Iingceba Zeengqayi Zamandulo Zingqina Ukuchana Kwengxelo YeBhayibhile

IBHAYIBHILE iliLizwi likaThixo eliphefumlelweyo. (2 Timoti 3:16) Oko ikuthethayo ngabantu bamandulo, iindawo neemeko zonqulo nezobupolitika kuchanile. Eneneni ukuchana kweZibhalo akuxhomekekanga kwizinto ezifunyanwa ngabembi bezinto zakudala, nangona ezo zinto zisinceda siyiqonde kakuhle ingxelo yeBhayibhile.

Ngoxa abembi bezinto zakudala babesimba kwiindawo zamandulo, ezona zinto bazifumanayo ziingceba zeengqayi ezinemibhalo. Mandulo phayaa, kwimimandla ekuMbindi Mpuma equka iYiputa neMesopotami, iingceba zezinto ezenziwe ngodongwe zazisetyenziswa njengezinto zokubhalela ezingabizi mali ingako. Ezi ngceba zazisetyenziselwa ukubhala izivumelwano, amatyala, ukurhwebelana njalo njalo, nto ezo ezibhalwa emaphepheni namhlanje. Ngokuqhelekileyo xa kubhalwa kwezi ngceba kwakusetyenziswa i-inki, yaye kwakubhalwa imibandela eyahlukeneyo ukususela kofuna igama nje elinye ukusa kobhalwa kwimigca okanye imiqolo emininzi.

KwaSirayeli, abembi bezinto zakudala bafumana inkitha yeengceba ezazisetyenziswa ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile. Iingqokelela ezintathu ezibhalwe imihla esusela kwinkulungwane yesixhenxe ukusa kweyesibhozo ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo zibangel’ umdla ngokukhethekileyo kuba zingqina iinkcukacha ezahlukahlukeneyo zembali yeBhayibhile. Ezi zafunyanwa eSamariya, eAradi naseLakishe. Makhe sinikel’ ingqalelo kwingqokelela nganye yezi ngceba.

Iingceba ZaseSamariya

ISamariya yayilikomkhulu lezizwe ezilishumi zobukumkani obungasentla bakwaSirayeli de yabhukuqwa yiAsiriya ngowama-740 B.C.E. Ithetha ngemvelaphi yeSamariya, eyoku-1 yooKumkani 16:23, 24 ithi: ‘Ngonyaka wamashumi amathathu ananye ka-Asa ukumkani wakwaYuda [ngowama-947 B.C.E.], uOmri waba ngukumkani wakwaSirayeli. Wathenga intaba yaseSamariya ngeetalente ezimbini zesilivere kuShemere, waza kuloo ntaba wakha isixeko awasibiza ngokuba yiSamariya.’ Esi sixeko sasisekho ukutyhubela ixesha lamaRoma yaye sabizwa ngokuba yiSebaste. Sabhanga ngenkulungwane yesithandathu yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo.

Xa lalisemba kummandla weSamariya yamandulo ngowe-1910, iqela labembi bezinto zakudala lafumana ingqokelela yeengceba ezinemibhalo, elicinga ukuba zazikho ukususela kwinkulungwane yesibhozo ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Kwezo ngceba kwakuthethwa ngeoli eyayisetyenziswa ekutyeni kunye newayini eyayifunyanwa kwimimandla eyahlukahlukeneyo yaseSamariya. Igqabaza ngezi ngceba, incwadi ethi Ancient Inscriptions—Voices From the Biblical World ithi: “Ingqokelela yeengceba ezingama-63 ezafunyanwa ngowe-1910 . . . igqalwa njengebalulekileyo kwingxelo ebhaliweyo yezinto ezasala kuSirayeli wamandulo. Ukubaluleka kwazo akubangelwa ngumongo wezo zinto zibhalwe kuzo . . . kodwa kubangelwa luludwe olukuzo lwamagama abantu bakwaSirayeli, izizwe zabo nendlela eyayibizwa ngayo imimandla abahlala kuyo.” La magama akungqina njani ukuchana kwengxelo yeBhayibhile?

Ukufika kwamaSirayeli kwiLizwe Lesithembiso alahlulahlula ngokwezizwe zawo, ummandla weSamariya wamiswa kumhlaba wesizwe sikaManase. Ngokutsho kukaYoshuwa 17:1-6, izizwe ezilishumi zikaManase, eziphuma kumzukulwana wakhe uGiliyadi, zanikwa umhlaba kulo mmandla. Esika-Abhi-ezere, esikaHeleki, esika-Asriyeli, esika-Shekem, esikaShemida. Indoda yesithandathu, uHefere, yayingenabo abazukulwana abangamadoda kodwa ingabazukulwana abahlanu abangamantombazana—uMahala, uNowa, uHogela, uMilka noTirtsa—yaye ngamnye kwabo bazukulwana wanikwa umhlaba wakhe.—Numeri 27:1-7.

Iingceba ezinemibhalo ezafunyanwa eSamariya zinawo osixhenxe amagama ezi zizwana—amagama amahlanu oonyana bakaGiliyadi naweentombi ezimbini zikaHefere, uHogela noNowa. INIV Archaeological Study Bible ithi: “La magama agcinwe kwiiNgceba zaseSamariya ongezelela koko kubhalwe eBhayibhileni, kuba anxibelelanisa izizwana zikaManase kunye nommandla iBhayibhile ethi zazihlala kuwo.” Ngoko ke, le ngxelo ikwezi ngceba ingqina imbali yeBhayibhile yezizwe zamandulo zakwaSirayeli.

Kwakhona iingceba zaseSamariya zingqina ukuchana kwemeko yonqulo lwakwaSirayeli echazwe eBhayibhileni. Ngexesha ezazibhalwa ngalo ezi ngceba, amaSirayeli ayelibopha ngebande elinye unqulo lukaYehova nonqulo lothixo wamaKanan uBhahali. Isiprofeto sikaHoseya, naso esabhalwa ngenkulungwane yesibhozo ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, sithetha ngexesha laxa amaSirayeli aguqukileyo engayi kuphinda abize uYehova ngokuthi “Mnini wam” okanye “Bhahali wam” kodwa eya kumbiza ngokuthi “Ndoda yam.” (Hoseya 2:16, 17) Amanye amagama awafunyanwa kwiingceba zaseSamariya athetha ukuba ‘uBhahali ngubawo,’ ‘uBhahali uyacula,’ “Womelele uBhahali,” ‘uBhahali akalibali,’ njalo njalo. Ngangendlela elalidume ngayo igama likaBhahali, abantu ababethiywa ngalo babephantse balingane nabo babethiywa ngegama likaYehova.

Iingceba ZaseAradi

IAradi yayisisixeko samandulo esasimi kummandla owawukumazantsi eYerusalem nongenazimvula kangako owawubizwa ngokuba yiNegebhi. Izinto ezembiwa eAradi zibonisa iinqaba ezintandathu ezaba nempumelelo kwaSirayeli, ukususela kwixesha lolawulo lukaSolomon (ngowe-1037-998 B.C.E.) ukusa ekutshatyalalisweni kweYerusalem yiBhabhiloni ngowama-607 B.C.E. Abembi bafumana ingqokelela eninzi yeengceba ezazibhalwe ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile. Le ngqokelela yayinayo nemibhalo engama-200 yesiHebhere, eyesiAramiki neyezinye iilwimi.

Ezinye iingceba ezafunyanwa eAradi zingqina ukuchana kwengxelo yeBhayibhile ephathelele iintsapho zababingeleli. Ngokomzekelo, kwenye yezi ngceba kuthethwa ‘ngoonyana bakaKora,’ ekuthethwe ngabo kwiEksodus 6:24 nakwiNumeri 26:11. Imixholo yeNdumiso 42, 44-49, 84, 85, 87, neyama-88, ngokukhethekileyo ithi ezi ndumiso ‘zezoonyana bakaKora.’ Ezinye iintsapho zababingeleli ekuthethwe ngazo kwezi ngceba zaseAradi yintsapho yakwaPashure neyakwaMeremoti.—1 Kronike 9:12; Ezra 8:33.

Khawuqwalasele nanku omnye umzekelo. Kumabhodlo enye yeenqaba, ekucingelwa ukuba yayikho ngaphambi kokuba iBhabhiloni itshabalalise iYerusalem, abembi bezinto zakudala bafumana iceba elalibhalelwe umphathi waloo nqaba. Impapasho ethi The Context of Scripture ithi kweli ceba kwakukho namazwi athi: “Kwinkosi yam uElyashib. Ngamana uYahweh [uYehova] anganawe . . . Kumbandela obundiyalele wona: konke kusahamba kakuhle: lowo uhleli etempileni kaYahweh.” Abaphengululi abaninzi bakholelwa ukuba le tempile kuthethwa ngayo apha yitempile yaseYerusalem, eyaqala ukwakhiwa ngexesha likaSolomon.

Iingceba ZaseLakishe

Isixeko saseLakishe esasiyinqaba sasimi kummandla oziikhilomitha ezingama-43 kumzantsi-ntshona weYerusalem. Xa kwakusembiwa izinto zakudala ngowe-1930, kwafunyanwa iingceba ezininzi, yaye ezili-12 kuzo yayiziileta ezachazwa ‘njengezibaluleke ngokwenene ngenxa yendlela eziyicacisa ngayo imeko yezopolitiko nezidubedube ezazisenzeka ngoxa uYuda wayeza kuhlaselwa nguNebhukadenetsare [uKumkani waseBhabhiloni].’

Ezona zazibaluleke ngokwenene zezo zokubhalelana kukaYaosh, ekusenokwenzeka ukuba wayengumphathi womkhosi waseLakishe, negosa elingaphantsi kwakhe. Ulwimi olusetyenziswe kwezi leta lufana nolo lukwiincwadi zomprofeti uYeremiya owayephila ngelo xesha. Khawuqwalasele indlela iileta ezimbini kwezi ezikuxhasa ngayo oko kuthethwa yiBhayibhile ngamaxesha amanqam.

KuYeremiya 34:7, lo mprofeti uthetha ngexesha “laxa imikhosi yamajoni yokumkani waseBhabhiloni yayisilwa neYerusalem nazo zonke izixeko zakwaYuda ezazisele, iLakishe neAzeka; kuba yayizezi zixeko zinqatyisiweyo ezazisekho kwizixeko zakwaYuda.” Nombhali wenye yeeNcwadi zaseLakishe uyathetha ngesi siganeko. Ubhala enjenje: “Sibona imiqondiso (yomlilo) yaseLakishe . . . , yona iAzeka ayibonakali.” Abaphengululi abaninzi bakholelwa ukuba oku kubonisa ukuba iAzeka yoyiswa yiBhabhiloni, emva kwayo kuza kulandela iLakishe. Eyona nto ibangel’ umdla kule ngxelo libinzana elithi ‘imiqondiso yomlilo.’ UYeremiya 6:1 uthetha ngeendlela zonxibelelwano ezifana nale ezazisetyenziswa.

Enye iLeta yaseLakishe kuthiwa ixhasa oko kwathethwa ngumprofeti uYeremiya noHezekile ngemigudu eyayisenziwa ngukumkani wakwaYuda efuna ukuxhaswa yiYiputa xa wayevukela iBhabhiloni. (Yeremiya 37:5-8; 46:25, 26; Hezekile 17:15-17) Le Leta yaseLakishe ithi: “Ngoku umkhonzi wakho ufumene le nkcazelo: UNjengele uKonyahu unyana kaElnatan uye ngakumazantsi ukuze angene eYiputa.” Xa betolika esi senzo, abaphengululi badla ngokuthi ziinzame zokufumana uncedo kumkhosi waseYiputa.

Iingceba zaseLakishe zithetha ngamagama awafunyanwa kwincwadi kaYeremiya. Elithi Neriya, Yahazaniya, Gemariya, Elnatan, noHoshaya. (Yeremiya 32:12; 35:3; 36:10, 12; 42:1) Akuqinisekwanga enoba la magama afunyanwa kwezi ngceba ikwangamagama abo bantu athetha ngabo uYeremiya. Noko ke, ekubeni uYeremiya wayesaphila ngelo xesha, kusenokwenzeka ukuba ngawabo ngokwenene.

Into Ezifana Ngayo

Ingqokelela yeengceba zemibhalo yaseSamariya, eAradi naseLakishe zingqina ukuchana kweengxelo ezininzi zeBhayibhile, kuquka amagama eentsapho, iindawo neemeko zopolitiko nezonqulo ezazikho ngaloo maxesha. Noko ke, kukho inkalo ebalulekileyo ekho kuzo zontathu ezi ngqokelela.

Iileta ezafunyanwa kwiingqokelela zaseAradi naseLakishe zinamabinzana afana nelithi, “Ngamana uxolo lukaYehova lunganawe.” Kwiileta ezisixhenxe zaseLakishe, igama likaThixo likhankanywa izihlandlo ezili-11. Ngaphezu koko, kuzo zontathu ezi ngqokelela, kumagama abantu esiHebhere kukho izifinyezo zegama likaYehova. Ngoko, ezi ngceba zingqina ukuba amaSirayeli awayephila ngelo xesha ayelisebenzisa igama likaThixo.

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Iceba elalithunyelwa kwindoda egama linguElyashib elafunyanwa kumabhodlo aseAradi

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Photograph © Israel Museum, Jerusalem; courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority

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Ileta yaseLakishe enegama likaThixo

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Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum