Iingxelo Zembali ZikaJosephus Ezibangela Umdla
ABAFUNDI bembali kudala bezihlolisisa iincwadi zikaJosephus. Wazalwa kwiminyaka emine emva kokufa kukaKristu, wayelingqina lokuzibonela inzaliseko ebuhlungu yesiprofeto sikaYesu esithetha ngohlanga lwamaYuda lwenkulungwane yokuqala. UJosephus wayengumthetheli-mkhosi, enobuchule kwezothetha-thethwano, engumFarisi, yaye engumphengululi.
Iincwadi zikaJosephus zizele ziinkcukacha ezibangela umdla. Zicacisa imibhalo engcwele yeBhayibhile ngoxa zibonisa ngokoqobo indlela elalimi ngayo elasePalestina. Akumangalisi ukuba abaninzi bezigqala iincwadi zakhe njengezixabisekileyo nezifanele zibekho kumathala abo!
Ubomi Bakhe Eselula
UJoseph ben Matthias, okanye uJosephus, wazalwa ngowama-37 C.E., kunyaka wokuqala wolawulo lomlawuli ongumRoma uCaligula. Uyise kaJosephus wayengowentsapho yakubabingeleli. Uthi, unina, wayeyinzala kaJonathan umbingeleli omkhulu ongumHasmonaean.
Ngoxa wayekwiminyaka yeshumi elivisayo, uJosephus wayengumfundi ozinikeleyo woMthetho kaMoses. Wahlolisisa ngenyameko amahlelo amathathu obuYuda—abaFarisi, abaSadusi, namaEssene. Ekhetha eli lokugqibela, wagqiba kwelokuba kangangeminyaka emithathu ahlale nomntu owayehlala yedwa entlango ogama linguBannus, ngokunokwenzeka owayengumEssene. Wahlukana neli hlelo xa wayeneminyaka eli-19, uJosephus wabuyela eYerusalem waza waba ngumFarisi.
Ukuya ERoma Nokubuya
UJosephus waya eRoma ngowama-64 C.E. ukuze athethelele ababingeleli bamaYuda ibamba lakwaYuda uFelikis elalibathumele ukuba baxoxe ityala labo phambi koMlawuli uNero. Baphukelwa ngumkhombe endleleni, uJosephus wasinda ngezikaSibi ekufeni. Kwahlangulwa abangama-80 kuphela kubantu ababekhwele loo mkhombe abangama-600.
Ebudeni bolo tyelelo lukaJosephus eRoma, umdlali weqonga ongumYuda wamazisa kumfazi kaNero, ukumkanikazi uPoppaea. Lo kumkanikazi waba nendima ebalulekileyo ekuphumeleleni kohambo lwakhe. UJosephus akazange awuvale umlomo ngendlela esasisihle ngayo eso sixeko.
Xa uJosephus wabuyela kwelakwaYuda, amaYuda ayezimisele ukuvukela iRoma. Wazama ukubonisa abantu bakowabo ubudenge bokulwa neRoma. Akungakwazi ukubanqanda yaye mhlawumbi esoyika ukuba babeza kuthi ungumngcatshi, wamkela isabelo sokuba ngumthetheli-mkhosi wemikhosi yamaYuda eGalili. UJosephus wawahlanganisa waza wawaqeqesha amadoda akhe ibe waqokelela izinto ezazifuneka elungiselela idabi nxamnye nemikhosi yamaRoma—kodwa oko kwaba lilize. ElaseGalili lawela kumkhosi kaVespasian. Emva kokurhangqwa iintsuku ezingama-47, inqaba kaJosephus eyayiseJotapata yoyiswa.
Xa wayenikezela, ngobulumko uJosephus waxela kwangaphambili ukuba uVespasian kungekudala wayeza kuba ngumlawuli. Wavalelwa kodwa akazange ohlwaywe ngenxa yoku wakuxela kwangaphambili, uJosephus wakhululwa kusakwenzeka oku. Oku kwabuguqula ubomi bakhe. Ebudeni bayo yonke imfazwe, wasebenzela amaRoma njengetoliki nanjengomlamleli. Ebonisa ukumxhasa kwakhe uVespasian noonyana bakhe uTitus noDomitian, uJosephus wongezelela igama laloo ntsapho elinguFlavius kwigama lakhe.
Iincwadi ZikaFlavius Josephus
Eyona ncwadi indala kwezibhalwe nguJosephus inomxholo othi The Jewish War. Kuthiwa le ngxelo iyimiqulu esixhenxe wayilungiselela ukuze abonise amaYuda ngokucacileyo indlela awayenamandla ngayo amaRoma kunawo nokuze awadimaze angavukeli kwixesha elizayo. Ezi ncwadi zihlolisisa ngenyameko imbali yamaYuda ukususela ekuthinjweni kweYerusalem nguAntiochus Epiphanes (ngenkulungwane yesibini Ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo) ukusa kungquzulwano olubi lowama-67 C.E. Njengengqina lokuzibonela, wandula ke uJosephus axubushe ngemfazwe eyafikelela incopho ngowama-73 C.E.
Enye incwadi kaJosephus ithi The Jewish Antiquities, inemiqulu engama-20 enembali yamaYuda. Iqalisa ngeGenesis kunye nexesha lokudalwa, iqhubeka njalo de ifikelele ekuqhambukeni kwemfazwe nxamnye namaRoma. UJosephus uyilandela ngokusondeleyo indlela iBhayibhile ebalisa ngayo, esongezelela indlela engokwesithethe yokuqonda izinto kunye neembono zabanye.
UJosephus ubalisa ngobomi bakhe kwincwadi enomxholo othi Life. Kuyo uzama ukuthethelela indlela awenza ngayo ebudeni bemfazwe yaye uzama ukuphendula izityholo awayezibekwa nguJustus waseTibheriyo. Incwadi yesine—yokukhusela ukholo enemiqulu emibini enomxholo othi Against Apion—ikhusela ukungaqondwa kakuhle kwamaYuda.
Ukuqonda ILizwi LikaThixo
Alithandabuzeki elokuba ubukhulu becala imbali kaJosephus ichanile. Kwincwadi yakhe enomxholo othi Against Apion, ubonisa ukuba amaYuda akazange aziquke iiNcwadi Ezingaphefumlelwanga njengenxalenye yeZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo. Unikela ubungqina ngokuchana nangokuvumelana kwemibhalo engokobuthixo. UJosephus uthi: “Asinazincwadi zininzi, ezingangqinelaniyo nezingqubanayo, . . . kodwa sinezingamashumi amabini anesibini kuphela [oko kulingana necandelo lethu lanamhlanje elineencwadi zeZibhalo ezingama-39], ezinengxelo yexesha elidluleyo; ngokufanelekileyo esikholelwa ukuba zivela kuThixo.”
Kwincwadi ethi The Jewish Antiquities, uJosephus wongezelela iinkcukacha ezibangela umdla kwingxelo yeBhayibhile. Uthi “uIsake wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabini anesihlanu ubudala” xa uAbraham wambopha izandla neenyawo ukuze abingelele ngaye. Ngokutsho kukaJosephus, emva kokuncedisa ekwakheni isibingelelo, uIsake wathi “‘ebengakufanelekelanga ukuzalwa kwasekuqaleni, ukuba ebeya kukuchasa oko kufunwa nguThixo nanguyise’ . . . Ngoko waya ngoko nangoko esibingelelweni ukuze kubingelelwe ngaye.”
Kwingxelo yeZibhalo engokuphuma kwamaSirayeli kwiYiputa yamandulo, uJosephus wongezelela ezi nkcukacha: “Ayesukelwa ziinqwelo zokulwa ezingamakhulu amathandathu, ngabakhweli mahashe abangamawaka angamashumi amahlanu, nangamadoda ahamba ngeenyawo angamakhulu amabini amawaka, onke exhobile.” Kwakhona uJosephus uthi “xa uSamuweli wayeneminyaka elishumi elinesibini ubudala, waqalisa ukuprofeta: yaye ngesinye isihlandlo ngoxa wayelele, uThixo wambiza ngegama.”—Thelekisa eyoku-1 kaSamuweli 3:2-21.
Ezinye iincwadi zikaJosephus zisenza siqonde iirhafu, imithetho, kunye neziganeko. Uthi yayinguSalome igama lebhinqa elalingqungqa kwitheko likaHerode nelacela intloko kaYohane umBhaptizi. (Marko 6:17-26) Okuninzi esikwaziyo ngooHerode kwabhalwa nguJosephus. Ude athi “ukuze afihle indlela awayemdala ngayo, [uHerode] wajika iinwele zakhe wazenza mnyama.”
Ukuvukelwa Okukhulu KwamaRoma
Kwiminyaka engama-33 emva kokuba uYesu enikele isiprofeto sakhe ngeYerusalem netempile yayo, yaqala ukubonakala inzaliseko yaso. Amaqela amaYuda anemvukelo eYerusalem ayezimisele ukuyisusa phezu kwawo idyokhwe yamaRoma. Ngowama-66 C.E., iindaba ezingoku zakhokelela ekugayweni nasekuthunyelweni kwemikhosi yamaRoma phantsi kwerhuluneli yaseSiriya uCestius Gallus. Yayithunyelwe ukuya kuphelisa imvukelo ize yohlwaye abaphuli-mthetho. Emva kokuba etshabalalisile kwimimandla ekufutshane neYerusalem, amadoda kaCestius arhangqa iindonga zeso sixeko. Esebenzisa indlela ebizwa ngokuba yitestudo, ngokuphumelelayo amaRoma adibanisa amakhaka awo anjengomqolo wofudo ukuze azikhusele kutshaba. Engqinela ukuphumelela kwale ndlela, uJosephus uthi: “Iintolo ezaziphoswa zazisiwa, zibheke ecaleni ngaphandle kokuwenzakalisa; ngoko amajoni aludiliza udonga, wona enganzakaliswa, aza alungiselela ukutshisa isango letempile.”
UJosephus uthi: “Wandula ke uCestius . . . wahlanganisa amajoni akhe . . . Warhoxa kweso sixeko, ngaphandle kwaso nasiphi na isizathu.” Kubonakala ukuba engazimiselanga kuzukisa uNyana kaThixo, uJosephus wabhala kanye ngesenzo awayesilindile amaKristu aseYerusalem. Kwakuzaliseka isiprofeto sikaYesu Kristu! Kwiminyaka engaphambilana, uNyana kaThixo wayelumkise wathi: “Xa nithe nayibona iYerusalem irhawulwe yimikhosi, yazini oko ukuba kusondele ukuphanza kwayo. Ngelo xa mabathi abakwelakwaYuda basabele ezintabeni, nabo baphakathi kwayo mabaphume bemke, nabo basemaphandleni mabangangeni kuyo. Ngokuba yimihla yempindezelo leyo, ukuze kuzaliseke konke okubhaliweyo.” (Luka 21:20-22) Njengoko uYesu wayalelayo, abalandeli bakhe abathembekileyo ngokukhawuleza basaba kweso sixeko, abazange bangene kuso, yaye basinda kwintlekele eyasehlelayo kamva.
Xa imikhosi yamaRoma yabuyayo ngowama-70 C.E., imiphumo yabhalwa ngokweenkcukacha nguJosephus. Inkulu kaVespasian, uNjengele Titus, wayoyisa iYerusalem, kunye netempile yayo ezukileyo. Ngaphakathi kweso sixeko, amaqela alwayo ayezama ukulawula. Abhenela kwiindlela zenkohlakalo engathethekiyo, yaye kwaphalala igazi elininzi. UJosephus uthi bambi “babebandezeleke kakhulu ngenxa yeemfazwe zobukhaya, kangangokuba babenqwenela ukuba amaRoma angenelele,” benethemba “lokukhululwa kwiimfazwe zabo zobukhaya.” Abavukeli ubabiza ngokuthi “ngabaphangi” ababetshabalalisa izinto zezityebi yaye bebulala amadoda abalulekileyo—lawo ayerhanelwa ngokukulungela ukunikezela kumaRoma.
Ngenxa yemfazwe yobukhaya, iimeko ekwakuphilwa phantsi kwazo eYerusalem zaya zisiba nzima ngakumbi, yaye izidumbu zazingangcwatywa. Abo babevukela umbuso “babesilwa nabodwa, ngoxa babenyathela phezu kwezidumbu ezazifunjiwe.” Babephanga izinto zabemi, bebulala abanye ukuze bafumane ukutya nobutyebi. Abantu ababebandezelekile babesenza isijwili umhla nezolo.
UTitus wawabongoza amaYuda ukuba anikezele ngeso sixeko ukuze azisindise. “Wathumela uJosephus ukuba athethe nawo ngolwimi lwawo; kuba wayecinga ukuba ayeya kuvuma ukucengwa ngumntu wakowawo.” Kodwa amgculela uJosephus. Wandula ke uTitus wakha udonga ngezibonda ezitsolo erhangqa sonke isixeko. (Luka 19:43) Kuphele onke amathemba okusinda yaye bevalelekile, indlala “yayizenzela nje ebantwini kuzo zonke iintsapho.” Idabi elaliqhubeka longozelela inani labantu ababesifa. Ezalisekisa isiprofeto seBhayibhile engazi, uTitus wayoyisa iYerusalem. Emva koko ejonge iindonga zayo ezinkulu neenqaba zayo, wathi: “Akukho mntu wumbi ngaphandle koThixo owakhuphele ngaphandle kwezi nqaba amaYuda.” Kwatshabalala amaYuda angaphezu kwesigidi.—Luka 21:5, 6, 23, 24.
Emva Kwemfazwe
Emva kwemfazwe uJosephus waya eRoma. Exhaswa yintsapho yakwaFlavius, wahlala njengommi waseRoma kwipomakazi lendlu ekwakufudula kuhlala kulo uVespasian waza wafumana umhlala-phantsi wasebukhosini kunye nezipho kuTitus. Wandula ke uJosephus waqalisa umsebenzi wokubhala.
Kubangela umdla ukuphawula ukuba kubonakala ngathi nguJosephus owayila igama elithi “uLawulo Lobuthixo.” Ngokuphathelele uhlanga lwamaYuda, wabhala oku: “Urhulumente wethu . . . unokubizwa ngokuthi luLawulo Lobuthixo, ngokuthi unikele igunya namandla kuThixo.”
UJosephus akazange athi ungumKristu. Akazange abhale phantsi kokuphefumlelwa nguThixo. Kodwa, iingxelo zikaJosephus zembali ezibangela umdla zinikela ukuqonda.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 31]
UJosephus kwiindonga zaseYerusalem