IKesareya NamaKristu Okuqala

ISIXEKO samandulo saseKesareya esiselunxwemeni lolwandle, esafunyanwa nguHerode Omkhulu ngaphambi nje kokuzalwa kukaYesu Kristu, siye saba sisiza ekuye kutshanje kwafunyanwa kuso izinto eziliqela ngabembi bezinto zakudala. Iphulo lokuboniswa kwezi zinto zifunyenweyo elinomxholo othi “Iphupha likaKumkani uHerode,” ngoku likhenketha kuMntla Merika.a

UHerode wazicengezela kumlawuli wamaRoma uKesare Augustus. Ngaloo ndlela, wasithiya eso sixeko ngokuthi yiKesareya (okuthetha ukuba, “SesikaKesare”) nezibuko laso ngokuthi yiSebastos (igama lesiGrike elimela “Augustus”). Abasebenzi bakaHerode bakha izibuko elimangalisayo elinokulingana iinqanawa ezinokuba likhulu baza bakha itempile entle kakhulu enomfanekiso omkhulu otyhidiweyo ukuze kunqulwe umlawuli.

Ulawulo LweRoma

IKesareya yaba yindawo yaseburhulumenteni yokuhlala abenzeleli abanelungelo lokusayina eRoma—amadoda awayelawula kwelakwaYuda. IKesareya yayisisazulu saseRoma senkqubo yezopolitika nezomkhosi. Kulapho umphathi-mikhosi uKorneli ‘nemizalwane yakhe, nezihlobo zakhe ezibuhlungu [ezisondeleyo, NW]’ baba ngabokuqala kwabangolukanga abangemaYuda ukwamkela ubuKristu. (IZenzo, isahluko 10) Umshumayeli weendaba ezilungileyo uFilipu waya eKesareya; wenjenjalo nompostile uPetros. Zimbi zeenqanawa ezasetyenziswa ngumpostile uPawulos kukhenketho lwakhe lobuvangeli basemazweni zema kwizibuko laseKesareya. Yaye malunga nonyaka wowama-58 C.E., uPawulos noLuka bakhe bahlala kwindlu kaFilipu, ngokunokwenzeka owayehlala apho nowayeneentombi ezine ezazikwakhonza uThixo.—IZenzo 8:40; 12:18, 19; 18:21, 22; 21:8, 9.

KwakuseKesareya apho uPawulos waziswa phambi komlawuli wamaRoma uFelikis. Kwakhona kulapho uPawulos wavakalisa amazwi akhe aphawulekayo kuFesto athi: “Ndibhenele [“ndiyabhena,” NW] kuKesare.”—IZenzo, isahluko 23–26.

Iphulo Lokuboniswa Kwezinto

Ekungeneni kwakho kweli phulo, ujongana nomfanekiso oqingqiweyo kaTayike, uthixokazi waseKesareya. Igama lakhe lithetha ukuthi “Thamsanqa” okanye “Ithamsanqa Elikhulu.” Noko ke, amaKristu alapho ayengakholosanga ngothixokazi wethamsanqa kodwa ayekholose ngoThixo oyinyaniso, uYehova. Ayekwanokholo kuYesu Kristu, lowo uKumkani uHerode wenza ilinge lokumbulala.

Kumagumbi amabini alandelayo, ubona indlela abembi bezinto zakudala abavumbulula ngayo izinto abazifumana eKesareya nendlela elakhiwa ngayo elo zibuko lalapho. Kwakhona, kwigumbi lesine, ubona umfanekiso wenye yezinto ezibalaseleyo ezifunyenwe eKesareya. Ikuphela kombhalo owaziwayo womlawuli waseRoma lowo uYesu Kristu wasiwa phambi kwakhe. Lo mbhalo ufundeka ngolu hlobo: “UPontiyo Pilato, umphathi wakwaYuda.”

Kwakweli gumbi kukho iingqekembe zemali ezimbini zobhedu ezibangel’ umdla ngokugqithiseleyo. Eyokuqala (ekunene) inalo mbhalo: “Unyaka wesibini wenkululeko yeZiyon.” Kweyesibini kukho la mazwi: “Unyaka wesine wokuhlangulwa kweZiyon.” Abafundi bathi ezi ngqekembe zabakho phakathi kowama-67 C.E. nowama-69 C.E. “Inkululeko” ekwakubhekiselwa kuyo yayilixesha laxa amaYuda ayebanjwe eYerusalem, emva kokuba uCestius Gallus wakurhoxisayo ukuhlasela kwakhe imikhosi yamaRoma ngonyaka wowama-66 C.E.

Oko kurhoxa kwabangela ukuba kusatywe eYerusalem. Abantu ababekholelwa kuYesu basaba, kuba wathetha ngokungqalileyo 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.” (Luka 21:20, 21) Kuyabonakala ukuba, abenzi bezi ngqekembe “zoloyiso” babengenalwazi ngentshabalalo eyayibalindele!

Ngomnyaka wowama-70 C.E., umkhosi wamaRoma wabuya, wayithimba iYerusalem waza watshabalalisa itempile. Ngokutsho kukaJosephus, lo mkhosi wabulala abantu abangaphezu kwesigidi ababenyakazela kweso sixeko beze ePasikeni. Injengele yaseRoma uTitus yalubhiyozela olu loyiso—nomhla wokuzalwa komntakwabo uDomitian—ngemidlalo eyayiqhutyelwa kwintendelezo yokudlala eKesareya. Apho amabanjwa angama-2 500 aphoselwa kumarhamncwa anobungozi, atshiswa, okanye abulawa kwimidlalo yokulwa ngamakrele.

Igumbi elilandelayo lomboniso linomfanekiso otyhidiweyo wothixokazi wokuzalisa owayenamabele amaninzi uArtemis wase-Efese. Lo ikwanguthixokazi abathi abanquli bakhe benza isiphendu e-Efese xa ukushumayela kukaPawulos kwabangela abaninzi ukuba bachase unqulo lwezithixo olucekisekayo baza balandela uYesu Kristu.—IZenzo 19:23-41.

Umboniso weengceba zezinto zomdongwe ubonisa ubude bohambo lwenkulungwane yokuqala njengokuba kubonisiwe eZibhalweni. Kwigumbi nje elinye lamandulo lokugcina izinto okanye impahla, amaqhekeza ezinto zomdongwe afunyanwa kwiindawo ezahlukeneyo ngokubanzi ezifana naseYugoslavia, eItali, eSpeyin yaye mhlawumbi naseMntla Afrika. Kuhambo olude kangako, kulula ukuqonda ukuba iindwendwe ezivela kwiindawo ezikude zoBukhosi baseRoma zazinokuba seYerusalem ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. Apho, abaninzi abeva iindaba ezilungileyo ngeelwimi zabo, baba ngamakholwa baze babhaptizwa. Ngokunokwenzeka, bambi bathabathela iindaba ezilungileyo kumazwe abo bekhwela iinqanawa ezisuka eKesareya.—IZenzo, isahluko 2.

Kwigumbi elilandelayo, kukho icwecwe elikhulu elimhlophe lesinyithi elibuxande elixhase amaqhekeza esixwemba senyengane senkulungwane yesithathu okanye eyesine. Kuqala lalinoludwe lwezahlulo ezingama-24, zezindlu zababingeleli ngokolandelelwano lwabo ababekhonza kuzo kwitempile yaseYerusalem. Loo tempile yahlala ingamanxuwa kangangamakhulu eminyaka, kodwa amaYuda ayenentembelo ekubeni yayiza kuphinda yakhiwe ngokukhawuleza. Kwinkulungwane kamva ayesathandaza kuThixo ukuba wayeya kuphinda abuyisele izindlu zababingeleli kwimihla yabo. Kodwa itempile ayizange iphinde yakhiwe. UYesu wayekuxele kwangaphambili ukutshatyalaliswa kwayo. Ibe ngaphambi kokuba itshatyalaliswe, umpostile uPawulos, umYuda nowayesakuba ngumFarisi, wachaza ngokuphandle ukuba uThixo wayeyibuyisele loo tempile ngento elunge ngakumbi—itempile enkulu ngakumbi, eyokomoya, eyayifanekiselwa, ifuziselwa okanye imelwa sisakhiwo esenziwe ngezandla eYerusalem.—Mateyu 23:37–24:2; Hebhere, isahluko 8, 9.

Kwadlula iinkulungwane yaye aboyisi bafika baza bemka. Ekugqibeleni amanxuwa aseKesareya atshona phantsi kwentlabathi. Apho alinda abembi bezinto zakudala bezi mini, ekuthe izinto abazifumanayo zasinceda ukuba siqonde okungakumbi ngobomi kumaxesha amandulo nangezinye izinto esifunda ngazo eLizwini likaThixo, iBhayibhile.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

UTayike, uthixokazi waseKesareya “wethamsanqa elikhulu”

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 23]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

Courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 24]

Aaron Levin

Isebe LakwaSirayeli Lezinto Zamandulo neeMuziyam; imifanekiso ivela kwiMyuziyam yakwaSirayeli, eYerusalem

Courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County