UHerode Omkhulu Umakhi Oyingcweti
WABUSA cishe iminyaka engamashumi amathathu, eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-2 000 edlule. Umbuso wakhe owawuseJudiya wawuhlanganisa nezinye izindawo ezizungezile. Emlandweni waziwa ngokuthi uHerode Omkhulu.
UHerode uvame ukukhunjulwa njengombulali onomona, hhayi nje wamalungu omkhaya wakhe kuphela kodwa nezinsana ezingabafana. Lapho izazi ezivela eMpumalanga zimbikela ukuthi kuzelwe inkosi yakusasa, uHerode wenza sengathi ufuna ukumbusisa lo mntwana. Wazicela ukuba zimthole bese zibuyela kuye. Kodwa uNkulunkulu wazixwayisa izazi ukuba zingabuyeli kuye, uHerode wayala ukuba kubulawe bonke abantwana babafana abaneminyaka emibili kuya phansi eBhetlehema, idolobha izazi ezazithole kulo uJesu, kuhlanganise nasezifundeni ezizungezile.—Mathewu 2:1-18.
Kodwa, ekuqaleni kokuphila kwakhe, uHerode wayezenze wathandwa abantu abaningi ngenxa yemisebenzi yakhe emihle yokwakha. Wakha amathempeli, izinkundla zezemidlalo, izinkundla zemijaho yamahhashi, imisele yamanzi kuhlanganise nezinqaba eziyizigodlo ezinezindlu zokugeza eziningi. Imisebenzi yakhe yokwakha yayihlaba umxhwele ngempela—ngisho nakonjiniyela banamuhla abacwaninga izindawo zasendulo ezingamanxiwa.
UHerode wakhetha izindawo ezazizokwenza ukuba izakhiwo zibukeke kahle zihambisane nemvelo ezizungezile. Izigodlo zakhe zazinemifekethiso yamatshe. Waqala ukwakha izindlu zokugeza ezifana nezamaRoma eJudiya, ezazinamagumbi ashisayo nafudumele nezindlela zokufudumeza phansi. Empeleni wakha namadolobha, elinye lawo lalinechweba lokuzenzela.
IKhesariya—Idolobha Eliyichweba
EKhesariya, uHerode wakha elinye lamachweba elikhulu kunawo wonke embusweni wamaRoma. Ubukhulu balo buyisimanga kubavubukuli. Lalinendawo eyisikhumulo semikhumbi eyikhulu, ubufakazi obuthule bokuthi lase liyindawo yokuhwebelana kwamazwe omhlaba eKhesariya.
Izinsika nodonga oluvimba amanzi olwandle kwakwakhiwe ngobuchwepheshe obuphambili bangaleso sikhathi. Kodwa, izazi zamangazwa indlela izisebenzi ezazithwale ngayo amatshe amakhulu ayenobude okungaba amamitha angu-15 ububanzi nokuphakama obungaba amamitha amathathu njengoba kwachaza isazi-mlando esingumJuda uFlavius Josephus. Muva nje, izinhlambi zithole ukuthi amatshe asetshenziswa uHerode ayenziwe ngokhonkolo. Ukuze kwakhiwe izinsika nezindonga ezivimba amanzi izisebenzi zazithela ukhonkolo ezinhlakeni ezenziwe ngokhuni, bese zifakwa futhi ziboshelwe phansi.
Leli chweba elaliklanywe kahle lalihlanganisa nethempeli elalinikelwe kuKhesari Awugustu, isigodllo, inkundla yomjaho wamahhashi eyayihlala abantu abangu-4 000 nesimiso sokuthutha indle esingaphansi. Imihubhe yamanzi nemisele kwakuletha amanzi eKhesariya avela emithonjeni eseNtabeni iKarmeli eyayiqhele ngamakhilomitha ayisithupha.
IJerusalema Nethempeli LikaHerode
Eminye yemisebenzi emikhulu kaHerode kwakuyithempeli elalakhiwe eJerusalema. Ithempeli lokuqala kule ndawo lakhiwa iNkosi uSolomoni, ngomklamo uyise uDavide ayewuthole ngokuphefumulelwa nguNkulunkulu. (1 AmaKhosi 6:1; 1 IziKronike 28:11, 12) Lelo thempeli labhujiswa abaseBhabhiloni eminyakeni engu-420 kamuva, futhi eminyakeni engu-90 ngemva kwalokho kuthiwa lathathelwa indawo isakhiwo esingesihle kakhulu esakhiwa nguMbusi wakwaJuda uZerubhabhele.
Ngokuphathelene nethempeli elakhiwa uHerode kuyo le ndawo, uJosephus wabhala: “Izindonga zalo zazinamekwe ngezingcezu ezinkulu zegolide, ngokushesha nje lapho kuphuma ilanga ithempeli lalibengezela kangangokuba kwakunzima ngomuntu ukuba alibheke ngenxa yemisebe yelanga. Kubantu abeza kude lalibonakala sengathi yintaba embozwe yiqhwa; ngoba konke okwakunganamekiwe ngegolide kwakumhlophe qwá.”
Izinkulungwane zamadoda zahlanganyela ekwakheni izindonga zokubiya, udonga olungasentshonalanga lwalungamamitha angu-500 ubude. Amatshe amakhulu ayebekwa ngaphandle kokufaka usimende. Lilinye lalinesisindo esingaba amathani angu-400 futhi ngokwesazi esithile “alikho elalilingana nawo endulo ngaleso sikhathi.” Akumangalisi-ke ukuthi kungani abafundi bakaJesu babehlabeke umxhwele! (Marku 13:1) Lezi zindonga zazidlulwa yinkundla enkulu ebizwa ngokuthi iNtaba Yethempeli—eyayinkulu kunazo zonke ngaleyo nkathi. Kwakungangena izinkudla zebhola ezingaphezu kwezingu-25!
UHerode wakha ezinye zezakhiwo zaseJerusalema. Esinye sazo kwakuyinqaba enkulu ka-Antonia, eyayihlangana nethempeli ayelakhe kamuva. UHerode wakha isigodlo, kuhlanganise nesakhiwo esinezitezi ezintathu esasakhiwe esangweni ledolobha.
ISamariya NeJerikho
UHerode wathola isipho esivela kuKhesari Awugustu esiyidolobha laseSamariya lasendulo, alibiza ngokuthi iSebaste. Wagcwalisa leli dolobha ngezakhiwo ezihlukahlukene, kuhlanganise nokuthile okungenzeka kwakuyinkundla eyayinemipheme. Wakha nezinye izakhiwo ezinkulu ezazifekethiswe ngemifanekiso.
EJerikho, eliphansi ngamamitha angu-250 eSigodini SaseJordani futhi elinesimo sezulu esifudumele, uHerode wakha isigodlo sasebusika. IJerikho, lalingamahektare angaba ngu-2 500 futhi lalifana nedolobha eliyingadi. Wahlanganisa izigodlo ezintathu ayezakhile zaba yinto eyodwa, isakhiwo ngasinye sinamahholo, izindlu zokugeza, izingadi namadamu okubhukuda. Akumangazi-ke ukuthi kungani akhetha iJerikho njengomuzi wakhe wasebusika!
Izinqaba Eziyizigodlo Ezimangalisayo
Nakuba kunjalo, uHerode wayenenye indawo ayengahlala kuyo ebusika. Wakha inqaba edwaleni elisenkangala elaziwa ngokuthi iMasada, eliphakeme ngamamitha angu-400 phezu koLwandle Olufile. Kuleyo ndawo, wakha isigodlo esihle esinezitezi ezintathu esasinendawo elungiswe kahle, amachibi okugeza kuhlanganise nesinye isigodlo esasinendlu yokugeza efana neyamaRoma eyayinamapayipi ashisayo ezindongeni nendlu yangasese esebenza ngamanzi!
Kuleyo ndawo eyihlane, uHerode wenza into engase ibizwe ngokuthi indawo yasebukhosini yokuvuselela impilo. Wayifaka imithombo eminingi eyayikwazi ukumumatha amalitha amanzi angu-40 000 000. Njengoba le nqaba yayinohlelo oluhle lokukhongozela nokubeka amanzi emvula, kwakunamanzi amaningi okuchelela izitshalo nawokubhukuda nokugeza.
Esinye sezakhiwo zikaHerode ezimangalisayo zobunjiniyela kwakuyisigodlo sakhe esiyinqaba saseHerodiya, esasisegqumeni cishe siqhele ngamakhilomitha ayisihlanu ukusuka eningizimu-mpumalanga yeBhetlehema. Sasinezingxenye ezimbili: IHerodiya Engenhla neHerodiya Engezansi. Ingxenye engenhla yayihlanganisa isigodlo esiyinqaba esikhulu, bese kuba nombhoshongo onezitezi eziyisihlanu—manje osuyinxiwa—owawuphakeme kakhulu. Eminyakeni emibili edlule izikhungo zezindaba zomhlaba zabika ukuthi kwakutholakale izinsalela zethuna likaHerode engxenyeni engenhla yeHerodiya, zabika ukuthi lokhu kwakuqinisekisa umbiko kaJosephus wangekhulu lokuqala wokuthi uHerode wangcwatshwa kule ndawo.
IHerodiya Engezansi yake yaba namahhovisi nezakhiwo eziningi ezixhumene nesigodlo. Injongo yayiwukwenza ingadi ngendlela yamaRoma—ihlotshiswe ngezinsika ezizungeze ichibi lokubhukuda elikhulu elalinesiqhingi esiwumhlobiso phakathi nendawo. Ubukhulu baleli chibi cishe babuliphinda kabili elama-Olympic lanamuhla. Lalisetshenziselwa ukugcina amanzi, kodwa futhi lalibuye lisetshenziselwe ukubhukuda ngisho nokuhamba ngesikebhe. Amanzi ayengena ngomsele osuka emthonjeni oqhele ngamakhilomitha amahlanu.
Eminyakeni eminingi edlule isivakashi sasho lokhu ngendawo ezungezile: “Ngasempumalanga, wawukwazi ukubona uLwandle Olufile. Phambi kwethu nje, kwakunehlane laseJudiya uDavide acashela kulo uSawule oweyamjaha. Sibona ukuba mazombezombe kwale ndawo, saqonda ukuthi lokhu wakwenza kanjani, ikakhulukazi njengoba ayeyijwayele le ndawo kusukela ebuntwaneni bakhe. Sacabanga nokuthi lapho eluse izimvu, kungenzeka uDavide wayevame ukugibela kuleli gquma ukuze abone ubuhle bendawo esasibubona.”
Kubhalwe izincwadi eziningi ngezakhiwo zikaHerode. Kuningi ukuhlawumbisela okushiwoyo ngokuphathelene nokuthi kungani aqala ukwakha izakhiwo ezingaka. Abanye bathi wayezifunela udumo noma efuna ukusekelwa kwezombangazwe. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi injongo yakhe yayiyini, lokhu okuncane esikuhlolile kufakazela ukuthi uHerode Omkhulu, ngaphandle nje kokuba umbusi onesihluku, wayengumakhi oyingcweti.
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IKHESARIYA
Umfanekiso womdwebi
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ISIGODLO EJERUSALEMA
Umfanekiso
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ITHEMPELI LIKAHERODE
Umfanekiso
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IMASADA
Isigodlo esinezitezi ezintathu esesiyinxiwa
[Umthombo]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.
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IHERODIYA
Umfanekiso womdwebi
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Caesarea: Hiram Henriquez/National Geographic Stock; Palace: Courtesy of Israel Museum, Jerusalem, and Todd Bolen/Bible Places.com