Inxalenye 2—IAsiriya Ekhohlakeleyo—IGunya Lesibini Elikhulu Lehlabathi

Okufunyenwe ngabembi bezinto zakudala kumabhotwe ookumkani bamandulo baseAsiriya kungakuqinisekisa ngakumbi ngokuchana kwembali yeBhayibhile. Ngaba ezo zinto zafunyanwayo zibonisa ntoni ngembali yeBhayibhile, ibe zimele zithethe ntoni kuwe?

AMA-ASIRIYA yayingabantu abanogonyamelo nababethanda imfazwe. Amisela ubukhosi obukhulu, nobabukhohlakele gqitha obaye banda ukususela kwilizwe lawo elikwicala elisemntla wethafa laseMesopotami. Amaxesha amaninzi iBhayibhile ithetha ngawo njengalawo aziintshaba zikaYuda noSirayeli.

Ukwazi ngakumbi ngaba bantu bamandulo ngokuqinisekileyo kuya kusinceda ukuba siqonde izinto ezithethwa yiBhayibhile. Kwaneengxelo zaseAsiriya ziyabungqina ubunyaniso bembali yeBhayibhile nesiprofeto. Kodwa ayevela phi ama-Asiriya?

Aba bantu bazizigantsontso, nabamifanekiso yabo ibonisa ukuba babenamashiyi amakhulu neendevu ezinde, bayinzala ka-Asuri, umzukulwana kaNowa. Enyanisweni, igama elikwalinye lesiHebhere lithetha ukuthi “Asuri” nokuthi “(um)Asiriya.” UNimrodi, ochazwa eBhayibhileni ‘njengegorha lezingela phambi koYehova,’ waseka umzi waseNineve nowaseKala. Le mizi mibini, kuquka iAsuri neKhorsabad, kamva yaba ngamakomkhulu aseAsiriya.—Genesis 10:8-12, 22.

Incwadi kaNahum iqalisa ngamazwi athi: “Isihlabo esisingisele kwiNineve” ikomkhulu laseAsiriya. Ngoba? Kuba, kunjengokuba umprofeti uNahum kamva ecacisa, iNineve ‘yayingumzi wamagazi! Uzele kwaphela luhanahaniso nakukudlavula.’ (Nahum 1:1; 3:1) Ngaba wayezibaxa izinto? Akunjalo kwaphela!

Ama-Asiriya ayedume ngenkohlakalo engenakuthelekiswa. Imihombiso ekumapoma amabhotwe awo yawabonisa ephanga, etshisa yaye etshabalalisa isixeko emva kwesinye. Ukumkani wawo uAshurnasirpal uqhayisa ngokwenza imfumba ngemizimba yeentshaba zakhe. Uthi: “Amabanjwa amaninzi phakathi kwabo ndawatshisa ngomlilo . . . Kwamanye ndasika iimpumlo, iindlebe neminwe, kwamaninzi ndakhupha amehlo. Ndenza imfumba yabangafanga yaza enye yayeyeentloko.”

Impembelelo Yonqulo

Kanti, aba bantu babeluthanda gqitha unqulo. Kuye kwathethwa oku ngokuphathelele nama-Asiriya amandulo: “Ukulwa kwakuyinto yemihla ngemihla kolu hlanga, yaye ababingeleli babengabaqhwayi bemfazwe abangayekeleliyo. Ikakhulu babexhaswa ngezinto ezizuzwe emfazweni emva koloyiso . . . Olu hlanga lungabaphangi lwaluluthanda ngokugqithisileyo unqulo.”—Ancient Cities, W. B. Wright, iphepha 25.

Ama-Asiriya alufumana eBhabhiloni njengelifa unqulo lwawo. IThe Illustrated Bible Dictionary ithi: “Kwiinkalo ezininzi unqulo lwaseAsiriya lwalahluke nje kancinane kolo lwaseBhabhiloni, apho lwaluthatyathwe khona.” Itywina laseAsiriya, ngoku eliboniswa kwiMyuziyam yaseBritani eLondon, libonisa uthixo wesizwe sawo uAsuri eneentloko ezintathu. Ukukholelwa koothixo abangabathathu kwakuqhelekile kunqulo lwawo. Ngoko, ayimangalisi into yokuba ngenxa yolu nqulo nengxelo yawo yenkohlakalo nogonyamelo abe umprofeti weBhayibhile uNahum wabhala esithi uThixo omnye oyinyaniso, uYehova, “ngumphindezeli obushushu bukhulu” kuma-Asiriya.—Nahum 1:2.

Xa iNineve yathi yawa, ukutshatyalaliswa kwayo kwakucokiseke kangangokuba kangangeenkulungwane kwanendawo eyayimi kuyo yalityalwa. Bambi kwabo bayihlaba amadlala iBhayibhile bahlekisa ngayo, besithi lo mzi awuzange ubekho. Kanti wawukho ngenene! Waphinda wafunyanwa, yaye okwafunyanwa apho ngabembi bezinto zakudala kwakubangel’ imincili ngenene!

Amabhotwe Amakhulu Afunyanwa

Ngowe-1843 igosa elingummeli welizwe laseFransi uPaul-Émile Botta wemba eKhorsabad, enethemba lokuba kuya kuvela iNineve yamandulo. Endaweni yoko, wafumana ibhotwe elihle ‘likaSargon ukumkani waseAsiriya,’ okhankanywe ngegama eBhayibhileni kuIsaya 20:1. Abo bayihlaba amadlala bathi iBhayibhile yayingachananga ngokuba yayiyiyo kuphela eluxwebhu lwamandulo olwaziwayo olukhankanya lo kumkani. Kodwa uSargon wayekho, kuba abembi bezinto zakudala babhaqa ibhotwe lakhe elinamagumbi angama-200, nobutyebi obumangalisayo bemibhalo nezinye izinto. Oku kuquka ingxelo yeziganeko zaminyaka le ezingqina, ngokwembono yama-Asiriya, iziganeko ezikhankanywe eBhayibhileni. Ukususela kwisiqingatha senkulungwane ye-19, uSargon ube yenye yezikumkani ezaziwayo zaseAsiriya, nangona iinkcukacha ezininzi ezingaye zingekapheleli.

Kwathi ke, ngowe-1847, uAustin Henry Layard wabhaqa ibhotwe likaSaneribhe eNineve, malunga ne-19 leekhilomitha kumzantsi-ntshona Khorsabad. Ngulo Saneribhe mnye owayichasa ngokunogonyamelo iYerusalem yaye ukhankanywe ngegama amaxesha ali-13 eBhayibhileni. ULayard wawagocagoca amagumbi angama-71 eli bhotwe. Ayehonjiswe ngokuyokozelayo ngemifanekiso yamadabi, uloyiso neyemisitho yonqulo.

Into eyothusa ngakumbi yeyokuba abembi bezinto zakudala babhaqa neengxelo zeziganeko zaminyaka le zikaSaneribhe, zibhalwe kwiingqayi zodongwe, okanye ematyeni. Elinye ligcinwe kwiZiko leZinto zaseMpuma kwiYunivesithi yaseChicago, ngoxa elinye, iLitye elafunyanwa nguTaylor, likwiMyuziyam yaseBritani.

Ngaba ezi zinto zafunyanwayo zabonisa ntoni? Zibonisa ukuba iBhayibhile ichan’ ucwethe ngoko ikuthethayo ngaba bantu, nangeziganeko ababebandakanyeke kuzo—kuquka nasekubabizeni ngamagama abalawuli baseAsiriya!

Ookumkani BaseAsiriya

Amagama aba kumkani bamandulo asenokuvakala engaqhelekanga kuwe, kanti kulungile ukuqhelana ubuncinane nasixhenxe awo, njengoko ehlobene ngokusondeleyo neziganeko ezibaliswa eBhayibhileni.

UShalemanesere III wangena esikhundleni sikayise uAshurnasirpal ebukumkanini. Ilitye Elimnyama lakhe elidumileyo, elafunyanwa eNimrud (eKala) kwaza kwaboniswa ngalo kwiMyuziyam yaseBritani, linomfanekiso okroliweyo obonisa uKumkani uYehu wakwaSirayeli ehlawula imali yesicengo, mhlawumbi idluliselwa ngentlola.—Thelekisa iimeko ezikhankanywe kweyesi-2 yooKumkani 10:31-33.

Kamva kuloo nkulungwane inye, ngasihlandlo sithile malunga nonyaka wama-844 B.C.E., umprofeti uYona wathunywa ukuba aye kulumkisa iNineve ngentshabalalo ezayo.a Lo mzi waguquka waza wasindiswa. Nangona singazi ncam ukuba ngubani owayengukumkani eNineve xa kwenzeka oku, kubangel’ umdla ukuphawula ukuba eli yayilixesha lokuthotha komoya wokuthand’ ukulwa wama-Asiriya.

UTigelate-pilezere III (okwabizwa ngokuba nguPuli) ngukumkani wokuqala waseAsiriya okhankanywe ngegama eBhayibhileni. Wenyukela kubukumkani bamaSirayeli obusemantla ngexesha lokulawula kukaMenahem (791-780 B.C.E.). IBhayibhile ithi uMenahem wamhlawula iwaka leetalente zesilivere ukuze arhoxe.—2 Kumkani 15:19, 20.

Kwingxelo yakhe yeziganeko zaminyaka le, eyafunyanwa eKala, uTigelate-pilezere uyasingqina esi sibakala siseBhayibhileni, esithi: “Ndafumana imali yesicengo ku . . . Menahem wakwaSamari.”

ElakwaSamari Liyawa

Noko ke, elakwaSamari nezizwe zasentla ezilishumi zobukumkani bakwaSirayeli zazisenkathazweni kungekuphela nje kuma-Asiriya kodwa nakuMdali wezulu nomhlaba, uYehova uThixo. Zatyeka kunqulo lwakhe zaqhelisela unqulo lukaBhahali oluneziphithiphithi nekwakunxilwa kulo. (Hoseya 2:13) Nangona balunyukiswa ngokwaneleyo ngabaprofeti bakaYehova, abazange bavume ukuguquka. Ngoko ke umprofeti uHoseya waphefumlelwa ukuba abhale athi: “Ke elakwaSamari, ukumkani walo udakile, unjengeceba phezu kwamanzi.” (Hoseya 10:7; 2 Kumkani 17:7, 12-18) IBhayibhile ithi ama-Asiriya enza oku kwaSirayeli—yaye neengxelo zama-Asiriya zithetha okufanayo, njengoko siza kubona.

UShalemanesere V, owangena esikhundleni sikaTigelate-pilezere, wabuhlasela ubukumkani basentla bezizwe ezilishumi zakwaSirayeli waza walingqinga ikomkhulu elinqatyiswe kunene lakwaSamari. Emva kokulingqinga iminyaka emithathu, lawa elakwaSamari (ngowama-740 B.C.E.), njengoko abaprofeti bakaYehova babethe kuya kwenzeka.—Mika 1:1, 6; 2 Kumkani 17:5.

USargon II wangena esikhundleni sikaShalemanesere yaye usenokuba walugqibezela uloyiso lelakwaSamari, njengoko ukuqalisa kolawulo lwakhe kuthiwa kungqamana nonyaka wokuwa kwalo mzi. IBhayibhile ithi emva kokuwa kwelakwaSamari, ukumkani waseAsiriya “wawafudusela amaSirayeli eAsiriya.” (2 Kumkani 17:6) Umbhalo waseAsiriya, owafunyanwa eKhorsabad, uyakungqina oku. Kuwo uSargon uthi: “Ndalingqinga ndaza ndaloyisa elakwaSamari, ndaqhuba abemi balo abangama-27 290 njengamaxhoba emfazwe.”

IBhayibhile ihlabela mgama isithi emva kokuba amaSirayeli akhutshelwa ngaphandle, ukumkani waseAsiriya wazisa abantu beminye imimandla “wababeka emizini yakwaSamari, esikhundleni soonyana bakaSirayeli. Balihlutha elakwaSamari, bahlala emizini yalo.”—2 Kumkani 17:24.

Ngaba iingxelo zaseAsiriya nazo ziyakungqina oku? Ewe, ingxelo yeziganeko zaminyaka le kaSargon, eyabhalwa kwiLitye likaNimrud, ithi: “Ndawuhlaziya umzi wakwaSamari . . . Ndazisa kuwo abantu abavela kumazwe endawoyisa ngezandla zam.”—Illustrations of Old Testament History, R. D. Barnett, iphepha lama-52.

IYerusalem Iyasindiswa

USaneribhe, unyana kaSargon nowalawula esikhundleni sakhe, waziwa kakhulu ngabafundi beBhayibhile. Ngowama-732 B.C.E. lo kumkani uthand’ ukulwa walwa imfazwe enkulu nobukumkani basezantsi kwelakwaYuda.

IBhayibhile ithi “uSaneribhe, ukumkani waseAsiriya, waya kuyo yonke imizi enqatyisiweyo yakwaYuda, wayithabatha.” Ukumkani waseYerusalem uHezekiya, etyhwatyhwa sesi soyikiso, “wathumela kukumkani waseAsiriya eLakishe” waza wathembisa ukumthenga ngemali exabiso likhulu yokumcenga.—2 Kumkani 18:13, 14.

Ngaba uSaneribhe uyayingqina into yokuba wayeseLakishe? Ngokuqinisekileyo wenjenjalo! Wabonisa oku kuyingqinga kwakhe kumacwecwe amakhulu akwipoma lebhotwe lakhe abathi abembi bezinto zakudala balihlolisisa eNineve. La macwecwe aneenkcukacha akwiMyuziyam yaseBritani abonisa iLakishe ihlaselwa. Abemi bayaphokoka ukuphuma bexhom’ izandla. Abathinjwa bayaqhutywa. Bambi baxhonywa kwizibonda. Abanye baqubuda kuSaneribhe, kanye lo mntu ukhankanywe kwingxelo yeBhayibhile. Umbhalo obhalwe ngohlobo lwecuneiform notsobh’ amazantsi uthi: “USaneribhe, ukumkani wehlabathi, ukumkani waseAsiriya, wahlala phezu kwetrone yenímedu wadlulisa phambi kwakhe amaxhoba (awayethatyathwe) eLakishe njengoko wayewahlola.”

IBhayibhile ithi uHezekiya wahlawula njengemali yesicengo “amakhulu omathathu eetalente zesilivere, namashumi omathathu eetalente zegolide.” (2 Kumkani 18:14, 15) Le ntlawulo iyangqinwa yingxelo yeziganeko zaminyaka le kaSaneribhe, nangona esithi wafumana “ama-800 eetalente zesilivere.”

Phezu kwayo nje le ntlawulo, abathunywa bokumkani waseAsiriya bema ngaphandle kwendonga zeYerusalem, benyelisa uYehova uThixo yaye besongela nomzi wakhe ongcwele. Esebenzisa uIsaya, owayengaphakathi eYerusalem, uYehova, ethetha ngoSaneribhe wathi: “Akayi kungena kulo mzi; akayi kutola notolo kuwo; akayi kuwuzela enengweletshetshe, akayi kuwufumbela ludonga lwakungqinga. Uya kubuya ngendlela aweza ngayo; akasayi kungena kulo mzi.”—2 Kumkani 18:17–19:8, 32, 33.

Ngaba uYehova wamthintela uSaneribhe, njengoko wathembisayo? Kwangobo busuku ama-Asiriya ali-185 000 abulawa sisithunywa sezulu sikaThixo! USaneribhe wasaba waza wabuyela eNineve, awathi kamva apho wabulawa ngoonyana bakhe ababini xa wayequbuda kuthixo wakhe uNiseroki.—2 Kumkani 19:35-37.

Kakade ke, uSaneribhe onekratshi kwakungalindelekanga ukuba aqhayise ngoku kulahlekelwa kwakhe ngumkhosi wakhe. Kodwa oko akuthethayo kubangel’ umdla. Ingxelo yakhe yeziganeko zaminyaka le, ebhalwe kwiLitye elikwiZiko leZinto zaseMpuma nakwiLitye elafunyanwa nguTaylor ithi: “Yena uHezekiya, umYuda, akazange azithobe phantsi kwedyokhwe yam, ndayingqinga imizi yakhe eyomeleleyo engama-46, iinqaba ezirhangqwe ngodonga nemizana engenakubalwa ekulo mmandla, ndaza ndayoyisa (yona) . . . Yena ndamenza ibanjwa eYerusalem, endlwini yakhe yobukhosi, njengentaka isendlwaneni.” USaneribhe uthi “ubuqaqawuli obubangela uloyiko bolawulo lwam” bamongamela uHezekiya. Kanti, akatsho ukuba wamthimba uHezekiya okanye wayoyisa iYerusalem, njengoko watsho ‘ngemizi eyomeleleyo nangemizana.’ Kutheni engatsho nje? Njengoko iBhayibhile ibonisa, awona madoda aphambili omkhosi wakhe awayewathume ukuba enze njalo ayetshatyalalisiwe!

UEsar-hadon, unyana omncinane nowangena esikhundleni sikaSaneribhe, ukhankanywe izihlandlo ezithathu eBhayibhileni—kooKumkani beSibini, kuEzra nakuIsaya. IBhayibhile inikela ingxelo yokuba ama-Asiriya amthimba ukumkani wamaYuda uManase. Abembi bezinto zakudala bafumene uxwebhu lwaseAsiriya olunoludwe lwamagama oluquka “uManase ukumkani wamaYuda” phakathi kwabo bathi bahlawula imali yesicengo kuEsar-hadon.—2 Kronike 33:11.

UAshurbanipal, unyana kaEsar-hadon, ucingelwa ‘enguOsnapare omkhulu nobekekileyo’ okhankanywe kuEzra 4:10. Wabandisa ubukhosi baseAsiriya de bafikelela eziphelweni zabo.

Ukuphela kweGunya Lehlabathi

Ngenxa yobungendawo belaseAsiriya, intshabalalo yayo yayimiselwe. Umprofeti kaYehova uNahum wayebhala ukuba ikomkhulu layo eliyiNineve laliya kudilizelwa ‘emasangweni emilambo . . . Iinyibilike ibhotwe.’ Isilivere negolide zaziya kuphangwa umzi ube senkangala, yaye abantu babeya kuthi: “INineve ibhuqekile; ngubani na oya kuyikhuza?”—Nahum 2:6-10; 3:7.

Ngaba kwenzeka nako oku? Masiyekele abo bayoyisayo iNineve baphendule. Ngowama-632 B.C.E. abemi baseBhabhiloni namaMedi baziphindezela kabuhlungu kwelo komkhulu laseAsiriya. Iincwadi zengxelo zeziganeko zaseBhabhiloni zithi: “Izinto ezininzi ezaphangwayo zomzi nezetempile bahamba nazo baza umzi [bawuguqula] wasisiganga esingamabhodlo.”

Ngoku iziganga ezibini ezikhulu zime njengendawo ekwakumi kuyo eli komkhulu lebhongo langaphambili. Zibubungqina besibakala sokuba akukho luhlanga—ingeyiyo neAsiriya ezidlayo nenogonyamelo—enokuthintela ukuzaliseka okuqinisekileyo kweziprofeto zikaYehova.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 24]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

ULwandle Olukhulu

UBUKHOSI BASEASIRIYA

INineve

IBhabhiloni

IDamasko

ISamari

ILakishe

IYerusalem

ELAMA-ARABHI

IYIPUTA

[Inkcazelo]

Based on a map copyrighted by Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est. and Survey of Israel

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]

UKumkani uAshurbanipal ugalela iwayini phezu kweengonyama ezibuleweyo. Ngaba oku kukukhumbuza uNimrodi?

[Inkcazelo]

Courtesy of the British Museum, London

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 26]

Umfanekiso okroliweyo waseAsiriya obonisa uhlaselo nokungqingwa komzi onqatyisiweyo wakwaYuda oyiLakishe

[Inkcazelo]

Courtesy of the British Museum, London

Induli yaseLakishe. Le mboniselo ibalulekileyo ikumzantsi-ntshona yalikhusela ilizwe elineentaba lakwaYuda de ama-Asiriya ayihlasela iLakishe aze ayoyisa

[Inkcazelo]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 27]

Kumfanekiso okroliweyo kaSargon II (ngasekhohlo) ejonge igosa laseAsiriya elisenokuba yiNkosi Ethweswayo uSaneribhe

[Inkcazelo]

Courtesy of the British Museum, London