Incwadi Onokuyithemba—Icandelo 1

IYiputa Kwimbali YeBhayibhile

Ukubhalwa kweBhayibhile kwathabatha iminyaka eli-1 600. Imbali nesiprofeto sayo sinokuthanani namagunya ehlabathi asixhenxe: IYiputa, iAsiriya, iBhabhiloni, amaMedi namaPersi, iGrisi, iRoma, aMangesi namaMerika. Igunya ngalinye kuza kuthethwa ngalo kungcelele lwamanqaku asixhenxe. Ngoba kutheni? Ukubonisa ukuba iBhayibhile inokuthenjwa, iphefumlelwe nguThixo yaye isigidimi sayo kuphela kwethemba lokupheliswa kokubandezeleka okubangelwa lulawulo lwabantu.

IYIPUTA edume ngokuba neepiramidi noMlambo umNayile yayiligunya lokuqala ehlabathini kwimbali yeBhayibhile. Uhlanga lakwaSirayeli lwasekwa kweli lizwe. UMoses, owabhala incwadi ezintlanu zokuqala zeBhayibhile, wazalelwa waza wafunda eYiputa. Ngaba imbali yoluntu nezinto eziye zembiwa ziyavumelana noko uMoses wakubhalayo ngeYiputa? Makhe sihlole eminy’ imizekelo.

Imbali Enokuthenjwa

Amagama nezibizo. Imbali echanileyo isoloko iwachaza ngokweenkcukacha—amasiko, indlela yokuziphatha, amagama, indlela yokubiza abantu abasemagunyeni nezinye izinto. Ngaba iincwadi zeBhayibhile ezimbini zokuqala, iGenesis ne-Eksodus zithetha ngokuchanileyo ngezi nkalo? Ngokuphathelele imbali echazwe kwiGenesis ngoYosefu unyana kasolusapho uYakobi, kuquka nencwadi yeBhayibhile iEksodus, uJ. Garrow Duncan kwincwadi yakhe ethi New Light on Hebrew Origins uthi: “[Umbhali weBhayibhile] wayelwazi kakuhle ulwimi, izithethe, iinkolelo, inkqubo yakomkhulu, indlela yokuziphatha nezikhundla zaseburhulumenteni.” Wongezelela athi: “[Umbhali] usebenzisa amagama ezazibizwa ngawo izikhundla zabantu ngelo xesha. . . . Ukusebenzisa kweTestamente Endala igama elithi Faro ngamaxesha ahlukahlukeneyo bobona bungqina bokuba ababhali bayo babeyazi kakuhle iYiputa nobokuba imibhalo yabo ichanile.” Lo kaDuncan walek’ umsundulu esithi: “Xa abantu abalisa ngabo [umbhali] bephambi kukaFaro, bamphatha ngembeko emfaneleyo yaye bathetha ngentlonelo.”

Ukwenza Izitena. Xa ayengamakhoboka eYiputa, amaSirayeli ayesenza izitena ezomeleleyo ngodongwe oluxutywe neendiza. (Eksodus 1:14; 5:6-18)a Kwiminyaka eyadlulayo, incwadi ethi Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries ithi: “Zimbalwa iindawo eziye zenza izitena njengeYiputa, apho kusekho izitena ezomiswa ngelanga nanamhl’ oku, ezona zinto zokwakha ezisetyenziswayo kwelo lizwe.” Kwakhona le ncwadi ichaza “indlela yamaYiputa yokwenza izitena esebenzisa iindiza,” nto leyo engqina oko kuchazwe eBhayibhileni.

Ukucheba iindevu. Amadoda angamaHebhere amaxesha amandulo ayekhulis’ intshebe. Kodwa iBhayibhile ithi uYosefu watsheva ngaphambi kokuba aye kuFaro. Kwakutheni? Wayethobela isiko laseYiputa elalisithi iindevu azicocekanga. Incwadi ethi Everyday Life in Ancient Egypt ithi: “[AmaYiputa] ayezidla ngokungabi nandevu kwawo.” Nakumangcwaba alapho kwafunyanwa iincakuba, izinto zokulungisa amashiya kunye nezipili. Kucacile ukuba uMoses wayezibalisa ngokweenkcukacha izinto. Kunjalo nangabanye ababhali beBhayibhile ababhala ngeYiputa yamandulo.

Ezoshishino. UYeremiya, owabhala iincwadi ezimbini zooKumkani, wabhala iinkcukacha ngokuphathelele ukuthengiselana kukaKumkani uSolomon namaYiputa namaHiti ngamahashe neenqwelo. IBhayibhile ithi, inqwelo yayixabisa ‘amaqhosha esilivere angamakhulu amathandathu, nehashe ngekhulu namashumi amahlanu’ okanye ikota yexabiso lenqwelo yokulwa.—1 Kumkani 10:29.

Ngokutsho kwencwadi ethi Archaeology and the Religion of Israel, isazi ngembali esingumGrike uHerodotus nobungqina obufunyenwe kwizinto zakudala bubonisa ukuba ishishini lamahashe neenqwelo lalaphul’ izikeyi ngexesha lolawulo lukaSolomon. Ingqina oko kuchazwe eBhayibhileni le ncwadi ithi, “ngamahashe amane wawufumana inqwelo enye.”

Imfazwe. UYeremiya noEzra bakhankanya ukuhlaselwa kukaYuda nguFaro Shishaki, bechaza ngokucacileyo ukuba oko kwenzeka “ngonyaka wesihlanu kaKumkani [wakwaYuda] uRehobhoham” okanye ngowama-993 B.C.E. (1 Kumkani 14:25-28; 2 Kronike 12:1-12) Kangangexesha elide, ingxelo yokuhlaselwa kukaYuda ibifumaneka eBhayibhileni kuphela. Kamva kwafunyanwa obunye ubungqina kwimizobo eyayikudonga lwetempile yaseKarnak (iThebes yamandulo) eYiputa.

Le mizobo ibonisa uShishaki emi phambi kothixo uAmon, ebetha abathinjwa. Kwakhona kubhalwe amagama eedolophu zamaSirayeli ezoyiswayo yaye uninzi lwazo luchaziwe naseBhayibhileni. Kuphinde kuthethwe “nangeNtsimi ka-Abram” yaye le yimbekiselo yokuqala ngaphandle kweBhayibhile ukuthetha ngoAbraham eseYiputa.—Genesis 25:7-10.

Kucacile ukuba, ababhali beBhayibhile abazange babhale izinto ezibubuxoki. Ekubeni ababhali babesazi ukuba babethunywe nguThixo, bayibhala njengokuba injalo inyaniso nakuba kwakukrakra ngamanye amaxesha—njengokoyisa kukaShishaki kwaYuda. Ukunyaniseka okunjalo kwahluke ngokupheleleyo kubabhali baseYiputa ababedla ngokuwabaxa amabali abo okanye bangabhali nantoni na eza kuthetha kakubi ngabalawuli nabantu babo.

Isiprofeto Esinokuthenjwa

NguMbhali weBhayibhile, uYehova uThixo kuphela onokuchaza ikamva ngokuchanileyo. Ngokomzekelo, phawula oko uYeremiya waphefumlelwa ukuba akuchaze kwangaphambili ngokuphathelele izixeko ezibini zaseYiputa—iMemphis neThebes. IMemphis okanye iNofu yayidume ngezoshishino, ezopolitiko nonqulo. Sekunjalo uThixo wathi: “INofu iya kuba yinto nje ekhwankqisayo yaye okunene iya kutshiswa, khon’ ukuze ingabi nammi.” (Yeremiya 46:19) Kwaba njalo kanye. Incwadi ethi In the Steps of Moses the Lawgiver ithi, amanxuwa amakhulu aseMemphis athinjwa ngama-Arabhu aza awasebenzisa njengeekwari. Yongezelela isithi, namhlanje “kwindawo esasikuyo eso sixeko sikhulu samandulo, akukho nelitye elinye elibonakalayo.”

Kwaba njalo nangeThebes eyayisaziwa ngokuba yiNo-amon okanye iNo, nakoothixo bayo abangento yanto. Ngokuphathelele le ndawo eyayikade ilikomkhulu laseYiputa nesazulu sonqulo sothixo uAmon, uYehova wathi: “Yabona, ndiphethulela ingqalelo yam kuAmon . . . nakuFaro nakwiYiputa nakoothixo bayo nakookumkani bayo . . . Ndiza kubanikela . . . nasesandleni sikaNebhukaderetsare ukumkani waseBhabhiloni.” (Yeremiya 46:25, 26) Njengokuba kwakuprofetiwe, umlawuli waseBhabhiloni wayoyisa iYiputa nesixeko sayo esidumileyo iNo-amon. Emva kokuba umlawuli wasePersi uCambyses II ehlasele eso sixeko ngowe-525 B.C.E., sawohloka ngokuthe ngcembe yaye ekugqibeleni satshatyalaliswa ngamaRoma. Ukuchana kweziprofeto zeBhayibhile kwenza iBhayibhile ingafani nezinye iincwadi, nto leyo esenza sibe nentembelo koko ikutshoyo ngekamva.

Ithemba Lokwenene

Isiprofeto sokuqala seBhayibhile sabhalwa nguMoses xa kwakulawula igunya lehlabathi laseYiputa.b Esi siprofeto sibhalwe kwiGenesis 3:15 yaye sithi, uThixo wayeza kuvelisa “imbewu” okanye inzala eza kutyumza uSathana “nembewu” yakhe—eyamkela iindlela zakhe ezingendawo. (Genesis 3:15; Yohane 8:44; 1 Yohane 3:8) “Imbewu” eyintloko kaThixo nguMesiya, uYesu Kristu.—Luka 2:9-14.

UKristu uza kulawula umhlaba wonke yaye uza kubuphelisa bonke ubungendawo noorhulumente babantu abacinezelayo. Umntu akasayi kuphinde ‘alawule omnye aze amenzakalise.’ (INtshumayeli 8:9) Ukongezelela, njengoYoshuwa owakhokela amaSirayeli kwiLizwe Lesithembiso, uYesu uya kukhokela “isihlwele esikhulu” sabantu aboyika uThixo “kwiLizwe Lesithembiso” elikhulu nangakumbi—umhlaba ocociweyo oza kuguqulwa ube yiparadesi.—ISityhilelo 7:9, 10, 14, 17; Luka 23:43.

Eli themba lisikhumbuza ngesinye isiprofeto esabhalwa xa kwakulawula amaYiputa amandulo. Esi siprofeto sifumaneka kuYobhi 33:24, 25 sithi, uThixo uya kuhlangula abantu “emhadini” okanye engcwabeni, ngokubavusa ekufeni. Ukongezelela kwabo baza kusinda kwintshabalalo ezayo yabantu abangendawo, izigidi zabantu abafileyo ziza kuvuswa zize zifumane ithuba lokuphila ngonaphakade kwiParadesi eza kuba semhlabeni. (IZenzo 24:15) ISityhilelo 21:3, 4 sithi: “Intente kaThixo iphakathi koluntu. Uya kuzisula zonke iinyembezi emehlweni abo, kungabi sabakho kufa, kungabi sabakho kuzila nakukhala nantlungu kwakhona.”

Inqaku elilandelayo kolu ngcelele liza kuqhubeka lithetha ngembali nesiprofeto esinokuthenjwa yaye liya kunikela ingqalelo kwiAsiriya yamandulo, igunya lehlabathi elalandela iYiputa.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]

ILITYE LESIKHUMBUZO LIKAMERNEPTAH

Ngowe-1896 abembi bezinto zakudala bafumana ilitye lesikhumbuzo likaStela kwenye itempile ekwakungcwatyelwa kuyo eYiputa. Kweli litye limnyama lenyengane kubhalwe izinto ezafezwa nguKumkani uMerneptah waseYiputa ekukholelwa ukuba wayelawula kwinkulungwane ye-13 B.C.E. Kwakulo kubhalwe ingoma enamazwi athi: “USirayeli uye wenziwa inkangala nenzala yakhe yaphanziswa.” Le kuphela kwembekiselo eyaziwayo ethetha ngoSirayeli kwimibhalo yamaYiputa amandulo yaye yimbekiselo yokuqala engekho eBhayibhileni.

Eli litye lenziwa ebudeni bexesha lAbagwebi ekubhalwe ngabo kwincwadi yeBhayibhile yAbagwebi. Noko ke, ngokungafaniyo namabali ooFaro athetha kuphela ngezinto ezintle abazenzayo, incwadi yAbagwebi ithetha ngezinto ezintle nangeempazamo zamaSirayeli. Ithetha ngeempazamo, incwadi yAbagwebi 2:11, 12 ithi: “Oonyana bakaSirayeli benza okubi emehlweni kaYehova bakhonza ooBhahali [oothixo bamaKanana]. Ngaloo ndlela bamshiya uYehova . . . , owayebakhuphe kwilizwe laseYiputa.” Ukunyaniseka okunjalo kubonakala kuyo yonke iBhayibhile.

[Inkcazelo]

Todd Bolen/Bible Places.com

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 16]

Izitena ezomisiweyo ezenziwe ngeendiza zisasetyenziswa nanamhlanje eYiputa

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

Ezinye zezinto zokutsheva zamaYiputa—incakuba nesipili

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

Amagama eedolophu ezoyiswayo zakwaSirayeli abhalwe kwimizobo eseludongeni lwaseKarnak

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]

Lo mfanekiso uqingqiweyo omkhulu ufumaneka kufutshane neMemphis, xa umile unobude obuziimitha ezili-12

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 15]

Egypt, Pharaoh; and Rome, Nero: Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum; Medo-Persia, wall relief: Musée du Louvre, Paris

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 16]

Shaving kit: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Art Resource, NY; Karnak relief: Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.; Memphis statue: Courtesy Daniel Mayer/Creative Commons