Ngaba Ubusazi?

Wayengubani “umphathi wetempile” yaye wawuyintoni umsebenzi wakhe?

Phakathi kweenkokeli zamaYuda ezagunyazisa ukubanjwa kwabapostile uPetros noYohane xa babeshumayela kwakukho “nomphathi wetempile.” (IZenzo 4:1-3) IBhayibhile ayiyichazi imisebenzi yomphathi wetempile kodwa ezinye iincwadi zembali zisithela tshuphe.

Kubonakala ngathi ngexesha likaYesu umphathi wetempile yayingumbingeleli owayelisekela lombingeleli omkhulu. Umphathi wetempile wayegcina ucwangco kwitempile yaseYerusalem nakwiindawo ezikufutshane nayo. Wayesongamela unqulo lwasetempileni kwakunye namapolisa alapho. Abaphathi abangaphantsi kwakhe, ababesongamela abalindi ababevula amasango etempile ekuseni baze bawavale ebusuku, babeqinisekisa ukuba kwakungekho mntu owayengena kwindawo awayengafanele angene kuyo baze bagade nobuncwane betempile.

Ababingeleli kwakunye nabaLevi ababesebenza etempileni babahlulwe bangamabutho angama-24 yaye butho ngalinye lalikhonza etempileni iveki enye ngexesha, kabini ngonyaka. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba butho ngalinye lalinomphathi walo.—1 Kronike 24:1-18.

Abaphathi betempile babenegunya. Bayakhankanywa nabo phakathi kwababingeleli abaziintloko abenza iyelenqe lokuba kubulawe uYesu, yaye bathuma amapolisa awayephantsi kwabo ukuba ambambe uYesu.—Luka 22:4, 52.

UMateyu 3:4 uthi uYohane uMbhaptizi wayesitya ‘iinkumbi nobusi basendle.’ Ngaba iinkumbi zazityiwa ngaloo maxesha?

Abanye bayathandabuza ukuba uYohane wayesitya iinkumbi, bathi uMateyu wayebhekisela kwiziqhamo ezithile zasendle okanye iintlanzi ezahlukahlukeneyo. Noko ke igama lesiGrike elisetyenziswe nguMateyu libhekisela kuhlobo oluthile lwentethe. Olona hlobo lwaluqhelekile kwaSirayeli yayiziinkumbi ezazidla ngokuba libubu elitshabalalisa izityalo.—Yoweli 1:4, 7; Nahum 3:15.

Iinkumbi zazikukutya okuphambili kubantu bamandulo, njengama-Asiriya namaTiyopiya yaye nanamhlanje kusekho amaYuda athile azityayo. KwaSirayeli iinkumbi zazijongwa njengokutya kwabantu abaphantsi. Emva kokuba kususwe intloko, imilenze kwakunye nesisu, isifuba sasityiwa siluhlaza okanye sosiwe okanye somiswe elangeni. Maxa wambi zazinongwa ngetyuwa okanye zifakwe iviniga okanye ubusi. Isazi ngembali uHenri Daniel-Rops uthi incasa yazo ifana neyeembaza.

UYohane ufanele ukuba wayezifumana lula iinkumbi ekubeni wayeshumayela entlango. (Marko 1:4) Ekubeni zineproteni eninzi, iinkumbi nobusi zimele ukuba zasinesondlo.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]

Abalindi baseAsiriya bephethe iinkumbi neerharnati.

[Inkcazelo]

Kwincwadi ethi Discoveries Among the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon (1853)