Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
◼ Njengoba kwakungumbuso wezizwe ezimbili zakwaJuda lowo owawuthunjelwe eBabele ngo-607 B.C.E., kwenzeka kanjani ukuba amalungu azo zonke izizwe eziyi-12 zakwaIsrayeli abuyele eBabele eminyakeni engama-70 kamuva?
Kubonakala kunezizathu ezimbili eziyinhloko zalokhu. Esokuqala, ngesikhathi sokuhlukana phakathi kombuso wakwaIsrayeli kanye nokuzehlukanisa okwenzeka ngemva kwalokho kwezizwe eziyishumi, abanye abantu bazo zonke izizwe eziyi-12 ngokusobala basala endaweni yakwaJuda. Futhi esesibili, ngaphambi kuka-740 B.C.E., kunokwenzeka ukuthi abathile kuzo zonke izizwe eziyishumi baya endaweni yakwaJuda ukuze babalekele ukukhulekelwa kwezithombe kwaIsrayeli.
Ukwehlukaniswa kombuso ohlangene wakwaIsrayeli kwenzeka lapho uJehova edunyazwa nguSolomoni “ngokuba inhliziyo yakhe yayiphambukile kuJehova.” UNkulunkulu wamtshela: “Ngiyakuwuhlwitha nokuhlwitha umbuso kuwe, ngiwunike inceku yakho. . . . Ngiyakuwuhlwitha esandleni sendodana yakho. . . . Ngiyakunika indodana yakho isizwe sibe-sinye.” (1 AmaKhosi 11:9-13) Indodana kaSolomoni uRehobowamu, owayengowesizwe sakwaJuda, wanikezwa isizwe sakwaBenjamini, kanjalo wamisa umbuso waseningizimu wezizwe ezimbili.
Nakuba uRehobowamu abusa phezu kwezizwe ezimbili kuphela, waqhubeka ebusa phezu kwabathile “abantwana bakwaIsrayeli [okusho ukuthi, amalungu ezizwe eziyishumi zasenyakatho] abakhe emizini yakwaJuda.” (1 AmaKhosi 12:17; bheka futhi 2 IziKronike 10:17.) Ngokwengeziwe lapho iNkosi uJerobowamu yombuso wasenyakatho imisa ukukhulekelwa kwethole futhi ibeka ezikhundleni abapristi bayo, abapristi bakaJehova namaLevi ayephila endaweni yalowombuso aba ngasohlangothini lukaRehobowamu. Siyafunda: “AmaLevi ashiya amadlelo awo nefa lawo, aya kwaJuda naseJerusalema, ngokuba uJerobowamu namadodana akhe bawalahla ukuba angabe esaba-ngabapristi bakaJehova.” Ngalesosikhathi, abantu ababephuma “ezizweni zonke zakwaIsrayeli” bazihlanganisa nabapristi namaLevi baya eJerusalema. (2 IziKronike 11:13-17) Ukuhlubuka okuqhubekayo kwamalungu ahlukahlukene ezizwe eziyishumi kubikwa ukuthi kwenzeka emihleni yokubusa kweNkosi uAsa.—2 IziKronike 15:9, 10.
Ngo-740 B.C.E., lapho abaseAsiriya begumbuqela inhlokodolobha esenyakatho yaseSamariya, basebenzisa umthetho wokuthumba abantu bezindawo ezinqotshiwe ukuze banciphise umoya wokuvukela. (1 IziKronike 5:6, 26) Kanjalo umbuso oseNyakatho wakwaIsrayeli waphela. Nokho, lokhu akuzange kuwathinte amalungu ezizwe eziyishumi lawo ngaleso sikhathi ayehlala embusweni oseningizimu wakwaJuda. Lamalungu ayephakathi kwalabo abathunjelwa eBabele lapho elakwaJuda liwa ngo-607 B.C.E. Futhi esinye isizukulwane sabo kungenzeka sabuya ngesikhathi sokubuyiselwa ngo-537 B.C.E. Mhlawumbe ngisho nabathile besizukulwane esathunjwa abaseAsiriya ngo-740 B.C.E. nabo babuya ngalesosikhathi.
Ngokuthakazelisayo, uHezekeli, encwadini ebizwa ngegama lakhe, wakhuluma kaningi ‘ngendlu yakwaIsrayeli’ kunokubhekisela ‘endlini yakwaJuda,’ kungakhathaliseki ukuba kwakhe umprofethi kwaJuda lapho ethunjiwe eBabele. Ngaphezu kwalokho, isiprofetho sakhe sabonisa ukuthi ‘izindlu’ zombili ziyakuhlanganiswa zibe yindlu eyodwa. (Hezekeli 37:19-28; bheka futhi uJeremiya 3:18; Hoseya 1:11.) Khona-ke, ngokunengqondo awukho umehluko owaba khona phakathi kwazo zombili ngemva kokuthunjelwa kwazo eBabele.
Ngakho-ke, ukuthunjwa kwezizwe eziyishumi ngo-740 B.C.E., akuzange kubangele ukuba zilahlekelwe igama. Zazaziwa ngalo ekubuyeni kwazo ekuthunjweni ngo-537 B.C.E. Futhi ngokuphathelene nokuhlanjululwa kwethempeli elivuselelwe eJerusalema, umpristi uEzra wathi: “Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli, abapristi namaLevi nabanye abathunjwa, bagcina ukuhlanjululwa kwaleyondlu kaNkulunkulu ngokuthokoza. Banikela . . . nezimpongo eziyishumi nambili zibe ngumnikelo wokona ngoIsrayeli wonke njengokomumo wezizwe zakwaIsrayeli.” (Ezra 6:16, 17) Futhi ebonisa ukuthi insali eyabuya yahlanganisa nabantu bazo zonke izizwe zakwaIsrayeli, hhayi nje kuphela esakwaJuda nesakwaBenjamini, uIsaya wabhala: “Ngokuba noma abantu bakho, Israyeli bengangesihlabathi solwandle kuyakubuya phakathi kwabo insali nje.” (Isaya 10:22) Khona-ke, phakathi kwalabo ababuya kwakunabantu bazo zonke izizwe zakwaIsrayeli.