Ngaba Kuvunyiswa Ngeenkwenkwezi Kwizindlu Zesikhungu?
IBiblical Archaeology Review kaMeyi/Juni 1984 yachaza ngokufunyanwa komfanekiso owenziwe ngamatye amancinane owawulondolozwe kakuhle xa kwakusembiwa izinto zakudala kwindawo eyayinendlu yesikhungu yamandulo. Le ndawo ikummandla owaziwa ngokuba yiHammath Tiberias, ekupheleni koLwandle lwaseGalili. Umlinganiselo wokumba uqikelelwa phakathi kwenkulungwane yesibini neyesihlanu yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Kunjengokuba eli nqaku lichaza lisithi: “Abaphengululi badideke ngokungaqhelekanga ngokubhekisele ekufunyanweni komhla wezindlu zesikhungu zamandulo.”
Kodwa yintoni eyenza lo mfanekiso wenziwe ngamatye amancinane ube ngongaqhelekanga kangaka? “Unothixo wamaGrike uHelios [uthixo welanga] ongqongwe yizodiac. . . . Imiqondiso yeenyanga ezili-12 ichazwe kwiqela elijikeleze uHelios.” Emva kokuxubusha ngombuzo ongokuba oku kwenziwa ngumYuda okanye ngongengomYuda na, eli nqaku lithi: “Noko ke, ingxaki enkulu ngakumbi yile, Ifunani izodiac nothixo wamaGrike kwindlu yesikhungu?” . . . Le ngxaki ikhuliswa sisibakala sokuba izodiac noHelios babumba umxholo owaphindaphindwa kwizindlu zesikhungu eziliqela zamandulo, uHammath Tiberias onguye kuphela ongowokuqala.”
Kodwa ngaba oku bekungaba sisihlandlo sokuqala ukuba amaYuda amandulo axubanise imifuziselo noothixo babahedeni kunye nonqulo lwawo? Hayi, kuba iBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba ngexesha likaKumkani uManase (ngowama-716-661 B.C.E.), ukuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi kwakusele kuthwethwele kunqulo lwamaYuda. Ingxelo yeBhayibhile isixelela oku: “Wabuya wazakha iziganga, awayezidilizile uHezekiya uyise, wammisela uBhahali izibingelelo, wenza ooAshera, njengoko wenzayo uAhabhi ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, waqubuda kumkhosi wonke wezulu, wawukhonza.”—2 Kumkani 21:3.
Kamva, umhlaziyi onenzondelelo uKumkani uYosiya walushenxisa olu qheliselo lobuxoki. “Ukumkani wamwisela umthetho uHilekiya, umbingeleli omkhulu, nababingeleli bolwesibini udidi, nabagcini-mnyango, wokuba bazikhuphe ebhotweni likaYehova zonke iimpahla ezaye zenzelwe uBhahali, noAshera, nomkhosi wonke wezulu. Wazitshisela ngaphandle kweYerusalem emaphandleni aseKidron, uthuthu lwazo walusa eBheteli. Wabaphelisa ababingeleli abangengabo, ababethe ookumkani bakwaYuda babamisela ukuqhumisela ezigangeni, emizini yakwaYuda, nangeenxa zonke eYerusalem; nabaqhumisela kuBhahali, nakwilanga, nakwinyanga, nakwiinkwenkwezi, nakumkhosi wonke wezulu.”—2 Kumkani 23:4, 5.
Ziziphi izifundo ezifundiswa zezi ziganeko zingokwembali? Okokuqala, zifundisa ukuba ukuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi nolunye uqheliselo lokukhafula zizinto ezingavunyelwayo kunqulo loThixo oyinyaniso, uYehova. Okwesibini, zifundisa ukuba kulula ngobani ukuba awele kolu qheliselo ukuba uyalutyeshela ulwalamano lwakhe noYehova aze anikele ingqalelo kwingcamango yabantu nakwinto ebizwa ngokuba bubulumko. Ngoko kulula ‘ukusihlonela nokusikhonza isidalwa kunokukhonza uMdali.’ Umqobo wokuthintela uqheliselo olunjalo ‘kukuba nolwazi oluchanileyo ngoThixo,’ eneneni ukwazi iNkosi enguMongami wendalo iphela, uYehova, noNyana wakhe, uKristu Yesu.—Roma 1:20-25, 28; Yohane 17:3.