UBukhosi Obabulahlekile Obabangela Abahlalutyi BeBhayibhile Baphoxeka

“Ngaphambili imbali yobukhosi baseAsiriya yayiyenye yezona nxalenye zingacacanga kumabali ehlabathi angeziganeko zeminyaka ngeminyaka.” “Konke oko kwakusaziwa ngeNineve yamandulo kwakufunyanwa kwiimbekiselo ezazisasazekile neziprofeto ezibhekisela kuzo eBhayibhileni, nenkcazelo engephi nengaphelelanga yembali yaseAsiriya kwiincwadi zikaDiodorus Siculus . . . nezabanye.”—ICyclopædia of Biblical Literature, uMqulu woku-1 nowesi-3, 1862.

UMBHALI-MBALI ongumGrike uDiodorus Siculus wayephila kwiminyaka engama-2 000 eyadlulayo. Ngokutsho kwakhe, iNineve, yayisisixeko esinamacala amane; loo macala mane ayenobude beetadiya ezingama-480. Eso sisazinge seekhilomitha ezingama-96! IBhayibhile inikela umbono ofanayo, ichaza iNineve njengesixeko esikhulu ‘esiluhambo lweentsuku ezintathu.’—Yona 3:3.

Abahlalutyi beBhayibhile benkulungwane ye-19 abazange bavume ukukholelwa kwelokuba isixeko esingaziwayo sehlabathi lamandulo sasinokuba sikhulu ngolo hlobo. Bakwathi ukuba iNineve yayikhe yakho, imele ukuba ibe yayiyinxalenye yempucuko yamandulo eyayisandulela iBhabhiloni.

Le mbono yayichasene noko kuthethwa kwisahluko 10 seGenesis, esithi unyana womzukulwana kaNowa, uNimrodi, wamisela ilizwana lokuqala lezolawulo kummandla waseBhabheli, okanye eBhabhiloni. IBhayibhile iqhubeka isithi, “Kulo elo zwe waphuma waya kwelaseAsiriya, wakha iNineve neRehobhotire nomzi weKala, neRezen, phakathi kweNineve neKala; nguloo mzi mkhulu ke lowo.” (Genesis 10:8-12) Phawula, esi sibhalo sichaza ezi zixeko zine zitsha zaseAsiriya ngokuthi ‘ngumzi omnye omkhulu.’

Ngowe-1843 ummbi wezinto zakudala ongumFrentshi, uPaul-Émile Botta, wafumanisa amabhodlo ebhotwe awangqineka eyinxalenye yesixeko saseAsiriya. Xa iindaba zoku kufunyanwa zafikelela kuwonke wonke, kwabangela imincili emikhulu. UAlan Millard kwincwadi yakhe ethi Treasures From Bible Times uthi, “Kwaphakama umdla kawonke wonke xa kwangqinwa ukuba eli yayilibhotwe likaSargon, ukumkani waseAsiriya okhankanywe kuIsaya 20:1, ekwakuthandatyuzwa ukuba wayekhe wakho ngapha koko wayengaziwa nokwaziwa.”

Ebudeni belo thuba, omnye ummbi wezinto zakudala, uAusten Henry Layard, waqalisa ukumba amabhodlo kwindawo ebizwa ngokuba yiNimrud emalunga neekhilomitha ezingama-42 ngakumzantsi-ntshona weKhorsabad. Loo mabhodlo angqineka eyiKala—esinye kwizixeko ezine zaseAsiriya ezikhankanywe kwiGenesis 10:11. Kwathi ke, ngowe-1849, uLayard wagrumba amabhodlo ebhotwe elikhulu kwindawo ebizwa ngokuba yiKuyunjik, ephakathi kweKala neKhorsabad. Elo bhotwe langqineka liyinxalenye yeNineve. Phakathi kweKhorsabad neKala kukho amabhodlo ezinye iindawo zokuhlala, kuquka indulana ebizwa ngokuba yiKaramles. ULayard wathi, “Ukuba sicinga ngeendulana ezine ezinkulu zaseNimrúd [iKala], eKoyunjik [iNineve], eKhorsabad, naseKaramles, njengeekona zesikwere, kuya kufunyaniswa ukuba amacala ayo amane alingana ngokuchanileyo neetadiya ezingama-480 okanye [neekhilomitha ezingama-96] ngokubala kwesazinzulu sezelizwe, ezenza iintsuku ezintathu zohambo lomprofeti [uYona].”

Ngoko, kuyabonakala ukuba uYona waziquka zonke ezi ndawo zokuhlala ‘njengomzi omkhulu’ omnye, ezibiza ngegama lesixeko esidweliswe ekuqaleni kwiGenesis 10:11, esibizwa ngokuba yiNineve. Kwenziwa okufanayo namhlanje. Ngokomzekelo, kukho umahluko phakathi kwesixeko sakuqala saseLondon namahlomela aso, lawo enza oko ngamanye amaxesha kubizwa ngokuba “yiLondon Enkulu.”

UKumkani Onekratshi WaseAsiriya

Ibhotwe elaliseNineve lalinamagumbi angaphezu kwama-70, phantse liziikhilomitha ezintathu. Kwezi ndonga kwakukho iintsalela ezitshileyo zemikrolo eyayizizikhumbuzo zokoyisa emkhosini nezinye izinto ezazifunyenwe. Inkoliso yazo yayonakaliswe kakhulu. Noko ke, ngasekupheleni kwexesha lakhe lokuhlala apho uLayard wafumanisa elinye igumbi elalilondolozeke kakuhle gqitha. Ezindongeni kwakukho umfanekiso obonisa ukuthinjwa kwesona sixeko sinqabisekileyo, sinabathinjwa besenza umngcelele phambi kokumkani owoyisileyo, owayehleli etroneni ngaphandle kwesixeko. Phezu kokumkani kukho umbhalo okroliweyo eziwuguqulela ngolu hlobo iingcali zemibhalo yaseAsiriya: “USenaribhe, ukumkani wehlabathi, ukumkani waseAsiriya, wayehleli kwitrone yenimedu ehlola ngokusesikweni amaxhoba (awayethinjwe) eLakishe (La-ki-su).”

Namhlanje lo mfanekiso nalo mbhalo ukroliweyo unokubonwa kwiMyuziyam yaseBritani. Uvumelana nesiganeko esingokwembali esibhalwe eBhayibhileni kweyesi-2 yooKumkani 18:13, 14: “Ngomnyaka weshumi elinesine wokumkani uHezekiya, wenyuka uSaneribhe, ukumkani waseAsiriya, waya kuyo yonke imizi enqatyisiweyo yakwaYuda, wayithabatha. UHezekiya ukumkani wakwaYuda wathumela kukumkani waseAsiriya eLakishe, esithi, Ndonile, buya umke kum; othe wakubeka phezu kwam ndokuthwala. Waza ukumkani waseAsiriya wabeka phezu koHezekiya ukumkani wakwaYuda amakhulu omathathu eetalente zesilivere, namashumi omathathu eetalente zegolide.”

Eminye imibhalo ekroliweyo enikela iinkcukacha ezongezelelekileyo zokoyisa kukaSaneribhe elakwaYuda nomnikelo owahlawulwa nguHezekiya yafunyanwa phakathi kwamabhodlo aseNineve. ULayard wabhala oku, “Mhlawumbi esinye sezona ziganeko ziphawulekayo zobungqina bezembali obubhaliweyo, isixa sobutyebi begolide esathatyathwa kuHezekiya, iitalente ezingamashumi amathathu, buvumelana ncam neengxelo ezimbini ezahlukeneyo.” UMhlekazi uHenry Rawlinson, owanceda ekuqwabululeni imibhalo yama-Asiriya, wavakalisa ukuba le mibhalo ikroliweyo “iphelisa impikiswano yobukho [bukaSaneribhe] embalini.” Ngokubhekele phaya, uLayard kwincwadi yakhe ethi Nineveh and Babylon ubuza oku: “Ngubani obeya kukukholelwa ikokufanelekileyo okanye ikokunokwenzeka, ngaphambi kokuba kufunyanwe ezi zinto, ukuba ngaphantsi kwemfumba yomhlaba nenkunkuma ephawula isiza saseNineve, kuya kufunyanwa imbali yeemfazwe phakathi kukaHezekiya noSaneribhe, ibhalwe nguSaneribhe kanye ngexesha ekwakusenzeka ngayo oko, yaye iqinisekisa kwanezona nkcukacha zincinane zengxelo yeBhayibhile?”

Kakade ke, ezinye iinkcukacha zengxelo kaSaneribhe azivisisani neBhayibhile. Ngokomzekelo, ummbi wezinto zakudala uAlan Millard uphawula oku: “Esona sibakala sihlab’ umxhelo sisekupheleni [kwengxelo kaSaneribhe]. UHezekiya wathumela umthunywa wakhe, nawo wonke umnikelo, kuSaneribhe ‘kamva, eNineve’. Umkhosi wama-Asiriya awuzange uwuphathe xa wawugoduka ngoloyiso njengesiqhelo.” IBhayibhile ichaza ukuba umnikelo wahlawulwa ngaphambi kokuba ukumkani waseAsiriya abuyele eNineve. (2 Kumkani 18:15-17) Kutheni kukho umahluko nje? Yaye kutheni uSenaribhe engazange akwazi ukuqhayisa ngokuloyisa kwakhe ikomkhulu lakwaYuda iYerusalem, ngendlela aqhayisa ngayo ngokuyoyisa kwakhe inqaba yakwaYuda, iLakishe? Ababhali abathathu beBhayibhile banikela impendulo. Omnye wabo, owayelingqina lokuzibonela, wabhala oku: “Kwaphuma ke isithunywa sikaYehova, saxabela emkhosini wama-Asiriya ikhulu elinamanci asibhozo anesihlanu amawaka. Bavuka kusasa, nango ezizidumbu ezifileyo onke. Wanduluka, wahamba; wabuya uSaneribhe ukumkani waseAsiriya, wahlala eNineve.”—Isaya 37:36, 37; 2 Kumkani 19:35; 2 Kronike 32:21.

Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Treasures From Bible Times, uMillard uqukumbela ngelithi: “Akukho sizathu sisengqiqweni sokuyithandabuza le ngxelo . . . Kuyaqondakala ukuba uSaneribhe wayengasayi kubhala ingxelo ngentshabalalo enjalo ukuze abalandela emva kwakhe bayifunde, kuba yayiya kumthoba isidima.” Kunoko, uSenaribhe wazama ukunikela ingcamango yokuba ukuhlasela kwakhe elakwaYuda kuye kwaphumelela nokuba uHezekiya waqhubeka ezithobile kuye, ewuthumela umnikelo eNineve.

Imvelaphi YaseAsiriya Iqinisekisiwe

Amathala eencwadi anamacwecwe odongwe angamashumi amawaka nawo afunyanwa eNineve. La maxwebhu angqina ukuba uBukhosi baseAsiriya babumiliselwe ezantsi eBhabhiloni, kanye njengokuba iGenesis 10:11 ibonisa. Besebenzisa le nkcazelo, abembi bezinto zakudala baqala ukumba besingise kude ngasezantsi. IEncyclopædia Biblica ithi: “Konke okuseleyo kwama-Asiriya kutyhila ukuba ayenemvelaphi yobuBhabhiloni. Ulwimi lwabo nendlela yokubhala, uncwadi lwabo, unqulo lwabo nenzululwazi yabo yayisuka kubamelwane babo basemazantsi yaye yayiguqulwe nje kancinane.”

Izinto eziye zafunyanwa ezinjengezi zikhankanywe ngasentla ziye zanyanzelela abahlalutyi beBhayibhile ukuba balungelelanise iimbono zabo. Eneneni, uhlolisiso olunyanisekileyo lweBhayibhile lutyhila ukuba yabhalwa ngababhali abanenyameko nabanyanisekileyo. Lowo wayesakuba ngumgwebi oyintloko weNkundla Yamatyala Ephakamileyo yaseUnited States, uSalmon P. Chase, emva kokuba ehlolisise iBhayibhile wathi: “Ibilufundisiso olude, olunzulu nolunentsingiselo: yaye ndisebenzisa imigaqo yobungqina efanayo kulo mbandela wonqulo njengokuba ndisenjenjalo ngamaxesha onke kwimibandela engeyoyanqulo, ndiye ndafikelela kwisigqibo sokuba iBhayibhile yincwadi enamandla angaphezu kwawemvelo, ukuba ivela kuThixo.”—The Book of Books: An Introduction.

Eneneni, iBhayibhile ingaphezulu lee kunembali echanileyo. IliLizwi likaThixo eliphefumlelweyo, isipho esiyingenelo kuluntu. (2 Timoti 3:16) Ubungqina boku bunokubonwa ngokuhlolisisa ukuma komhlaba kumazwe eBhayibhile. Oku kuya kuxutyushwa kwinkupho elandelayo.

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 4]

Courtesy of the Trustees of The British Museum

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 6, 7]

Ngasentla: Iinkcukacha ezintathu ezithatyathwe kumbhalo oseludongeni

Ngasezantsi: Umzobo wombhalo oseludongeni waseAsiriya ubonisa ukuhlaselwa kweLakishe

[Inkcazelo]

(Courtesy of The British Museum)

(From The Bible in the British Museum, published by British Museum Press)