“Ngemihla KaKumkani UHerode”
UKUMKANI wakwaYuda uHerode oMkhulu, wayalela ukuba kubulawe bonke abantwana abangamakhwenkwe eBhetelehem, kuba efuna ukubulala uYesu owayeseyimveku. Imbali izele ziziganeko eziliqela ezenzeka “ngemihla kakumkani uHerode,” ezisinceda sibuqonde bhetele ubomi nobulungiseleli bukaYesu.—Mateyu 2:1-16.
Kwakutheni ukuze uHerode afune ukubulala uYesu? Khona, kwakutheni ukuze amaYuda abe nokumkani xa uYesu wayezalwa, kodwa athi esifa uYesu abe elawulwa nguPontiyo Pilato, irhuluneli engumRoma? Into eza kusinceda siyiqonde kakuhle indima kaHerode embalini nesizathu sokuba ebalulekile kubafundi beBhayibhile, kukuba sibuyele kumashumi eminyaka ngaphambi kokuba kuzalwe uYesu.
Ukulwelwa Kwezikhundla KwaYuda
Kwisiqingatha sokuqala senkulungwane yesibini Ngaphambi Kwexesha Eliqhelekileyo, ummandla welakwaYuda wawulawulwa ngabalawuli baseSiriya bomnombo kaSeleucus, enye yezikumkani ezine ezavela emva kokufa kuka-Aleksandire Omkhulu. Kwandula ke malunga nowama-168 B.C.E., xa ukumkani othile womnombo kaSeleucus wazama ukumisela unqulo lukaZeyus kwitempile yaseYerusalem, amaYuda awayekhokelwa ziiMaccabees avukela. IiMaccabees, okanye iiHasmonaean, zalawula kwaYuda ukususela ngowama-142 ukuya kowama-63 B.C.E.
Ngowama-66 B.C.E., iinkosana ezimbini zamaHasmonean, uHyrcanus II nomntakwabo uAristobulus, zasukuzana ngobukhosi. Kwaqala imfazwe yamakhaya, yaye zombini ezi nkosana zacela uncedo kuPompey, injengele yaseRoma eyayiseSiriya ngelo xesha. UPompey walixhakamfula elo thuba lokungenelela kwimicimbi yakwaYuda.
Mayela nelo xesha amaRoma ayethimba imihlaba engasempuma yaye ayelawula ummandla omkhulu waseAsia Minor. Abalawuli abaninzi ababuthathaka baseSiriya babangela ukuba lo mmandla ungalawuleki, nto leyo eyayilubeka esichengeni uxolo amaRoma awayefuna ukulugcina eMpuma. Ngenxa yoko uPompey wayithimba iSiriya.
Ingxwabangxwaba yamaHasmonean wayicombulula ngokuxhasa uHyrcanus, yaye ngowama-63 B.C.E., amaRoma ambonzeleka eYerusalem eze kumisela uHyrcanus. Noko ke, uHyrcanus wayengazi kuzimela geqe. Kaloku amaRoma ayesele evez’ igxalaba ibe ayengayi kubuya mva. UHyrcanus waba yirhuluneli ephantsi kweRoma, exhomekeke kuyo ukuze agcine isikhundla sakhe. Imicimbi yangaphakathi wayenokuyilawula ngendlela afuna ngayo, kodwa ke kweyangaphandle kwakufuneka alandele umthetho waseRoma.
Ukuvela KukaHerode
UHyrcanus wayengumlawuli obuthathaka. Kodwa ke wayenentonga esekhosi, uAntipater umEdom, uyise kaHerode oMkhulu. NguAntipater owayeyintsika yolawulo lukaHyrcanus. Wakwazi ukunqanda amaYuda avukelayo ibe kungekudala waba ngumlawuli welakwaYuda. Wancedisa uJulius Caesar xa wayesilwa neentshaba zakhe eYiputa, yaye amaRoma amvuza ngokumnika igunya elingakumbi, nto leyo eyamenza waphendula kuwo kuphela. UAntipater, wamisela oonyana bakhe ababini, uPhasael noHerode, ukuba balawule iYerusalem neGalili.
UAntipater wafundisa oonyana bakhe ukuba akukho nto banokuyiphumeza ngaphandle kwenkxaso yeRoma. UHerode akazange ayilibale loo nto. Ngexesha lokulawula kwakhe wayesoloko ezama ukwanelisa iRoma kunye nabantu awayebalawula. Wayencedwa nasisiphiwo sakhe sokukwazi ukulungelelanisa izinto wabe kwelinye icala eyinjengele yomkhosi. Emva kokuba emiselwe, uHerode owayeneminyaka engama-25 ubudala wazenza wathandwa ngamaYuda namaRoma ngokuleqa imigulukudu kummandla wakhe.
UHerode waba yeyona ndoda inamandla kwaYuda ngowama-43 B.C.E., emva kokuba iintshaba zidlise uAntipater ityhefu. Kodwa ke wayeneentshaba. Izihandiba zamaYuda zazisithi ulawulo wayelufumene ngondlela mnyama yaye zazifuna amaRoma amsuse. Ilinge lazo lapatyalaka. AmaRoma ayethembekile kuAntipater yaye ayezixabisa iziphiwo zalo nyana wakhe.
Uba Ngukumkani WakwaYuda
Indlela awayeyilungise ngayo uPompey ingxuba kaxaka yamaHasmonean kwiminyaka engama-20 ngaphambili yayibacaphukisile abantu abaninzi. Iqela lika-Aristobulus lazama ukohlutha ulawulo izihlandlo eziliqela, yaye ngowama-40 B.C.E. laphumelela lincediswa ziintshaba zamaRoma, amaParthian. Laxhakamfula ikroba elavulwa yimfazwe yamakhaya eRoma, lahlasela iSiriya laza labhukuqa uHyrcanus yaye lamisela esikhundleni sakhe elinye ilungu lomlibo wendlu kaHasmonean elalingayithandi iRoma.
UHerode wasabela eRoma, apho wamkelwa ngezandla ezishushu. AmaRoma ayefuna abhukuqwe amaParthian kwaYuda size eso siphaluka silawulwe ngumntu okhethwe ngawo kwakhona. Ayefuna umntu awayenokumthemba, yaye loo mntu yayinguHerode. Indlu yeengwevu yaseRoma yamisela uHerode ukuba abe ngukumkani wakwaYuda. Kwafuneka ukuba uHerode alalanise kwizinto ezininzi ukuze aqiniseke ukuba uhlala esegunyeni, ngesinye isihlandlo wade wakhokela umngcelele owawusuka kwindlu yeengwevu usiya kwitempile kaJupiter, apho wafika wabingelela koothixo babahedeni.
UHerode owayencediswa yimikhosi yamaRoma wazoyisa iintshaba zakhe kwaYuda waphinda waphatha kwakhona. Waziphindezela ngendlela enganalusini kubantu ababemchasile. Wawasiphula neengcambu amaHasmonean nezihandiba zamaYuda ezaziye zawaxhasa, kuquka nabo nabaphi na abanye abantu ababengafuni ukulawulwa ngumntu onobuhlobo namaRoma.
UHerode Womeleza Ubukhosi Bakhe
Ngowama-31 B.C.E., xa uOctavius waba ngumlawuli waseRoma ngokoyisa uMark Antony eActium, uHerode waqonda ukuba ubuhlobo bakhe noMark Antony babuza kumenza angathandwa ncam. UHerode wamqinisekisa uOctavius ukuba uza kumxhasa ngokunyanisekileyo. Lo mlawuli waseRoma omtsha, wamenza ukumkani wakwaYuda uHerode waza wawandisa nomhlaba wakhe.
Kwiminyaka eyalandelayo, uHerode wabomeleza ubukumkani bakhe, waza wenza iYerusalem yaba liziko lenkcubeko yamaGrike. Waqalisa amaphulo okwakha—wakha amabhotwe, izibuko laseKesareya, waza wandisa netempile yaseYerusalem. Kodwa ke kwangaxeshanye wayesomeleza ubuhlobo bakhe namaRoma.
UHerode wayelawula ngegqudu kwelakwaYuda. Nababingeleli babetyela esandleni sakhe, emisela kweso sikhundla nabani na othandwe nguye.
Ukubulalana Ngenxa Yomona
Ubomi bukaHerode babuneengxaki. Uninzi lwabafazi bakhe abalishumi lwalufuna oonyana balo bangene ezihlangwini zakhe. Amayelenqe awayesenziwa ebhotwe abenza abalala uboya kuHerode waza wakhohlakala. Ngenxa yobukhwele wabulala uMariamne, umfazi wakhe awayemthanda kakhulu, waza kamva wabulala oonyana bakhe ababini erhanela ukuba babemenzele iyelenqe. Ukubulawa kweentsana eBhetelehem ekuthethwa ngako kuMateyu kuvisisana kakuhle nobuntu bukaHerode nokuzimisela kwakhe ukubasusa endleleni abo babesukuzana naye.
Abanye bathi ekubeni wayesazi ukuba akathandwa, uHerode wayefuna ukuba ukufa kwakhe kuzilelwe kunokuba kuvuyelwe. Ukuze aphumeze loo nto, wabamba abantu bakwaYuda ababenempembelelo waza wayalela ukuba babulawe mhla kwathiwa ufile. Ayizange yenziwe lo nto.
Igama Awazenzela Lona UHerode Omkhulu
Ekufeni kukaHerode, iRoma yamisela uArchelaus ukuba angene ezihlangwini zikayise njengomlawuli wakwaYuda, baza abanye oonyana bakhe ababini bahlulelana ngomhlaba uAntipas walawula iGalili nePerea, waza yena uPhilip walawula eIturea naseTrachonitis. UArchelaus wayengathandwa ngabantu bakhe nayiRoma. Emva kolawulo lwakhe oluhexayo lweminyaka elishumi, amaRoma amsusa esihlalweni aza amisela eyawo irhuluneli, leyo angena ezihlangwini zayo uPontiyo Pilato. Ngeloo xesha, uAntipas—ambiza ngokuba nguHerode uLuka—noPhilip baqhubeka belawula imimandla yabo. Yayinje imeko yezopolitiko xa uYesu wayeqalisa ubulungiseleli bakhe emhlabeni.—Luka 3:1.
UHerode Omkhulu wayeyindoda eyinkunkqele nengenalusini, mhlawumbi esona senzo sakhe sibalaseleyo senkohlakalo yayikukuzama ukubulala uYesu ngoxa wayeseyimveku. Ukwazi indima kaHerode kubalulekile kubafundi beBhayibhile—kuluncedo ekuqondeni iziganeko ezibalulekileyo ezenzeka emva kokubhalwa kweZibhalo zesiHebhere nokubhalwa kweencwadi zeVangeli, kuchaza indlela amaRoma aqalisa ngayo ukulawula amaYuda, nemeko xa uYesu wayeqalisa ubulungiseleli bakhe.
[Imaphu ekwiphepha 15]
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
IPalestina nemimandla eyingqongileyo ngexesha likaHerode
ISIRIYA
ITUREA
IGALILI
ITRACHONITIS
Ulwandle lwaseGalili
Umlambo IYordan
IKesareya
ISAMARIYA
IPEREYA
IYerusalem
IBhetelehem
KWAYUDA
Ulwandle Lwetyuwa
IDUMEA
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 13]
UHerode ngomnye wabalawuli ababelawula kwaYuda kwiinkulungwane ezimbini ngaphambi kobulungiseleli bukaYesu