UBelishasari—UnguMntwana Oyindlalifa Noma UyiNkosi?
IZAZI zeBhayibheli kade zaqala ukuphikisana ngoBelishasari. Ngokwencwadi yeBhayibheli kaDaniyeli, “uBelishasari inkosi” wayengumbusi waseBabiloni futhi wayenedili elikhulu ngobusuku benhlekelele ngo-539 B.C.E. ngesikhathi uKoresi umPheresiya egumbuqela umuzi. (Daniyeli 5:1) Inkinga iwukuthi iBhayibheli kuphela elithinta igama likaBelishasari. Eminye imilando yakudala iyalishiya, futhi ibika ukuthi umbusi waseBabiloni ngalesosikhathi kwakunguNabonidasi. Lokhu kwabhekwa ngabaningi njengobufakazi bokuthi incwadi kaDaniyeli yayingenalusizo ngokomlando futhi cishe yayibhalwe emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka ngemva kokuwa kweBabiloni.
Nokho, lesosinqumo sathathelwa phezulu. Ngokulandisa kuka-Alan Millard kuyiBiblical Archaeology Review (May/June 1985), ngo-1854 kwavunjululwa umbhalo eIraq owawunomthandazo wokuphila isikhathi eside nempilo enhle kaNabonidasi nezibulo lakhe. Kwakungubani igama lalelizibulo? KwakunguBelishasari! Ngakho-ke wayekhona uBelishasari eBabiloni! Kusukela ngo-1854, kuye kwatholakala eminye imibhalo eminingi eqinisa lokhu. Nokho, awukho phakathi kwaleyomibhalo obiza uBelishasari ngokuthi uyinkosi. Ibhekisela kuye njengendodana yenkosi, noma umntwana oyindlalifa. Ngakho-ke, abahlaziyi bagomela ngokuthi umbhali kaDaniyeli wayenephutha ngokusebenzisa amazwi athi “uBelishasari inkosi.”
Nokho, ngisho nakulokhu, banephutha. Sazi kanjani? Phakathi kokunye, ngokuka-Alan Millard, imibhalo engokomthetho iye yavunjululwa kusukela kulesosikhathi lapho abantu ababehilelekile esivumelwaneni babefunga ngoNabonidasi noBelishasari. Kungani lokhu kubalulekile? Kungoba umthetho owawumisiwe kwakuwukuba abahilelekile bafunge ngonkulunkulu nangenkosi. Ukufunga ngoBelishasari yikhona kuphela okwakuhlukile, ngakho uBelishasari ngokusobala wayenesikhundla esikhethekile. Eqinisweni, kubonakala sengathi uBelishasari wabusa eyedwa eBabiloni iminyaka eminingi ngesikhathi uyise ehlala ezifundeni zaseTeima enyakatho yeArabiya. Phakathi nalesikhathi, ngokombhalo manje ogcinwe endaweni yemivubukulo yaseBrithani, uNabonidasi “wabeka esihlalweni sobukhosi” uBelishasari.
Pho-ke kungani imibhalo engokomthetho imbiza ngokuthi “umntwana oyindlalifa” kanti incwadi kaDaniyeli isebenzisa igama elithi “inkosi”? Ukuvunjululwa kwezinto zasendulo okwenziwa enyakatho Asiriya kunikeza impendulo. Ngo-1979 isithombe esiqoshiwe senkosi yaseGozani lasendulo esasilingana nayo savunjululwa lapho. Echosheni laso kwakunemibhalo emibili, omunye wawulotshwe ngesiAsiriya omunye ngesiAramu. Lemibhalo emibili, nakuba yayicishe ifane, okungenani yayinomehluko owodwa othakazelisayo. Umbhalo owawungolimi lwamakhosi aseAsiriya wawuthi umbusi omelelwe isithombe “umbusi waseGozani.” Umbhalo owawungesiAramu, ulimi lwabantu bakuleyondawo, bamchaza ngokuthi “inkosi.”
Efanisa lokhu, uAlan Millard uphetha ngokuthi lapho imibhalo engokomthetho ibhekisela kuBelishasari njengomntwana oyindlalifa, “kwakungase kucatshangelwe njengokufanelekile ngemibhalo enjalo engeyona engokomthetho njengeNcwadi kaDaniyeli ukuba ibize uBelishasari ‘njengenkosi.’ Wakhonza njengenkosi, wayeyiphini likayise, nakuba kungenzeka ukuthi akazange abe yinkosi engokomthetho. Umehluko oshaya emhloleni kumelwe ukuba wawungakhanyi kahle futhi udida endabeni njengoba ilandiswe kuDaniyeli.”
Konke lokhu kuphakamisa umbuzo: Uma incwadi kaDaniyeli ngempela yayibhalwe emakhulwini eminyaka ngemva kokuwa kweBabiloni, umbhali wayo wazi kanjani ngoBelishasari, lowo ezinye izazi-mlando ezingamnakanga? Futhi kungani ambiza ngokuthi “inkosi,” elandela isiko elaliqondakala ngesikhathi uBelishasari esaphila kodwa elakhohlakala emakhulwini eminyaka kamuva? Ngokuqinisekile, ukubhekisela okusencwadini kaDaniyeli kokuthi “uBelishasari inkosi” kuwubufakazi obuqinile bokuthi lencwadi yabhalwa umuntu owayehlala eBabiloni ekhulwini lesithupha B.C.E.