Oothixokazi Benzala Nemfazwe

EBUDENI bephulo lokumbiwa kwezinto zakudala e-Ebla, eSyria, kwafunyanwa into ethile eyashiywa ngabangasekhoyo eyayinomfanekiso kaIshtar, uthixokazi wenzala nemfazwe waseBhabhiloni. Ummbi wezinto zakudala uPaolo Matthiae uyichaza “njengomphanda onomfanekiso wonqulo obonisa umbingelelikazi ozigqumileyo omi phambi kwesithixo esithile . . . intloko yaso iphezu kwentsika ecekethekileyo.”

Ukufumaneka kwayo kwakubalulekile, kuba lo mfanekiso wenziwa ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane ye-18 B.C.E. Ngokutsho kukaMatthiae, oku kusinika “ubungqina obuqinisekileyo” bokuba unqulo lukaIshtar lwathabatha iminyaka engama-2 000 lukho.

Unqulo lukaIshtar lwaqala eBhabhiloni yaye kwiinkulungwane ezalandelayo lwanwenwela kubo bonke uBukhosi baseRoma. UYehova wayalela amaSirayeli ukuba aluphephe naluphi na uhlobo lonqulo lobuxoki kwiLizwe Ledinga, kodwa ngenxa yokuba asilela ukwenjenjalo, unqulo luka-Ashtaroti (uthixokazi wenzala nemfazwe wamaKanan uIshtar) lwaba ngumgibe kuwo.—Duteronomi 7:2, 5; ABagwebi 10:6.

Nangona uIshtar noAshtaroti bengasekho, uqheliselo ababelukhuthaza—ukuziphatha okubi nogonyamelo—luxhaphakile. Sisenokude sithandabuze enoba ibutho labantu lanamhlanje lahluke ngokwenene kubantu bamandulo ababenqula aba thixokazi benzala nemfazwe.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 20]

Abantwana babekwanikelwa njengedini kuTanit

[Inkcazelo]

Ralph Crane/Bardo Museum