Itshe LakwaMowabi—Laphihlizwa Kodwa Alilahlekanga
ITSHE lakwaMowabi, noma likaMesha laphihlizwa ngamabomu kungakapheli nonyaka litholakele ngo-1868. Lase licishe libe neminyaka engu-3 000 ubudala. Liwucezu lwebasalt emnyama olubushelelezi ingaphezulu lalo libulungene kahle, lingamasentimitha angu-112 ukuphakama, lingamasentimitha angu-71 ububanzi, namasentimitha angu-36 ubuqatha. Esikhathini esithile ngemva kokuba liphuliwe, kwabuye kwatholakala izingcezu ezimbili ezinkulu nezingu-18 ezincane kunazo, kodwa ingxenye yesithathu yalelitshe kwakungasenakwenzeka ukuba itholwe.
Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba umvubukulo onjalo ongavamile ucishe ulahleke phakade? Futhi ubaluleke kangakanani kubafundi beBhayibheli?
Icebo Langasese Nokungathembi
UF. A. Klein kwakuwumuntu wokuqala nowokugcina waseYurophu ukuba abone lelitshe lingaphukile. Lalilele phakathi kwamanxiwa aseDiboni ukuya ngasenyakatho-mpumalanga yoLwandle Olufile. Wabhala izingxenye ezimbalwa zombhalo walo oyimigqa engu-34 osengxenyeni yalo evelile, futhi lapho ephindela eJerusalema, wabika akutholile kumphathi wakhe wasePrussia. Ngokushesha lombhalo wabhekwa njengowasePhoenicia futhi kwaqashelwa nokubaluleka kwawo. IRoyal Museum yaseBerlin yakhipha imali yokuthenga lelitshe, kodwa ngokushesha abanye ababefuna ukulithenga babangisana ngalo. Lapho ziqaphela ukubaluleka kwalempahla yazo eyigugu, izinduna zama-Arabhu zakuleyondawo zalifihla zase zinyusa intengo yalo ngendlela engenangqondo.
Isazi semivubukulo esingumFulentshi sakwazi ukukhipha umbhalo ngokuwucindezela ephepheni, kodwa ngenxa yokuthi kwakumelwe iphepha lisuswe ngaphambi kokuba lome, okubhaliwe kwakucishe kungabonakali. Phakathi nalesosikhathi, kwafika imiyalo ivela eDamaseku iya kumaBedouin (ama-Arabhu ayimihambima) ukuba anikele ngetshe lawo ezikhulwini zikahulumeni. Kunokuba avume, lamaBedouin anquma ukuliphihliza. Ngakho abasa umlilo afaka kuwo lensalela eyigugu ase eyicwilisa ngokuphindaphindiwe emanzini. Lapho lelitshe liqhekeka, izingcezu zabiwa ngokushesha phakathi kwemikhaya yakhona ukuze zibekwe ezinqolobaneni zayo, okwathiwa kwenzelwa ukuba kuqinisekiswe isibusiso ezilimweni zayo. Futhi kwakuyindlela engcono kakhulu ngabantu ngabanye ukuba baxoxisane ngokuthengiswa kwalezingcezu ezisabalele.
Umlando OngokweBhayibheli Uba Ngokoqobo
Ngosizo lukakhonkolo nangokucindezela amaphepha ukuze kuhlanganiswe lezingcezu ezathengwa, lombhalo osetsheni wagcina utholakele. Lapho kuvezwa umbhalo ophelele, izazi zamangala. Lelitshe eliqoshiwe lasendulo ngalesosikhathi lachazwa ngokuthi “yitshe elikhulu eliphawuleka kunawo wonke ake atholwa.”
Inkosi uMesha yakwaMowabi yakhela unkulunkulu wayo uKemoshi lelitshe lakwaMowabi ukuze ikhumbule ukudlubulunda kwayo ekubuseni kukaIsrayeli, ngokusho kwayo, okwadonsa iminyaka engu-40 futhi okwakuvunyelwe uKemoshi ngoba ‘wayelithukuthelele izwe lakhe.’ Lokhu kuvukela kukaMowabi ngokuvamile kucatshangwa ukuthi kuhlobene nezenzakalo ezibhalwe esahlukweni sesithathu samaKhosi esibili. Kulelitshe, uMesha uqhosha ngokuba ngumuntu okhathalela inkolo kakhulu, ngokwakha amadolobha nomgwaqo omkhulu, nangokunqoba uIsrayeli. Ngalokhu, unika unkulunkulu wakhe uKemoshi lonke udumo. Ukunqotshwa kukaMesha nokunikela ngendodana yakhe siqu—okubikwe eBhayibhelini—njengoba ubungase ulindele, akufakiwe kulombhalo azidumisa kuwo.
Izindawo eziningi ezibhalwe uMesha njengezindawo azithumba kukhulunywe ngazo eBhayibhelini, phakathi kwazo kubalwa iMedeba, iAtaroti, iNebo, neJahasi. Kanjalo, lelitshe lisekela ukunemba kokulandisa kweBhayibheli. Nokho, okuyinto evelele kakhulu ukusebenzisa kukaMesha iTetragrammaton, YHWH, igama likaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, emshweni ka-18 walombhalo. Lapho uMesha uqhosha ngokuthi: “Ngazithatha lapho [eNebo] [izitsha] zikaYahweh, ngazihudulela phambi kukaKemoshi.” Ngaphandle kwaseBhayibhelini, lokhu cishe kuwumlando wokuqala wokusetshenziswa kwegama laphezulu.
Ngo-1873 Itshe LakwaMowabi, lalondolozwa, kunezelwa ngezingxenye zikakhonkolo okwakukhishelwe kuzo lowombhalo owawulahlekile, futhi kwabukiswa ngalo emnyuziyamu waseLouvre, eParis, lapho lisekhona nanamuhla. Umfuziselo walo ungabonwa eBritish Museum, eLondon.
[Izithombe ekhasini 31]
(Ngenhla) Izwe lakwaMowabi
[Umthombo]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.
(Ngakwesobunxele) Itshe Lakwa-Mowabi elakhiwe kabusha
[Umthombo]
Musée du Louvre, Paris
(Ngakwesokudla) ITetragrammaton njengoba ibonakala kulomvubukulo
[Umthombo]
The Bible in the British Museum