IKhesariya NamaKristu Okuqala

UMUZI wasendulo owawusogwini lolwandle waseKesariya, owakhiwa nguHerode oMkhulu ngokushesha nje ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaJesu Kristu, uye waba indawo yokuvumbululwa kwemivubukulo eminingi kwamuva nje. “Umkhankaso wokubukisa izinto ezatholwa ezibizwa ngokuthi “iKing Herod’s Dream,” manje useNyakatho-Melika.a

UHerode wazincengela kumbusi wamaRoma uKesari Awugustu. Ngakho, wabiza umuzi ngokuthi iKesariya (okungukuthi, “OkaKesari”) itheku lawo wathi iSebastos (“Awugustu” ngesiGreki). Izisebenzi zikaHerode zakha isikhumulo semikhumbi esimangalisayo mhlawumbe semikhumbi eyikhulu, futhi zakha ithempeli elikhulu elinesithombe esikhulu lokukhulekela umbusi.

Ukubusa KwamaRoma

IKesariya laba yindawo yokuhlala engokomthetho yezinduna zamaRoma—amadoda ayebusa iJudiya. IKesariya laliyisikhungo somsebenzi wezombangazwe nowezempi waseRoma. Yikhona lapho induna yempi uKorneliyu ‘izihlobo nabangane bayo abakhulu’ ababa abokuqala abangemaJuda abamukela ubuKristu. (IzEnzo, isahluko 10) UFiliphu umvangeli waya eKesariya; kanjalo nomphostoli uPetru. Eminye yemikhumbi umphostoli uPawulu ayisebenzisa ohambweni lwakhe lwezithunywa zevangeli yayingenela esikhumulweni saseKesariya. Futhi cishe ngonyaka ka-56 C.E., uPawulu noLuka bahlala emzini kaFiliphu, ngokusobala owayakhe lapho futhi enamadodakazi amane nawo ayekhonza uNkulunkulu.—IzEnzo 8:40; 12:18, 19; 18:21, 22; 21:8, 9.

KwakuseKesariya lapho uPawulu alethwa khona ukuze avele phambi kombusi wamaRoma uFeliksi. Nakhona uPawulu washo amazwi akhe adumile kuFestu: “Ngilidlulisela kuKesari!”—IzEnzo, izahluko 23-26.

Umbukiso

Uma ungena kulombukiso, ubona isithombe esiqoshiwe sikaTyche, unkulunkulukazi waseKesariya. Igama lakhe lisho “iNhlanhla.” Nokho, amaKristu lapho awazange athembele kunkulunkulukazi wenhlanhla kodwa kuNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova. Ayenokholo futhi kuJesu Kristu, lowo iNkosi uHerode eyayizame ukumbulala.

Emakamelweni amabili alandelayo, ubona indlela abavubukuli abembula ngayo izinto ezatholakala eKesariya nendlela itheku elakhiwa ngayo. Khonake, ekamelweni lesine, ubona umbhalo obhalwe kabusha ongenye yezinto ezinkulu ezatholwa eKesariya. Umbhalo okuwukuphela kwawo owaziwayo wombusi wamaRoma uJesu Kristu alethwa phambi kwakhe. Umbhalo ufundeka kanje: “UPontiyu Pilatu, induna enkulu yaseJudiya.”

Futhi kulelikamelo kukhona izinhlamvu ezincane zethusi ezimbili ezithakazelisa ngokwedlulele. Olokuqala (ngakwesokudla) lunalombhalo: “Unyaka wesibili wenkululeko yeSiyoni.” Kolwesibili kunalamazwi: “Unyaka wesine wokuhlengwa kweSiyoni.” Izazi zithi lezinhlamvu zenziwa ngonyaka ka-67 C.E. no-69 C.E. “Inkululeko” okubhekiselwa kuyo kwakuyisikhathi lapho amaJuda ebusa iJerusalema, ngemva kokuba uCestus Gallus ehoxisa amabutho akhe ahlaselayo amaRoma ngo-66 C.E.

Lokho kuhoxa kwavula ithuba lokubaleka eJerusalema. Abantu abamkholelwa uJesu babaleka, ngoba wayesho ngokucacile ukuthi: “Kepha nxa nibona iJerusalema lihaqiwe yizimpi, yazini ukuthi sekusondele ukuchithwa kwalo. Khona abaseJudiya mababalekele ezintabeni, abaphakathi kwalo baphume, abasemaphandleni bangangeni kulo.” (Luka 21:20, 21) Ngokusobala, abenzi balezinhlamvu “zokunqoba” babengenambono wokubhujiswa okwakubalindele!

Ngonyaka ka-70 C.E., impi yamaRoma yabuya, yalinqoba iJerusalema, yabhubhisa nethempeli. NgokukaJosephus, yabulala abantu abangaphezu kwesigidi ababehlangene emzini ngenxa yePhasika. Ujenene wamaRoma uTitus wagubha umkhosi walokhu kunqoba—nosuku lokuzalwa lomfowabo uDomitian—nemidlalo enkundleni yemidlalo yaseKesariya. Lapho iziboshwa eziyizi-2 500 zaphonswa ezilwaneni zasendle, zashiswa, noma zabulawa emidlalweni yokuzijabulisa yaseshashalazini.

Ikamelo lombukiso elilandelayo linesithombe esiqoshiwe sikankulunkulukazi wenzalo onamabele amaningi uArtemis wase-Efesu. Lona unkulunkulukazi ofanayo abakhulekeli bakhe abenza isiphithiphithi e-Efesu lapho ukushumayela kukaPawulu kubangela abaningi ukuba balahle ukukhulekelwa kwesithombe okwenyanyekayo balandele uJesu Kristu.—IzEnzo 19:23-41.

Ukubukiswa kwezingcezu zezitsha zobumba eziphukile kubonisa ubude bebanga elalihanjwa ekhulwini lokuqala njengoba bembulwe emiBhalweni. Endlini eyodwa nje kuphela yokulondoloza impahla yasendulo, kwatholakala izingcezu zezitsha zobumba zasezindaweni eziqhelelene kakhulu njengeYugoslavia, i-Italy, iSpain, futhi mhlawumbe neNyakatho Afrika. Ngokuhamba kakhulu kangako, kulula ukuqonda ukuthi izivakashi ezazivela ezindaweni ezisemajukujukwini zoMbuso wamaRoma kungenzeka zaziseJerusalema ngePentekoste lika-33 C.E. Lapho abaningi bezwa izindaba ezinhle ngezilimi zabo, baba amakholwa, futhi babhapathizwa. Ngokunokwenzeka, abanye babuyela nezindaba ezinhle emazweni akubo ngemikhumbi eyayisuka eKesariya.—IzEnzo, isahluko 2.

Ekamelweni elilandelayo, insimbi enkulu ewunxande isekela izingcezu zetshe elikhulu lemabula lekhulu lesithathu noma lesine leminyaka. Okokuqala yaveza izigaba, noma izinhlu, ezingama-24 zemindeni yobupristi ngokohlelo eyayikhonza ngalo ethempelini laseJerusalema. Lelothempeli lalenziwe incithakalo amakhulu eminyaka, kodwa amaJuda ayenethemba lokuthi lalizophinde lakhiwe kabusha ngokushesha. Emakhulwini eminyaka kamuva babesakuthandazela ukuba uNkulunkulu abuyisele izinhlu zobupristi osukwini lwabo. Kodwa ithempeli alakhiwanga kabusha. UJesu wayebikezele ukubhujiswa kwalo. Futhi ngaphambi kokuba libhujiswe, umphostoli uPawulu, umJuda nowayengumFarisi, waveza ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayefake okuthile okungcono esikhundleni salelothempeli—eliyithempeli elikhulu kunalelo, elingokomoya, lelo isakhiwo saseJerusalema esenziwe ngezandla esasimane silifanekisela noma silimelela kuphela.—Mathewu 23:37–24:2; Heberu, izahluko 8, 9.

Kwadlula amakhulu eminyaka nabanqobi bafika futhi badlula. Ekugcineni amanxiwa aseKesariya ashona ngaphansi kwesihlabathi nolwandle. Lapho alindela abavubukuli banamuhla, abamivubukulo yabo iye yasisiza ukuba siqonde okwengeziwe ngokuphila ezikhathini zasendulo nangezinye zezinto esizifunda eZwini likaNkulunkulu iBhayibheli.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

UTyche, unkulunkulukazi “wenhlanhla” waseKesariya

[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 23]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

Courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 24]

Aaron Levin

Israel Department of Antiquities and Museums; photographs from Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County