Ngaba Ubusazi?

Zazihlawulwa njani iindleko zetempile kaYehova eyayiseYerusalem?

▪ Imisebenzi eyahlukahlukeneyo eyayisenziwa etempileni yayixhaswa ngemali yerhafu, izishumi ezazinyanzelekile. Kodwa kwakusetyenziswa nezinye iindlela. Ngokomzekelo, xa kwakusakhiwa umnquba, uYehova wayalela uMoses aqokelele isiqingatha sesilivere yeshekele kumSirayeli ngamnye obhalisiweyo, “soba ngumnikelo kuYehova.”—Eksodus 30:12-16.

Kuyabonakala ukuba yahamba yasisithethe into yokuba umYuda ngamnye anikele etempileni ngemali eqingqiweyo rhoqo ngonyaka. Yayiyile rhafu uYesu ayalela ukuba uPetros ayihlawule ngengqekembe awayeyifumene emlonyeni wentlanzi.—Mateyu 17:24-27.

Kwiminyaka eliqela eyadlulayo, eYerusalem kuye kwafunyanwa iintlobo ezimbini zengqekembe ekwakuhlawulwa ngazo irhafu yetempile. Enye ingqekembe eyayenziwe eTire ngowama-22 C.E., yafunyanwa kumzila wokugutyula wenkulungwane yokuqala. Le shekele inomfanekiso wentloko kaMelkart okanye uBhahali, isithixo esiphambili samaTire, kwelinye icala lale shekele kukho umfanekiso wokhozi oluthe ngcu kumphini wokulawula inqanawa. Ingqekembe yesibini, eyafunyanwa kwinkunkuma eyayikhutshwe etempileni, ingqamana nonyaka wokuqala wemvukelo yamaYuda nxamnye namaRoma, ngowama-66-67 C.E. Le ngqekembe inomfanekiso wendebe, namakrwaqa amathathu erharnathi nombhalo othi: “iSiqingatha seShekele” nothi “iYerusalem eNgcwele.” Ngokuphathelele oku uNjingalwazi Gabriel Barkay uthi ezi ngqekembe “zineempawu zokutshiswa ngumlilo, ekusenokwenzeka ukuba ngumlilo owatshabalalisa iTempile yeSibini ngowama-70 CE.”

Ayenjani amaphulo okwakha kaNebhukadinetsare, ukumkani waseBhabhiloni?

▪ Incwadi yeBhayibhile kaDaniyeli icaphula uNebhukadinetsare esithi: “Asiyiyo na le iBhabhiloni Enkulu, endizakhele yona ngamandla am amakhulu ukuba ibe yindlu yasebukhosini, ngenxa yesidima sobungangamsha bam?” (Daniyeli 4:30) Ngaba sasisikhulu ngokwenene esi sixeko samandulo?

Izazi ngembali ziyamncoma uNebhukadinetsare ngokwakha iitempile, amabhotwe, iindonga zesixeko nomyezo oyokoyoko. Itempile eyintloko eyayisembindini weBhabhiloni yayinenqaba, eyayiphakame kangangeemitha ezingama-70. Incwadi ethi Babylon—City of Wonders, ithi: “Ezona zinto zazibalasele kwizinto awazakhaya uNebhukadinetsare yiNdlela Yomngcelele neSango likaIshtar.” Le Ndlela Yomngcelele eyayinqumla kwisango likaIshtar, emacaleni yayiphahlwe yimihombiso yemizobo yeengonyama. Xa ichaza ngelona sango lalibalasele eBhabhiloni le ncwadi yongeza ithi: “Lalakhiwe ngezitena eziblowu ezikhazimlayo lihonjiswe ngamakhulu emifanekiso yeenkunzi zenkomo nezinye izilwanyana, umele ukuba wawungacim’ engqondweni loo mbono kumntu wamandulo xa etyelele kwelo komkhulu.”

Ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yama-20, abembi bezinto zakudala bavumbulula iindonga ezidilikileyo zeNdlela Yomngcelele nesango likaIshtar zaza zaphinda zadityaniswa kwiMyuziyam yasePergamon, eBerlin, eJamani.

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 12]

Ubukhulu bazo

[Inkcazelo]

Ngasentla: Clara Emit, Courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority; Ngezantsi: Zev Radovan

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 12]

Ukwakhiwa ngokutsha kwesango likaIshtar