Ukuhlolwa Kokuma Kwamazwe AseBhayibhelini—Ingabe Kunembile?

ILANGA lisanda kushona nje ePalestine. Unyaka u-1799. Ngemva kosuku olushisayo lokumasha, iButho laseFrance liye lakha ikamu, futhi uNapoléon, umholi omkhulu walelibutho, uphumule etendeni lakhe. Ngokukhanya okulokozayo kwekhandlela, enye yezinceku zakhe ifunda ngokuzwakalayo eBhayibhelini lesiFulentshi.

Ngokusobala lokhu kwakuvamé ukwenzeka phakathi nomkhankaso webutho lezempi likaNapoléon ePalestine. “Lapho likanise emanxiweni alawo madolobha asendulo,” ekhumbula kamuva encwadini yomlando wakhe, “lalifunda ngokuzwakalayo umBhalo njalo kusihlwa . . . Ukufana nokuba yiqiniso kwezincazelo kwakumangalisa: kusafanelana nalelizwe ngemva kwamakhulu amaningi kangaka eminyaka nezinguquko.”

Ngempela, izihambi eziya eMpumalanga Ephakathi zikuthola kulula ukufanelanisa izenzakalo zaseBhayibhelini nezindawo zosuku lwanamuhla. Ngaphambi kokuba iButho laseFrance linqobe iGibithe, abantu bakwamanye amazwe babengazi lutho ngalelozwe lasendulo. Khona-ke ososayensi nezazi, labo uNapoléon ayebalethe eGibithe, baqala ukwambulela izwe imininingwane yobukhosi baseGibithe bangaphambili. Lokhu kuye kwakwenza kwaba lula kakhulu ukubona ngeso lengqondo “ubugqila obunzima” ama-Israyeli ake abhekana nabo.—Eksodusi 1:13, 14, qhathanisa ne-NW.

Ngobusuku akhululwa ngabo eGibithe, ama-Israyeli abuthana eRamsesi futhi kamuva aya ‘eceleni kwehlane.’ (Eksodusi 12:37; 13:20) Kuleliqophelo, uNkulunkulu wawayala ukuba ‘abuyele emuva’ futhi ‘amise ngaselwandle.’ Lokhu kuhamba okungavamile kwachazwa ‘njengokuzula kokudideka,’ futhi inkosi yaseGibithe yaphuma nebutho layo nezinqola zempi ezingu-600 ukuze iphinde ithumbe izigqila zayo zangaphambili.—Eksodusi 14:1-9, qhathanisa ne-NW.

Ukufuduka

Ngokusho kukaJosephus, isazi-mlando sekhulu lokuqala C.E., ibutho laseGibithe ladudulela ama-Israyeli “endaweni eminyene” futhi lawavalela “phakathi kwamawa okungangeneki kuwo nolwandle.” Indawo eqondile ama-Israyeli awela kuyo uLwandle Olubomvu ayaziwa ngokuthe ngqó namuhla. Nokho, kulula ukubona lesenzakalo ngamehlo engqondo uma umi esiqongweni sokhahlamba lwentaba ubheka ngasenyakatho yoLwandle Olubomvu. Ngokuthakazelisayo, lentaba ibizwa ngokuthi yi-Jebel ʽAtaqah, okusho ukuthi “INtaba Yokukhululwa.” Phakathi kwalolukhahlamba lwentaba noLwandle Olubomvu kunethafa elincane eliya lincipha kuze kube yilapho amagquma acishe angene olwandle. Ngakolunye uhlangothi loLwandle Olubomvu kunendawo evundile, enemithombo eminingi, ebizwa ngokuthi yi-ʽAyun Musaʼ, okusho ukuthi “imithombo kaMose.” Ugu lolwandle phakathi kwalezinhlonhlo ezimbili lushona kancane, kuyilapho kwezinye izindawo lushona kakhulu lujule ngamamitha aphakathi kuka-9 no-18.

Izazi zeBhayibheli zeLobukholwa ezintula ukholo ziye zazama ukuphika isimangaliso uNkulunkulu asenza lapho ehlukanisa amanzi oLwandle Olubomvu futhi enza ukuba ama-Israyeli akwazi ukubaleka emhlabeni owomile. Zithi lesenzakalo senzeka kwenye indawo enamanzi angajulile noma exhaphozini elisenyakatho yoLwandle Olubomvu. Kodwa lokho akuvumelani nokulandisa kweBhayibheli, okubonisa ngokuphindaphindiwe ukuthi ukuwela kwenzeka oLwandle Olubomvu endaweni eyayinamanzi anele ukuba aminzise uFaro kanye nalo lonke ibutho lakhe, yebo, ukuba abagwinye.—Eksodusi 14:26-31; IHubo 136:13-15; Heberu 11:29.

Ihlane LaseSinayi

Izimo ezinzima ezitholakala eNhlonhlweni yaseSinayi ziboniswe ngokucacile ekulandiseni kweBhayibheli okuphathelene nokuzulazula kwama-Israyeli. (Duteronomi 8:15) Ngakho, ingabe sonke isizwe sasingabuthana ezansi kweNtaba iSinayi ukuze samukele uMthetho kaNkulunkulu futhi kamuva sihlehle ukuze simele “kude”? (Eksodusi 19:1, 2; 20:18) Ingabe yayikhona indawo enkulu ngokwanele eyayingavumela ukuhlehla okunjalo kwesixuku okulinganiselwa ukuthi sasibalelwa ezigidini ezintathu?

Umhambi wamazwe wekhulu le-19 noyisazi seBhayibheli, u-Arthur Stanley, wavakashela lendawo yaseNtabeni iSinayi futhi wachaza lokho yena neqembu ayehambisana nalo abakubona ngemva kokukhuphuka iRas Safsafa: “Umphumela lokhu okwaba nawo kithi, njengoba kunjalo nakunoma ubani oke wakubona futhi wakuchaza, wawushesha kakhulu. . . . Lapha kwakunethafa elibanzi elijulile eliphuzi elalenabela ezansi khona kanye ekugcineni kwamawa . . . Lapho kucatshangelwa ukuhlangana kwethafa nentaba okucishe kungabikhona ngokuphelele kulendawo, kuba nobufakazi obubaluleke ngempela bokuba yiqiniso kwalesenzakalo, bokuthi ukuhlangana okunjalo okukodwa kungatholakala, nokuthi kungatholakala eduze kweSinayi yasendulo.”

Izwe Lesithembiso

Onyakeni wama-40 wokuzulazula kuka-Israyeli ehlane, uMose wanikeza lencazelo ngezici zezwe abase bezongena kulo: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wakho useyakungenisa ezweni elihle, izwe elinemifudlana yamanzi, nemithombo, nezinzulu eziphuphuma ezigodini nasezintabeni.”—Duteronomi 8:7.

Ukuba yiqiniso kwalesithembiso kwabonakala ngokushesha lapho sonke isizwe sibuthana ndawonye—amadoda, abesifazane, abantwana, nabafokazi—esigodini saseShekemi esinamanzi esiphakathi kweNtaba yase-Ebali neNtaba yaseGerizimu. Ezansi kweNtaba yaseGerizimu kwakumi izizwe eziyisithupha. Ezinye izizwe eziyisithupha zazibuthene ngakolunye uhlangothi lwesigodi ezansi kweNtaba yase-Ebali ukuze zizwe izibusiso zaphezulu isizwe esasiyozijabulela uma silalele uMthetho kaJehova neziqalekiso ezaziyokuza uma sihlulekile ukugcina uMthetho kaNkulunkulu. (Joshuwa 8:33-35) Kodwa ingabe kwakunendawo eyanele ukuba isizwe siphelele kulesigodi esincane? Futhi kwenzeka kanjani ukuba bonke bezwe ngaphandle kwezikhulisa-zwi zesimanje?

UJehova uNkulunkulu wayengakhulisa ngokuyisimangaliso amazwi amaLevi. Nokho, akubonakali ukuthi sasikhona isidingo sesimangaliso esinjalo. Imisindo kulesigodi yayizwakala kahle kakhulu. “Bonke abahambi bamazwe,” kubhala isazi seBhayibheli sangekhulu le-19 u-Alfred Edersheim, “bavumelana ngamaphuzu amabili: 1. Ukuthi uma use-Ebali naseGerizimu kwakungeke kube nanoma yibuphi ubunzima ekuzweni ngokucacile noma yini eyayikhulunywa kulesigodi. 2. Ukuthi lezintaba ezimbili zazinendawo eyanele yokuma yawo wonke ama-Israyeli.”

Esinye isazi seBhayibheli sekhulu le-19, uWilliam Thomson, sachaza okuhlangenwe nakho kwaso kulesosigodi encwadini yaso ethi The Land and the Book: “Ngamemeza ukuze ngizwe ukunanela kwamazwi, khona-ke ngase ngicabanga indlela okungenzeka ukuthi kwakuzwakala ngayo lapho amaLevi ememezela ngezwi eliphakeme . . . ‘Makaqalekiswe umuntu owenza noma yisiphi isithombe esibaziweyo, okuyisinengiso kuJehova.’ Futhi kamuva kulandela u-AMEN! omkhulu ophindwe kayishumi, uvela ebandleni elikhulu, uhlokoma, uduma, futhi unanelwa ukusuka e-Ebali ukuya eGerizimu, nokusuka eGerizimu ukuya e-Ebali.”—Qhathanisa noDuteronomi 27:11-15.

Isigodi SaseJizreyeli

Ngasentshonalanga yeShekemi kunesinye isigodi esivundile, leso esinyuka sisuka endaweni engaphansi kwesilinganiso sokuphakama kwamanzi olwandle futhi sinabele ethafeni elibanzi. Yonke lendawo ibizwa ngokuthi iSigodi saseJizreyeli, yethiwe ngegama lomuzi waseJizreyeli. Ngasentshonalanga yalesigodi kunamagquma aseGalile lapho idolobha uJesu azalelwa kulo, iNazaretha lalikhona. “INazaretha,” kuchaza uGeorge Smith encwadini yakhe ethi The Historical Geography of the Holy Land, “isesigodini esiphakathi kwamagquma; kodwa lapho ukhuphukela ekugcineni kwalesigodi, . . . yeka umbono oba nawo! [ISigodi saseJizreyeli] siba phambi kwakho, . . . nezinkundla zaso zempi . . . Siyibalazwe lomlando weTestamente Elidala.”

Ethafeni lalesigodi, abavubukuli baye bavubukula amanxiwa emizi yemibuso yomuzi eyanqotshwa u-Israyeli ezinsukwini zikaJoshuwa, eyayaziwa ngokuthi iThahanaki, iMegido, iJokineyamu, futhi mhlawumbe neKedeshi. (Joshuwa 12:7, 21, 22) Kuyo lendawo, ezinsukwini zomaHluleli uBaraki nomaHluleli uGideyoni, uJehova wakhulula abantu bakhe ngokuyisimangaliso ezizweni ezinamandla kakhulu eziyizitha.—AbAhluleli 5:1, 19-21; 6:33; 7:22.

Emakhulwini eminyaka kamuva, iNkosi uJehu yenyuka kulesigodi yaya emzini waseJizreyeli ukuyokhipha isahlulelo sikaJehova ku-Izebeli nasendlini ka-Ahabi ehlubukayo. Uma usenqabeni yaseJizreyeli, kwakuyoba lula ukubona ngasempumalanga ukusondela kwamabutho kaJehu ebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-19. Ngakho, iNkosi uJehoramu yayingaba nesikhathi esiningi sokuthumela isithunywa sokuqala, kamuva nesesibili ngehhashi futhi, ekugcineni, ukuba amakhosi uJehoramu wakwa-Israyeli no-Ahaziya wakwaJuda abophele izinqola zawo zempi futhi ahlangabeze uJehu ngaphambi kokuba afike emzini waseJizreyeli. UJehu wamchitha ngokushesha uJehoramu. U-Ahaziya wabaleka kodwa kamuva walimala, futhi wafela eMegido. (2 AmaKhosi 9:16-27) Ngokuqondene nezinkundla zezimpi njengalena engenhla, uGeorge Smith uyabhala: “Kuyamangalisa ukuthi akukho nokukodwa kwalokhu kulandisa . . . okungenakwenzeka uma kuhlolwa isimo sokuma kwezwe.”

Akungabazeki ukuthi uJesu ngokuvamile wayebheka phansi eSigodini saseJizreyeli abese ezindla ngokunqoba okuvusa amadlingozi okwakwenzeke lapho, azi ukuthi yena, Mesiya othenjisiwe, wayemiselwe ukufeza indima kaJoshuwa Omkhulu, uBaraki Omkhulu, uGideyoni Omkhulu, noJehu Omkhulu ekulwelweni kobukhosi bukaJehova. Ngempela, iBhayibheli lisebenzisa iMegido, umuzi obaluleke kakhulu kulelithafa lesigodi, njengophawu lwendawo yempi kaNkulunkulu yeHarmagedoni (okuyigama elisho ukuthi “INtaba yaseMegido”). Leyo kuyoba yimpi yomhlaba wonke uJesu Kristu, njengeNkosi yamakhosi, ayobhubhisa kuyo zonke izitha zikaNkulunkulu nezebandla lobuKristu, abantu bakaNkulunkulu beqiniso.—IsAmbulo 16:16; 17:14.

IBhayibheli lilandisa ukuthi amaJuda athukuthele aseNazaretha ake azama ukubulala uJesu ngokumlahlela phansi ‘esesiqongweni sentaba umuzi wawo owawakhiwe phezu kwaso.’ (Luka 4:29, NW) Ngokuthakazelisayo, ngaseningizimu-ntshonalanga yalomuzi waseNazaretha yanamuhla kunewa elingamamitha angu-12 okungenzeka ukuthi lesenzakalo senzeka kulo. UJesu wazibalekela izitha zakhe, futhi iBhayibheli lenezela ukuthi “wehlela eKapernawume.” (Luka 4:30, 31) Ngempela, iKapernawume, esoLwandle lwaseGalile, isendaweni ethé ukuba phansi kakhudlwana.

Lena kanye neminye imininingwane eminingi iye yabangela ukuba abanye ngaphandle kukaNapoléon bazwakalise ukumangala ngokunemba kokuhlolwa kokuma kwamazwe aseBhayibhelini. “Izikhombo [zeBhayibheli] zokuma kwamazwe ziningi kakhulu, futhi zanelisa zonke,” kubhala uThomson kuyi-Land and the Book. “Akwenzeki ukuba ungahlatshwa umxhwele ukuvumelana okuhlala kukhona phakathi komlando olotshiwe nokuma kwamazwe okuvamile okuseTestamenteni Elidala neLisha,” kuphawula uStanley kuyi-Sinai and Palestine.

Ukunemba kweBhayibheli okumangalisayo ngokuphathelene nezindaba zokuma kwamazwe kumane nje kungobunye ubufakazi bokuthi aliyona nje incwadi evamile esungulwe ngabantu. Omagazini abathathu be-Nqabayokulinda abandulele bebequkethe izihloko ezihlobene neBhayibheli. Sikumema ukuba uthole futhi ujabulele ezinye izingxenye ezintathu kuloluchungechunge.

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 7]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

ISIGODI SASEJIZREYELI

IJizreyeli

INazaretha

IThahanaki

IMegido

IJokineyamu

IKedeshi

N

ULWANDLE LWASEGALILE

ULWANDLE OLUKHULU

amamayela

amakhilomitha

5

10

10

20

[Umthombo]

Based on a map copyrighted by Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est. and Survey of Israel.

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

U-Israyeli wathola uMthetho eNtabeni iSinayi

[Umthombo]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.