emiqolombeni nakwizisele zamatye. Ngoku kusele imonki enye kuphela.

Siye sathana mandla nayo inesithukuthezi kumyezo obiyelwe ngocingo oluhlabayo noluphakamileyo. Yasamkela isixelela kananjalo ukuba sel’ ineminyaka emihlanu isebenza kulo myezo, isihla kube kanye ngeveki ukuya kwikhaya leemonki. Le monki yasalathisa indlela eya kwiRas Safsafa, yekoko ke nathi ukuphinyela sinyuka, de saya kuthi xhaxhe ngaphezulu ezintabeni. Lubonakala kakuhle gqitha ke apha ulwabhebhe lweThafa lase-er-Raha ngasezantsi kwethu. Kanye ngoxa ndandikule ndawo iphakamileyo, engqondweni kuthi qatha ukuba kanene kusenokwenzeka ukuba uMoses wayenyuka kule ndawo esuka kwinkampu yamaSirayeli esiya kuma phambi koThixo. Ndaba nombono wezo zigidi zithathu zamaSirayeli zihlanganisene “malunga nentaba” kulo mcangalabe wethafa. Ingathi ndiyambona ke noMoses esehla kwezo ndonga, ephethe amacwecwe amabini ekubhalwe kuwo iMithetho Elishumi.—Eksodus 19:2; 20:18; 32:15.

Kuthe ngco kuba imigudu yethu yokunyuka ingabanga lilize, siye sathi chu ngcembe ke, sisenjenjeya ukubuyela ententeni njengoko lalisele libantu bahle. Sincedwa ngulozi-lozi womlilwana esasiwenzile, safunda inxalenye ye-Eksodus echaza izinto ezazisenziwa nguMoses kule ndawo, salala ke emva koko. Kuthe xa kanye intsasa elandelayo sel’ ithand’ ukuqina, saba sele sinkqonkqoza kwikhaya leemonki iSt. Catherine’s.

Ngaphakathi Kwikhaya Leemonki

ISt. Catherine’s le ayisaleli ephungulweni xa kubalwa ezona zikhumbuzo zibalulekileyo kwiNgqobhoko. Ekubeni sele ihlala iimonki zobuGrike bobuOthodoki, iyindumasi kungekuphela nje ngenxa yendawo emi kuyo kodwa nangenxa yemifanekiso nemizi yogcino-ncwadi elapha kuyo. Ukususela kubukho bayo, iSt. Catherine’s le ibikwampenge-mpenge kangangokuba iindwendwe zazinqab’ okwezinyo lenkuku ibe zazibungezelelwa nyhani xa zide zafika. Wawuya kufika iimonki ziwola iindwendwe zazo, ziziphuze ngokusuk’ entliziyweni, zide zihlambe neenyaw’ ezi zazo. Kwakuba kwamlebese ke ezindwendwen’ apha, zidakasa ngokukhululekileyo kweso sinyaka-nyaka sezakhiwo ezikhulu zekhaya leemonki ezibiyelwe ngodonga oluphakame kangangeemitha ezili-14. Kwakusisithethe seemonki ukuthi, ‘Ningahlala iveki, inyanga, kangangoko nifuna.’ Hayi ke noko, kwezi mini, umsebenzi wokubuk’ iindwendwe kweemonki uthande ukuba ngaphaya kwengqondo. Ngoku kufika iindwendwe ezingama-50-000 nyaka ngamnye, zize kubona eli khaya leemonki.

Ngenxa yobuninzi beendwendwe, ukutyelela kusikelwe kwiiyure ezintathu ngemini, kangangeentsuku ezintlanu ngeveki. Abakhenkethi bavunyelwe nje ukuba batyelele ummandla omncinane weli khaya leemonki—intendelezo eneQula likaMoses (ethi ke eny’ intsomi kulapho uMoses wadibana khona nowayeza kuba ngumfazi wakhe), iCawa Yokwenziwa Kumila Kumbi (eyaziwa njengeyona cawa indala ehlabathini), nendawo yeencwadi. Abakhenkethi baboniswa neNdlu yeCawa yeTyholo Elivuthayo—ezithi ke iimonki xa zixelela abakhenkethi, kulapho uMoses waqala khona ukuqonda ubukho bukaThixo. Ekubeni iimonki ziyigqala le ndawo njengeyona ingcwele emhlabeni, iindwendwe ziye zicelwe ukuba zikhulule izihlangu kule ndawo, kanye ngokomyalelo kaThixo kuMoses.—Eksodus 3:5.

Noko isidanisile into yokungavunyelwa ukuba sibone owona mzi wogcino-ncwadi udumileyo kweli khaya leemonki, eyona nto sasinomdla kuyo kule ndawo. Sathi sakucela ukuba khe kwenzelwe nje thina kuphela inceba, yatsho kwavakala indedeba eyayisikhenkethisa: “Aninakuwubona! Eli khaya leemonki liza kuvala kwimizuzu nje embalwa.” Noko ke, kamva, sele sithe qelele kwiqela esasikhenketha nalo, lo wayesikhenkethisa esebeza wathi: “Yizani ngapha!” Sathubeleza ke ngaphantsi kweentambo, sinyuka ngezinyuko, sedlula kwenye imonki engumFrentshi ekwakubonakala ukuba ingumnqa kuyo into yokusibona apho, de sazibona sele simi komnye weyona mizi yogcino-ncwadi midala nedumileyo ehlabathini lonke! Ineencwadi ezingaphezu kwama-4 500, ngesiGrike, isiArabhu, isiSyriac nangolwimi lwaseYiputa. Ngaphambili, yayikwanayo neCodex Sinaiticus exabiseke ngendlela ekhethekileyo.—Bona ibhokisi ekwiphepha 18.

Umqukumbelo Olusizi

Sizokuluqukumbela ukhenketho lwethu ngokuya ngaphandle kweendonga zekhaya leemonki kwindawo ekulahlwa kuyo ubugoxo bamathambo. Apho amathambo ezizukulwana zeemonki nawabo bangoonkom’ idla yodwa enziwa ingqumba, esahlulahlulwa kubekho ingqumba yamathambo emilenze, amathambo eengalo, awokhakhayi, nawamanye ke amalungu. Amathambo okhakhayi afikelela malunga nophahla. Kutheni kukho indawo enje ukuhlathuzelis’ amanwele? Ezi monki zinendawo encinane yamangcwaba. Ngoko ke, xa kusifa umntu, ngokwesiko lazo zikhupha amathambo kwingcwaba elidala ukuze zifumane indawo yokumngcwaba. Monki nganye ikhangele phambili ukuba ngaminazana ithile amathambo ayo aya kuba kunye nawezinye iimonki kuloo ndawo kulahlwa kuyo ubugoxo bamathambo.

Utyelelo lwethu luzokuphela ngendlel’ aph’ elusizi. Kodwa ke, khange ibe kukudlala ngexesha ukuya apho. Siye sakunandipha ukubona imiwewe nemixawuka emangalisayo kwakunye nekhaya leemonki elidumileyo. Kodwa njengoko sisimka, isichukumisa ngokwenene into yokuba kusenokwenzeka siye sanyathela kanye kwezaa ndawo uMoses nohlanga lwakwaSirayeli banyathela kuzo kwiminyaka engama-3 500 eyadlulayo apha kwiNtaba yeSinayi—esisacholo esithe ngcu entlango.—Linikelwe.

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 18]

Kukho Nto Ithile Ebalulekileyo Eye Yafunyanwa

Ebudeni benkulungwane edluleyo, uKonstantin von Tischendorf, ongumphengululi weBhayibhile ongumJamani, wafumana umbhalo-ngqangi weBhayibhile yesiGrike wenkulungwane yesine, ngoku obizwa ngokuba yiCodex Sinaiticus kanye phaya kumzi weemonki oyiSt. Catherine’s. UneZibhalo ezininzi zesiHebhere, ezithatyathwe kwinguqulelo eyiSeptuagint yesiGrike, kwakunye nazo zonke iZibhalo zesiGrike. Lo mbhalo-ngqangi uphakathi kweyona mibhalo midala yaziwayo nepheleleyo yeZibhalo zesiGrike.

Lo kaTischendorf wayefuna ukupapasha imibhalo yalo mbhalo-ngqangi awayibiza ngokuba “bubuncwane obungenakuthelekiswa nanto.” Uthi ke uTischendorf, wacebisa ezi monki ukuba zithabathe lo mbhalo-ngqangi ziwunike umlawuli waseRashiya—oya kusebenzisa impembelelo anayo ukuze akhusele eli khaya leemonki kuba kakade yayinguye owayezibambe zatsh’ iintambo kwiCawa yobuOthodoki yamaGrike.

Eludongeni lweli khaya leemonki kukho inguqulelo yeleta eyashiywa nguTischendorf, ethembisa ukuba ‘zisuka nje bakuba bewufuna lo mbhalo-ngqangi, wayeya kuwubuyisela ungonakalanga yaye ukwimeko entle, kuMbutho Ongcwele weNtaba yeSinayi.’ Noko ke, lo kaTischendorf waba nemvo yokuba ezi monki zazingakuxabisanga ukubaluleka kwalo mbhalo-ngqangi zingayiboni nemfuneko yokuba upapashwe. Ngoko akazange awubuyisele eSt. Catherine’s. Nangona iimonki zanikwa iiruble ezingama-7 000 ngurhulumente waseRashiya, nangoku azikavumelani ncam namalinge abaphengululi okufuna ngamandla ukububek’ elangeni obu buncwane bazo. Ekugqibeleni iCodex Sinaiticus yaya kubekwa kwiMyuziyam yaseBritani, apho inokubonwa ngumntu wonke namhlanje.

Okubalulekileyo kukuba, kwafunyanwa iibhokisi ezingama-47 ezinemifanekiso nezikhumba ngowe-1975 ngasezantsi kodonga olungasentla eSt. Catherine’s. Phakathi kwezinto ezafunyanwayo yintaphane yamaphepha eCodex Sinaiticus awayelahlekile. Okwangoku, la maphepha akakabi nakufumaneka kuwonke-wonke ngaphandle kwabaphengululi abambalwa.

[Iimaphu ezikwiphepha 17]

INtaba yeSinayi

[Inkcazelo]

NASA photo

Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]

IThafa lase-er-Raha, neRas Safsafa

[Inkcazelo]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 18]

IGebel Musa nekhaya leemonki iSt. Catherine’s

[Inkcazelo]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum