UZamcolo Ongenakulibaleka
EMINYAKENI engaba ngu-4 300 edlule, isikhukhula esibhubhisayo sasibekela umhlaba. Ngegalelo elilodwa nje elikhulu, sashanela cishe yonke into ephilayo. Sasisikhulu kakhulu kangangokuba sashiya umyocu ongenakucimeka esintwini, futhi isizukulwane ngasinye sadlulisela lendaba kwesilandelayo.
Eminyakeni ecishe ibe ngu-850 ngemva kukaZamcolo, umlobi ongumHeberu uMose wayibhala phansi lendaba kaZamcolo womhlaba wonke. Iye yalondolozwa encwadini yeBhayibheli kaGenesise, lapho singafunda khona imininingwane ecacile ezahlukweni 6 kuya ku-8.
Ukulandisa KweBhayibheli NgoZamcolo
UGenesise unikeza lemininingwane, ngokusobala evela kufakazi wokuzibonela: “Ngomnyaka wamakhulu ayisithupha wokuhamba kukaNowa ngenyanga yesibili ngosuku lweshumi nesikhombisa lwenyanga, ngalona lolosuku imithombo yonke yotwa yabhoboka, namafasitele asezulwini avuleka. Kwaba-nguzamcolo emhlabeni izinsuku ezingamashumi amane; amanzi anda, aphakamisa umkhumbi; waphakama phezu komhlaba. Amanzi andisisa impela emhlabeni; zasitshekelwa zonke izintaba eziphakemeyo eziphansi kwezulu lonke.”—Genesise 7:11, 17, 19.
Ngokuqondene nomphumela kaZamcolo ezintweni eziphilayo, iBhayibheli lithi: “Inyama yonke eyayihamba emhlabeni yafa, izinyoni, nezinkomo, nezilo, nezilwanyana ezinwabuzelayo emhlabeni, nabantu bonke.” Nokho, uNowa nabanye abantu abayisikhombisa basinda, kanye nohlobo ngalunye lwesilo, isilwane esindizayo, nokunwabuzelayo emhlabeni. (Genesise 7:21, 23) Konke kwakulondolozwe emkhunjini omkhulu ontantayo cishe owawungamamitha angu-133 ubude, amamitha angu-22 ububanzi, namamitha angu-13 ukuphakama. Njengoba okuwukuphela kwalokho okwakufanele kufezwe yilomkhumbi kwakuwukuba ungangenwa ngamanzi futhi uhlale untanta, wawungenalo ingaphansi eliyindilinga, ingaphambili elicijile, okokuwenza uhambe, noma okokuwugwedla. Umkhumbi kaNowa wawumane nje uyinto enjengebhokisi elingunxande.
Ezinyangeni ezinhlanu ngemva kokuqala kukaZamcolo, umkhumbi wahlala ezintabeni zaseArarati, ezisempumalanga yeTurkey yosuku lwanamuhla. UNowa nomkhaya wakhe baphuma emkhunjini baphumela emhlabathini owomileyo onyakeni owodwa ngemva kokuqala kukaZamcolo futhi bayiqala kabusha inqubo evamile yokuphila. (Genesise 8:14-19) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, isintu sase sande ngokwanele ukuba siqale ukwakha umuzi waseBabele nombhoshongo wawo onedumela elibi eduze koMfula iEwufrathe. Ukusuka lapho abantu kancane kancane basakazekela kuzo zonke izingxenye zomhlaba ngenkathi uNkulunkulu esanganisa ulimi lwesintu. (Genesise 11:1-9) Kodwa kwenzekani ngomkhumbi?
Ukufuna Umkhumbi
Kusukela ngekhulu le-19 leminyaka, kuye kwaba nemizamo eminingana yokufuna umkhumbi ezintabeni zaseArarati. Lezintaba zineziqongo ezimbili ezivelele, esinye siphakeme ngamamitha angu-5 165 futhi esinye singamamitha angu-3 914. Esiphakeme kakhudlwana kuleziqongo sihlala simbozwe yiqhwa. Ngenxa yezinguquko zesimo sezulu ezalandela uZamcolo, umkhumbi ngokushesha wawuyobe usumbozwe yiqhwa. Abanye abacwaningi bakholelwa ngokuqinile ukuthi umkhumbi usekhona, ugqibeke ekujuleni kweqhwa. Bathi kuye kwaba nezikhathi lapho iqhwa lancibilika ngokwanele ukuba lenze ingxenye yomkhumbi ivele okwesikhashana.
Incwadi ethi In Search of Noah’s Ark icaphuna uGeorge Hagopian, waseArmenia, owathi wayicaca iNtaba iArarati futhi wawubona umkhumbi ngo-1902 nango-1904. Uthi ekuhambeleni kokuqala wakhwela ngokoqobo phezu komkhumbi. “Ngema ngathi mpó futhi ngathalaza yonke indawo phezu komkhumbi. Wawumude. Ukuphakama kwawo kwakungaba [ngamamitha angu-12].” Ngokuqondene nalokho akuphawula ekuhambeleni okwalandela, wathi: “Angibonanga kugwegwa. Wawungafani nanoma imuphi omunye umkhumbi engake ngawubona. Wawuthi awufane nomkhumbi onengaphansi eliyisicaba.”
Kusukela ngo-1952 kuya ku-1969, uFernand Navarra wazama izikhathi ezine ukuthola ubufakazi bokuthi lowomkhumbi ukhona. Ohambweni lwakhe lwesithathu lokuya eNtabeni iArarati, wathola indlela eyamfikisa ekujuleni komfantu weqhwa, lapho athola khona ingxenye yokhuni olumnyama ibambeke eqhweni. “Kumelwe ukuba lwalulude kakhulu,” esho, “futhi mhlawumbe lwalusabambeke kwezinye izingxenye zohlaka lomkhumbi. Ngakwazi kuphela ukunqamula ngokuvumelana nobude balo kwaze kwaba yilapho nginqamula ingxenye [engamamitha angu-1,5] ubude.”
UProfesa Richard Bliss, omunye wochwepheshe abaningana abahlola lolokhuni, wathi: “Isiboniselo sikaNavarra sokhuni siwugodo lokwakha futhi lugcotshwe ngenhlaka yebitumen. Luhlanganiswe ngendlela yokufaka olunye ukhuni kolunye. Futhi lwalolongwa ngesandla futhi lwenziwa isikwele.” Ubudala balolukhuni bulinganiselwa cishe eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezine noma ezinhlanu.
Nakuba kuye kwenziwa imizamo yokuthola umkhumbi eNtabeni iArarati, ubufakazi obuqand’ ikhanda bokuthi wasetshenziselwa ukusinda esikhukhuleni sembubhiso busemlandweni obhaliwe walesosenzakalo encwadini yeBhayibheli kaGenesise. Ukuqinisekiswa kwalowomlando kungabonakala ezinganekwaneni eziningi zikazamcolo phakathi kwabantu bakudala kuwo wonke umhlaba. Cabangela ubufakazi bazo esihlokweni esilandelayo.
[Isithombe ekhasini 4, 5]
Umkhumbi wawunamandla okuthwala alingana nawezitimela ezithwala impahla eziyishumi ngasinye sidonsa izinqodlana zaseMelika ezingaba ngu-25!