Ingabe Bewazi?

Kungani kwakunabashintshi bemali ethempelini laseJerusalema?

▪ Ngaphambi nje kokufa kwakhe, uJesu walungisa ububi obabenziwa ethempelini. IBhayibheli liyabika: “UJesu . . . waxosha bonke abathengisayo nabathengayo ethempelini, wagumbuqela amatafula abashintshi bemali namabhentshi alabo abathengisa amajuba. Wathi kubo: ‘Kulotshiwe ukuthi, “Indlu yami iyobizwa ngokuthi yindlu yomthandazo,” kodwa nina niyenza umhume wabaphangi.’”—Mathewu 21:12, 13.

AmaJuda ekhulu lokuqala namaJuda angamaproselithe ayesuka emazweni nasemizini eminingi aye ethempelini eJerusalema, ephethe izinhlamvu zemali zasezindaweni ahlala kuzo. Kodwa kwakudingeka asebenzise imali eyamukelekayo lapho ekhokha intela yethempeli yaminyaka yonke, lapho ethenga izilwane zemihlatshelo nalapho enza eminye iminikelo yokuzithandela. Ngenxa yalokho, abashintshi bemali babeshintsha lezi zinhlamvu zemali zasezindaweni ezihlukahlukene nezingamanani ahlukahlukene, zibe imali eyamukelekayo. AmaJuda kwakufanele ayikhokhele le nkonzo. Lapho kusondela imikhosi yamaJuda, babemisa amatafula ethempelini eGcekeni LabeZizwe ukuze bashintshele abantu imali.

Ukugxeka kukaJesu abashintshi bemali ethi benza ithempeli “umhume wabaphangi,” kusobala ukuthi kwakuwubufakazi bokuthi inkokhiso ababeyifuna ngomsebenzi wabo yayimba eqolo.

Kungani izihlahla zomnqumo zazaziswa kangaka ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli?

▪ Izihlahla zomnqumo nezivini zaziphakathi kwezibusiso uNkulunkulu azithembisa abantu bakhe uma behlala bethembekile kuye. (Duteronomi 6:10, 11) Kuze kube namuhla, isihlahla somnqumo saziswa kakhulu ezindaweni esikhula kuzo. Singakhiqiza inqwaba yezithelo amakhulu eminyaka ngisho nalapho kungekho muntu osinakekelayo. Isihlahla esinakekelwayo singakhula kakhulu ngisho nasemhlabathini onamatshe futhi singabhekana nezomiso. Uma sigawulwa, izimpande ziveza amahlumela amaningi angakhula abe iziqu ezintsha.

Ezikhathini zeBhayibheli, amagxolo namaqabunga alesi sihlahla ayaziswa ngamandla awo okwelapha umkhuhlane. Inomfi ephuma emagatsheni amadala futhi enephunga le-vanilla yayisetshenziselwa ukwenza amakha. Nokho, ngokuyinhloko, lesi sihlahla sasaziswa njengesihlahla esikhiqiza ukudla—izithelo zaso, kodwa ikakhulukazi amafutha aso. Indaphundaphu yomnqumo ovuthiwe ikhipha cishe ingxenye yamafutha.

Isihlahla esihle singakhiqiza amalitha angaba ngu-57 amafutha ngonyaka. Amafutha omnqumo ayesetshenziswa emikhosini nasemisebenzini ehlobene nokukhulekela. Ayesetshenziselwa nokukhanyisa izibani, ukugcoba umzimba nezinwele, ukuthambisa amanxeba nokupholisa imihuzuko.—Eksodusi 27:20; Levitikusi 2:1-7; 8:1-12; Ruthe 3:3; Luka 10:33, 34.