Iindawo Ezithile Zelizwe Ledinga

ElakwaSamari—Ikomkhulu Phakathi Kwamakomkhulu Asentla

IBHABHILONI, iNineve neRoma. Ezi yayizizixeko ezingamakomkhulu ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile. Kanti, ngokwembono yeBhayibhile, ngokunokwenzeka elona komkhulu liphambili, xa siyibekela ecaleni iYerusalem, lalingelilo elinye lawo, kodwa, kunoko, yayilelakwaSamari. Malunga neminyaka engama-200, lalilikomkhulu lobukhosi bezizwe ezilishumi zakwaSirayeli, yaye izigidimi ezininzi zeziprofeto zabhekisela kwelakwaSamari. Kodwa wazi ntoni ngelakwaSamari? Yaye kwakutheni ukuze libe ‘likomkhulu phakathi kwamakomkhulu asentla?

Njengoko uphos’ iliso kule maphu, khawuzikhumbuze ngeziganeko ezithile zembali ezenzeka emva kokuba izizwe ezilishumi zakwaSirayeli zazahlulayo kukumkani kaYehova netempile yaseYerusalem. UYarobheham, owayeyinkokeli ekusekweni kobukhosi basentla, walawula okwethutyana ekwaShekem, kwindlela ehamba ezintabeni esuka entla eya ezantsi. Kamva uYarobheham walifudusa ikomkhulu lakhe laya eTirtsa, eyayisencotsheni yeWadi Farʽah. Indlela esuka kwiNtlambo yeYordan yayidlula eTirtsa ize ingenelele kwindlela ehamba ezintabeni. Ubusazi na ukuba iTirtsa yayilikomkhulu lobukhosi bezizwe ezilishumi ebudeni bolawulo lukaNadabhi, lukaBhahesha, lukaEla, lukaZimri, kwanoluka Omri?—Genesis 12:5-9; 33:17, 18; 1 Kumkani 12:20, 25, 27; 14:17; 16:6, 15, 22.

Noko ke, emva kweminyaka emithandathu uOmri wakha ikomkhulu elitsha. Phi? Wathenga intaba oyibona ngasekhohlo, ekwelakwaSamari. (1 Kumkani 16:23-28) Nangona ngoku ingummandla ochumileyo wezolimo, kusenokuba u-Omri wayikhetha ngenxa yokuba induli enencochoyi esithabazi emi ethafeni yayinokukhuseleka lula. Unyana wakhe uAhabhi waqhubeka elakha elakwaSamari, ngokucacileyo elenza linqabiseke ngakumbi ngokwakha iindonga eziluqilima. Kwakhona wakhela uBhahali itempile waza yena wazakhela ibhotwe kunye nomfazi wakhe ongumKananekazi, uIzebhele. Ukwembiwa komhlaba kuye kwatyhila amabhodlo ebhotwe lika-Ahabhi, aboniswe kwiphepha elilandelayo. Elo bhotwe lalisaziwa ngobutofotofo nobungendawo obugqithiseleyo. (1 Kumkani 16:29-33) Yiba nombono womprofeti uEliya enyuka esiya kwesi sixeko yaye ehamba kwindlela ebanzi eya kwelo bhotwe, apho esiya kuvakalisa umgwebo nxamnye nesono sika-Ahabhi sokunqula uBhahali.—1 Kumkani 17:1.

Ngowe-1910 abembi bezinto zakudala bafumana apho iingceba zezitya zodongwe ezazibhaliwe, zineengxelo zokuthunyelwa kwewayini kwakunye neoli yeminquma okanye iingxelo zokuhlawulwa kweerhafu. Kodwa inkoliso yamagama abantu awayebhalwe kuzo eyenebinzana elithi baʹal. Kusenokuba kokomdla kuwe ukufumanisa ukuba abembi bezinto zakudala bafumana kwanemihombiso eyenziwe ngeempondo zendlovu, enjengaleyo ibonisiweyo apha. Khumbula ukuba kwakude kudala eyoku-1 yooKumkani 22:39 yakhankanya ukuba uAhabhi wakha ‘indlu ngeempondo zendlovu.’ Mhlawumbi oko kwakuquka ifanitshala enemihombiso eyenziwe ngeempondo zendlovu ezikroliweyo, ‘njengezingqengqelo zeempondo zendlovu’ ezintle awathi uAmosi wabhekisela kuzo kwinkulungwane kamva. (Amosi 3:12, 15; 6:1, 4) Phakathi kwezinto zobugcisa ezazikuzo kwakukho imifanekiso eqingqiweyo yeengonyama ezinamaphiko neminye imifanekiso etyhidiweyo yeentsomi zaseYiputa.

Ukukhankanywa kuka-Ahabhi noIzebhele kusenokukukhumbuza indlela abafa ngayo. UAhabhi waphulukana nobomi bakhe kwimfazwe yobudenge neSiriya. Xa inqwelo yakhe yokulwa yayihlanjwa “echibini lakwaSamari; izinja zalixhapha igazi lakhe,” njengokuba uEliya watshoyo. (1 Kumkani 21:19; 22:34-38) Ukumkanikazi uIzebhele walahlelwa ngaphandle kwefestile yebhotwe waza wafa. Ngaba oku kwenzeka kweli bhotwe lakwaSamari? Akunjalo. UAhabhi wayenalo nelinye ibhotwe entla kwintlambo yaseYizereli. Wathimba isidiliya sikaNabhoti esasikufutshane. Esencochoyini yelo bhotwe, umboniseli ekhangele ngasempuma wabona uYehu ephalisa ngobudlongodlongo ukunyusa loo ntlambo. Yaye apho owayesakuba ngukumkanikazi welakwaSamari wakhahleleka phantsi kwaza oko kwaba sisiphelo sakhe esimanyumnyezi kodwa esimfaneleyo.—1 Kumkani 21:1-16; 2 Kumkani 9:14-37.

Ngoxa elakwaSamari laqhubeka lilikomkhulu, lalingenayo inkoloseko okanye intsikelelo kaThixo. Kunoko, labonisa imvukelo nobutshaba kwikomkhulu lakhe lasezantsi, iYerusalem. UYehova wathumela abaprofeti abaninzi ukuya kulumkisa abalawuli belakwaSamari nabantu bakhona ngonqulo lwabo lwezithixo, ukuziphatha okubi ngokwesini, nokungahloneli imithetho yakhe, kodwa oko akuzange kuncede nganto. (Isaya 9:9; 10:11; Hezekile 23:4-10; Hoseya 7:1; 10:5; Amosi 3:9; 8:14; Mika 1:1, 6) Ngoko ngowama-740 B.C.E., elakwaSamari lohlwaywa ngokuthi litshatyalaliswe ngama-Asiriya. Abantu balo abaninzi bathinjwa, baza bathatyathelwa indawo ngabantu basemzini.—2 Kumkani 17:1-6, 22-24.

Kamva, ingakumbi ngexesha likaHerode Omkhulu, amaGrike namaRoma alenza labaluleka kwakhona elakwaSamari. Ngoko kwanoYesu nabapostile babeqhelene neli komkhulu phakathi kwamakomkhulu asentla.—Luka 17:11; Yohane 4:4.

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 16]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

IYizereli

ITirtsa

KwaSamari

KwaShekem

IYerusalem

UMwambo iYordan

[Inkcazelo]

Based on a map copyrighted by Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est. and Survey of Israel.

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

Garo Nalbandian

Umfanekiso ophakathi: Israel Department of Antiquities and Museums; photograph from Israel Museum, Jerusalem