Ngaba Indlela IBhayibhile Ekuchaza Ngayo Ukuthinjwa KwamaYuda EBhabhiloni Ichanile?
Kwiminyaka eyi-2 600 eyadlulayo, amaYuda athinjelwa eBhabhiloni iminyaka eyi-70. Ngokutsho kweBhayibhile, uThixo wachaza kwangaphambili ukuba babuza kuba njani ubomi bamaYuda xa ethinjelwe eBhabhiloni: “Yakhani izindlu nihlale kuzo. Limani iigadi nitye isiqhamo sazo. Zithatheleni abafazi, nibe noonyana neentombi. . . . Zamani ukuba kubekho uxolo kwisixeko endinenze nathinjelwa kuso.” (Yeremiya 29:1, 4-7) Ngaba amaYuda aphila ngolu hlobo nyhani?
Abaphandi baye bafumana amacwecwe odongwe angaphezu kwayi-100 akudala ayebonakala ngathi ngawaseBhabhiloni okanye kwindawo ekufuphi nayo. La macwecwe abonisa ukuba amaYuda amaninzi ayesekuthinjweni aqhubeka elandela izithethe nendlela awayekhonza ngayo ngoxa ayethobela umthetho waseBhabhiloni. Ayebhalwe ukususela ngo-572 ukuya ku-477 B.C.E., ibe ayequka isivumelwano sokubhatala irenti, amashishini, amaphepha anesivumelwano semali emele ibhatalwe, nezinye iingxelo zemali. Enye imbekiselo ithi, “ezi zinto zisifundisa ukuba abantu ababesekuthinjweni babefana nabantu basezilalini: babelima, besakha izindlu, bebhatala irhafu ibe bethobela nokumkani.”
Icwecwe ekuthiwa yiCuneiform laseJudahtown
La macwecwe abonisa ukuba kwakukho indawo eyayihlala amaYuda ebizwa ngokuba yi-Al Yahudu, okanye iJudahtown. Kuwo kubhalwe izizukulwana ezine zamaYuda ibe ezinye zibhalwe ngesiHebhere sakudala. Ngaphambi kokuba la macwecwe afumaneke, abaphandi babengazi nto ininzi ngamaYuda awayethinjelwe eBhabhiloni. UGqirha Filip Vukosavović okwobhodi yeIsrael Antiquities Authority, uthi: “La macwecwe asincede safunda ngamaYuda ayesekuthinjweni, sazi amagama awo nokuba aphile nini ibe ayesenza ntoni.”
AmaYuda awayethinjiwe ayekhululekile eBhabhiloni
AmaYuda awayesekuthinjweni ayengafani namabanjwa, ayekwazi ukuzikhethela indawo afuna ukuhlala kuyo nento afuna ukuyenza. UVukosavović uthi “ayengahlali eAl-Yahudu kuphela, kodwa nakwezinye izixeko ezininzi.” Amanye awo aye afunda ukuba nobuchule bokwenza izinto ezininzi, ibe loo nto yanceda kakhulu xa kwakuphinda kusakhiwa iYerusalem. (Nehemiya 3:8, 31, 32) Amacwecwe eAl-Yahudu abonisa ukuba amanye amaYuda zange avume ukuhamba eBhabhiloni nasemva kokuba laliphelile ixesha labo ekuthinjweni. Le nto yayibonisa ukuba amaYuda ayephila kamnandi eBhabhiloni njengokuba iLizwi likaThixo lalitshilo.