Ingxelo Engaveli KwiZibhalo Engohlanga LwakwaSirayeli

KWIMYUZIYAM yaseCairo kukho ilitye lesikhumbuzo lenyengane elineengxelo zoloyiso lukaFaro Merneptah. Ngokutsho kwabaphengululi, lo nyana we-13 kaRamses II wayelawula phakathi kowe-1212 nowe1202 B.C.E.—ngasekupheleni kwexesha laBagwebi kuSirayeli wamandulo. Kwimigca emibini yokugqibela kweli litye lesikhumbuzo likaMerneptah, kubhalwe kwathiwa: “Ilizwe lakwaKanan liye laphangwa. IAshkelon iye yoyiswa, iGezere yathinjwa, [yaza] yona iYano‘am yaphanziswa. USirayeli uye wabhuqwa ngokupheleleyo, nenzala yakhe yaphanziswa.”

Igama elithi “uSirayeli” elisetyenzisiweyo apha libhekisela entwenini? Ngokwendlela yokubhala yamandulo, egameni kwakuye kufakelwe oonobumba abathile abangafundwayo, ababebonisa into elibhekisela kuyo elo gama. Incwadi ethi The Rise of Ancient Israel ichaza ithi: “Kula magama mathathu acatshuliweyo—elithi Ashkelon, Gezere, nelithi Yanoam—kufakelwe unobumba obonisa ukuba la magama abhekisela kwizixeko . . . Kodwa unobumba ofakelwe kwigama elithi uSirayeli, ubonisa ukuba eli gama libhekisela ebantwini.”—Akekeliswe sithi.

Ibaluleke ngantoni le nkcazelo? Umbhali onguHershel Shanks uphendula athi: “ILitye Lesikhumbuzo likaMerneptah libonisa ukuba uhlanga lukaSirayeli lwaluphila ngowe-1212 B.C.E. yaye ufaro waseYiputa wayengazi nje kuphela ngalo, kodwa wakubona kufanelekile ukuqhayisa ngokuloyisa kwakhe edabini.” UWilliam G. Dever, ongunjingalwazi weziko lokumbiwa kwezinto zakudala elingaseMpuma, uthi: “Ilitye lesikhumbuzo likaMerneptah liyichaza ngokucacileyo into yokuba: Lwalukho eKanan uhlanga olwaluzibiza ngokuba ‘nguSirayeli,’ lwaza ngaloo ndlela lwabizwa ngokuba ‘nguSirayeli’ nangamaYiputa—angakholelwayo eBhayibhileni; ngoko akunakwenzeka ukuba ‘uSirayeli’ walithiywa ngawo elo gama.”

EBhayibhileni, uSirayeli ukhankanywa okokuqala njengegama awathiywa ngalo usolusapho uYakobi. Inzala yoonyana bakaYakobi abali-12 yabizwa ngokuba ‘ngoonyana bakaSirayeli.’ (Genesis 32:22–28, 32; 35:9, 10) Kwiminyaka emva koko, umprofeti uMoses noFaro waseYiputa basebenzisa igama elithi “uSirayeli” xa bebhekisela kule nzala kaYakobi. (Eksodus 5:1, 2) Ilitye lesikhumbuzo likaMerneptah lelokuqala ngqa, ngaphandle kweBhayibhile, ukuthetha ngoSirayeli.

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 24]

Ilitye lesikhumbuzo likaMerneptah

Intlanganisela yemiqondiso yokugqibela emithathu—ukuphoswa kwenduku indoda nomfazi abahleli phantsi—nto leyo ebonisa ukuba amaSirayeli ngabantu basemzini

[Inkcazelo]

Egyptian National Museum, Cairo, Egypt/Giraudon/The Bridgeman Art Library