UAbraham—Umprofeti Nomhlobo KaThixo

IMIKHOSI ehlanganisiweyo yookumkani abane baseMpuma iwela uMlambo umEfrati. Bahamba ngoMendo woKumkani oya kwimpuma yentlambo yoMlambo iYordan. Endleleni boyisa amaRafa, amaZuzi, amaEma namaHori. Bandula ke, aba bahlaseli baphethuke baze baboyise bonke abemi bomzantsi weNegebhi.

Iyintoni injongo yolu hlaselo lomkhosi? Kwimimandla ehlaselwayo ephakathi komPhesheya weYordan neNegebhi kukho ixhoba. Liyintlambo enqwenelwayo ebizwa ngokuba nguMmandla waseYordan. (Genesis 13:10) Apha, abemi bezixeko ezingamazwe azimeleyo, iSodom, iGomora, iAdama, iTsebhoyim neBhela babephila ubomi bokunyhamnyheka nobokuchuma ngezinto eziphathekayo. (Hezekile 16:49, 50) Ngathuba lithile babephantsi kukaKedorlahomere, ukumkani wase-Elam ekubonakala ukuba uyinkokeli yale mikhosi ihlanganisiweyo. Kodwa kungoku nje bamvukele. Ngoku, bengenankxaso evela elumelwaneni, bajongana nokuziphendulela. UKedorlahomere nabancedisi bakhe bayaliphumelela idabi elilandela oko yaye baqalisa uhambo lwabo olude begoduka bethimba amaxhoba amaninzi kanobom.

Phakathi kwabathinjwa kukho indoda elilungisa, uLote. Ungumtshana ka-Abraham, omise iintente kwiintaba ezikufuphi zaseHebron. Xa uAbraham esiva ezi ndaba zinxunguphalisayo, ngokukhawuleza uhlanganisa amadoda akhe angama-318. Ngenkalipho, bexhaswa ngabamelwane abathile, bayabasukela ookumkani abane yaye bayiqubula imikhosi yabo ingalindelanga ngobusuku. Abangeneli bayasaba. ULote nentsapho yakhe bayafunyanwa kwakhona, bekunye nabanye ababethinjiwe, neempahla.

Sinasiphi isizathu sokuyikholelwa le ngxelo ekwisahluko seshumi elinesine seGenesis? Ngaba elibali laliyilelwe ukwenza uyise wezizwe eziliqela, kuquka amaYuda, abonakale eligorha lesizwe? Kuthekani ngezinye iziganeko kubomi buka-Abraham?

Oko Kuthethwe Ngabefundisi

Ekuqalekeni kwenkulungwane ye-19, umfundisi ongumLuthere uPeter von Bohlen wenza ibango lokuba uAbraham wayengumntu wasentsomini ibe ingxelo engohlaselo lukaKedorlahomere yayingenasiseko singokwembali. Omnye, uNjingalwazi uJulius Wellhausen, wathi: “Thina asinalwazi olungokwembali ngoosolusapho.” Wacebisa esithi: “Ngokunokwenzeka ngakumbi [uAbraham] unokugqalwa njengemveliso yentelekelelo engenangqiqo.”

Abefundisi abangamaNgesi balandela ukhokelo lwamahlakani abo angamaJamani. Umfundisi uStopford Brooke, kwincwadi yakhe iThe Old Testament and Modern Life, wabhala wathi: “Iimbali ezinkulu ezingoosolusapho ezikwincwadi yeGenesis ziziganeko zangaphambi kwamaxesha okubhalwa kwembali ebhaliweyo, azinabunyaniso bungokwembali ngaphezu kokuba zinjalo iintsomi zikaKumkani uArthur. . . . ” UJohn Colenso, ubhishophu wamaTshetshi aseNatala eyayisakuba lithanga laseBritani wabhala esenjenje: “Ngokusuka . . . kwiGenesis . . . sifumana kuphela imbono engaphelelanga negqwethekileyo engobomi nesimo sakhe nawuphi na koosolusapho.” Wongezelela esithi: “Akunakwenzeka ukuthembela ngokupheleleyo kuyo nayiphi na kwezi ngxelo.”

Ukugxeka okunjalo kunwenwa njengesilonda esiqhenkqethayo. (2 Timoti 2:17) Namhlanje abantu abazizigidi abangabahambi becawa abasabuthabathi nzulu ubomi boosolusapho. Sekunjalo, ngendlela ehlazisayo kubefundisi bonqulo lweNgqobhoko, ngoku abangakholelwayo kubukho bukaThixo bathi ukugxekwa kweBhayibhile kuye kwagabadela kakhulu. Ngokomzekelo, iBol’shaia Sovetskaia Entsiklopediia (Intyilalwazi Enkulu YaseRashiya) ithi: “Kwiminyaka yakutshanje, iingxoxo eziluthotho ezingokugxekwa kweBhayibhile ziye zahlolisiswa kwakhona ekukhanyeni kophando olutsha, ingakumbi ngokwesizinzi senkcazelo yoko kubizwa ngokuba zizifundo ezingezinto ezimbiweyo zakudala ezingeBhayibhile. Ezinye izithethe zeBhayibhile ebezikade zijongwa njengentsomi . . . zibonakala zinesiseko esingokwembali.” Qwalasela indlela ufundisiso lwezinto ezimbiweyo zakudala oluye lwayikhanyisa ngayo ingxelo engoAbraham.

IUre YamaKaledi

Ngokutsho kweBhayibhile, uAbraham wakhulela “eUre yamaKaledi.” (Genesis 11:27-31; 15:7) Kangangeenkulungwane, indawo ekuyo iUre yayiyimfihlelo. Abagxeki babekholelwa kwelokuba ukuba yayikho kwaukubakho, yayiyindawo engabalulekanga nengaphucukanga. Kwaba kukuphoxeka kwabo, xa amabhodlo aphakathi kweBhabheli neNyoba yasePersi athi afaniswa ngokungenakuphazanywa njengalawo aseUre. Amawakawaka amacwecwe awathi embiwa kulo mmandla atyhila ukuba iUre yayiliziko lorhwebo lwehlabathi, elalinabantu abaninzi ababesuka kulo lonke ilizwe. Ngexesha lika-Abraham, esi sixeko sasikwanazo nezikolo apho amakhwenkwe ayefundiswa khona ukubhala nezibalo.

Ngaphezu koko, ukumbiwa kwamabhodlo kwatyhila ukuba abayili bezakhiwo zayo babesebenzisa intsika, igophe, uphahla olubusagophe nophahla olubungqukuva. Abasebenzi abangamagcisa baseUre bavelisa izinto ezintle kakhulu ngamatye anqabileyo, iihadi ezenziwe ngocoselelo, namakrele aneencakuba zegolide engcwengiweyo. Kumakhaya aliqela, abembi bezinto zakudala bafumana imibhobho yogutyulo, eyenziwe ngodongwe olutshisiweyo, eyayisehlela ize ilahlele ukungcola kwimingxuma emikhulu efikelela kwi-12 leemitha ubunzulu.

Olu phando lwanika abafundi abaninzi imbono entsha ngoAbraham. UMhlekazi uLeonard Woolley kwincwadi yakhe ethi Digging Up the Past ubhala athi: “Besiqhele ukucinga ngoAbraham njengomntu ophantsi owayehlala ezintenteni, yaye sifumanise okokuba kunokwenzeka ukuba wayehlala kwipomakazi lendlu esesixekweni eyakhiwe ngezitena.” Ummbi wezinto zakudala uAlan Millard kwincwadi yakhe ethi Treasures From Bible Times uthi, “UAbraham wasishiya isixeko esiyokoyoko, nalo lonke unqabiseko nobumnandi baso, waba ngomnye wabantu abadelekileyo abazula esithubeni!”

Uhlaselo LukaKedorlahomere

Kuthekani ngokoyisa kuka-Abraham uKedorlahomere, ukumkani wakwaElam? Ekuqalekeni kwenkulungwane ye-19, ayengaziwa kangako amaElam. Abahlalutyi beBhayibhile bayibhebhetha ingcamango yokuba iElam yakhe yanempembelelo phezu kweBhabhiloni, kungasathethwa nto ke ngePalestina. Kungoku nje, amaElam ajongwa ngokwahlukileyo. Izifundo ezingezinto zakudala ezimbiweyo zityhila ukuba ayesisizwe esinamandla kwezomkhosi. IFunk & Wagnalls Standard Reference Encyclopedia iyachaza: “AmaElam asitshababalalisa isixeko saseUre malunga nowe-1950 B.C. . . . Ngokulandelayo aba nempumelelo enamandla phezu kwabalawuli baseBhabhiloni.”

Ngaphezu koko, amagama ookumkani bamaElam aye afunyanwa kwimibhalo ekroliweyo yezinto zakudala ezimbiweyo. Amanye awo aqala ngamazwi athi “Kudur,” elifana neli lithi “Kedor.” Uthixokazi wamaElam owayebalulekile wayenguLagamar, gama elo lifana no-“lahomere.” Ngaloo ndlela, uKedorlahomere ngoku wamkelwe yeminye imithombo yehlabathi njengomlawuli ongokwembali, kunokwenzeka igama lakhe lithetha ukuthi “Umkhonzi kaLagamar.” Olunye uluhlu lwemibhalo yamaBhabhiloni ekroliweyo lunamagama afana nawookumkani abathathu abangabangeneli—uTudhula (Tidali) uEri-aku (Ariyoki) noKudur-lahmil (Kedorlahomere). (Genesis 14:1) Kwincwadi ethi Hidden Things of God’s Revelation, uGqr A. Custance wongezelela esithi: “Ngaphandle kwala magama kwakukho iinkcukacha ezabonakala zibhekisela kwiziganeko ezenzeka eBhabhiloni xa amaElam athi amisela ulongamo lwawo phezu kwelizwe. . . . Kangangendlela awayesiqinisekisa ngayo isiBhalo la macwecwe, bada abahlalutyi beBhayibhile ngenjongo yokufumana iimposiso bawatsibela baza benza konke ababenokukwenza ukukusingela phantsi ngabom ukubaluleka kwawo.”

Kuthekani ngohlaselo lookumkani abane? Ngaba bukho nabuphi na ubungqina obungokwezinto zakudala ezimbiweyo Phesheya kweYordan nakwiNegebhi ukuxhasa oku? Ewe. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Archaeology of the Land of Israel, uNjingalwazi uYohanan Aharoni ubhekisela ekupheleni kwempucuko yangaphambi kokufika kwamaSirayeli kwimimandla “echukumisayo” Phesheya kweYordan nakwiNegebhi, “malunga nowama-2000 B.C.E.” Abanye abembi bezinto zakudala bathi oku kwenzeka malunga nowe-1900 B.C.E. UGqr. Harold Stigers kwincwadi yakhe ethi Commentary on Genesis uchaza athi, “Izinto ezenziwe ngodongwe kokubini ezaseNegebhi nezaPhesheya kweYordan zeli xesha ziyafana yaye macala omabini zibonisa ukupheliswa kwempucuko ngequbuliso, nangokuyintlekele.” Kwanabahlalutyi beBhayibhile, abanjengoJohn Van Seters, bayabamkela ubungqina bako oku. Kwincwadi yakhe ethi Abraham in History and Tradition uthi, “ekuphela kwengxaki engaconjululwanga yeyokuba bayaphi na aba bantu, ukuba kukho apho baya khona, ekupheleni kweli xesha.”

IGenesis isahluko 14 inikela oko kunokuba sisicombululo kule ngxaki. Ngokobalo-maxesha lweBhayibhile, uAbraham wafika eKanan ngowe-1943 B.C.E. Uhlaselo lokutshabalalisa lukaKedorlahomere lumele ukuba lwenzeka ngokukhawuleza emva koko. Kamva, kwakuloo nkulungwane, uThixo wezisa intshabalalo ebumlilorha phezu kwezixeko eziziphethe kakubi zaseSodom naseGomora. Oku kwayiguqula ngonaphakade intlalo nobomi beNyoba yomzantsi weYordan eyayifudula ichumile. (Genesis 13:10-13; 19:24, 25) Ayizange ibe saba lixhoba eliligugu labahlaseli bangaphandle.

Kukho eminye imizekelo emininzi engendlela uphando lwezinto ezimbiweyo zakudala oluvumelana ngayo neZibhalo ekukhanyiseni iziganeko kubomi buka-Abraham. Kodwa uphando lwezinto ezimbiweyo zakudala luneentsilelo zalo. Ngokufuthi ubungqina olubunikelayo abungqalanga ibe buxhomekeke ekutolikweni ngabantu abangafezekanga.

Obona Bungqina Buthembekileyo

Obona bungqina bunamandla bokuba uAbraham wayekho ngokwenene bubungqina boMdali womntu, uYehova uThixo. KwiNdumiso 105:9-15, uThixo wathetha ngenkoliseko ngoAbraham, uIsake noYakobi ‘njengabaprofeti’ bakhe. Ngaphezu kweminyaka eliwaka emva kokufa kuka-Abraham, uYehova uThixo wabhekisela kuAbraham ngomlomo wabaprofeti abathathu ubuncinane, de wambiza ngokuba ‘ngumhlobo’ wakhe. (Isaya 41:8, NW; Isa 51:2; Yeremiya 33:26; Hezekile 33:24) Ngokufanayo, uYesu Kristu wamthabatha uAbraham njengomzekelo. Ebudeni bexesha lokuphila kwakhe emazulwini ngaphambi kokuba abe ngumntu, uNyana kaThixo wakungqina ngokobuqu ukuqhubana kukaYise kunye nalo solusapho. Ngaloo ndlela, wayenokuthetha athi kumaYuda:

“Ukuba nibe ningabantwana baka-Abraham, ninge niyenza imisebenzi ka-Abraham. Kaloku ke, nifuna ukubulala mna, mntu unixelele inyaniso endayiva kuThixo; akakwenzanga oko uAbraham. UAbraham uyihlo, wagcobela ukuwubona umhla wam; wawubona, wavuya. Athi ngoko amaYuda kuye, Ungekabi naminyaka imashumi mahlanu nje, umbonile na uAbraham? Wathi kuwo uYesu, Inene, inene, ndithi kuni, Engekabikho uAbraham, mna ndikho kade.”—Yohane 8:39, 40, 56-58.

Sinobungqina nokhuthazo lwabona bantu babalaseleyo kwindalo iphela, sinezona zizathu zilungileyo zokunyamekela yonke into ethethwa yiBhayibhile ngoAbraham. (Yohane 17:5, 17) Nangona iBhayibhile imbeka uAbraham njengomzekelo, ayithi ngokungafanelekanga imphakamise njengegorha lesizwe. Oku kunokubonwa ngokuhlola ingxelo engoloyiso lwakhe phezu kookumkani abane abamanyeneyo. Xa uAbraham wayebuya evela edabini, wahlangatyezwa nguMelkitsedeke, ukumkani waseSalem, owathi: “Makabongwe uThixo Osenyangweni obanikeleyo ababandezeli bakho esandleni sakho.” Wazukisa uYehova ngokuhlangulwa kwakhe.—Genesis 14:18-20.

Noko ke, uloyiso olude lwazuka ngakumbi lusemnyango! Ngokukhawuleza, kwalo Thixo uzukileyo uya koyisa “okumkani bomhlaba, nabelimiweyo liphela” kwimfazwe yehlabathi liphela ebizwa ngokuba yiArmagedon. (ISityhilelo 16:14, 16) Liya kwandula ke lizaliseke ngokupheleleyo idinga likaThixo kuAbraham, umprofeti nomhlobo wakhe, elithi: “Zisikelelwe ngembewu yakho zonke iintlanga zehlabathi.” Izigidi sele zingcamla iintsikelelo ezinjalo. Nawe unokuba phakathi kwazo, njengokuba amanqaku akwiphepha 18-28 kweli phephancwadi eya kubonisa.—Genesis 22:18.

[Maps/Pictures on page 7]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

ULwandle Olukhulu

ELASEZANTSI

EDamasko

ElakwaHaran

UMlambo umEfrati

UMlambo iTigris

EUre

KwaELAM

Inyoba yasePersi

[Imaphu]

IDamasko

KwaDan

AmaRAFA

AmaZUZI

KwaShechem

EBetheli

Isithili saseYordani

ULwa. Lwetyuwa

EHebron

ELASEZANTSI

Umendo Wokumkani

AmaEMA

IGomora

ISodom

AmaHORI

[Imifanekiso]

UAbraham wathobela, wayishiya iUre, isixeko esinobuyokoyoko

Umzekelo wemisebenzi yobungcibi bezandla eyayisenziwa eUre:

1. Ikrele nesingxobo segolide

2. ‘Umqondiso waseUre’

3. Intloko yenkomo eyenziwe ngegolide kwibhokisi yesandi sohadi

4. Izinto ezenziwe ngamatye anqabileyo

5. Unkontsho oluhonjiswe ngamatye anqabileyo

[Inkcazelo]

Photos: Courtesy of the British Museum