‘INdlu KaDavide’—Iqiniso Noma Indaba Eqanjiwe?

UDAVIDE—ibhungu elingumalusi elaba umhlabeleli, imbongi, isosha, umprofethi, nenkosi—uvelele kakhulu eBhayibhelini. Igama lakhe lishiwo izikhathi ezingu-1 138; amazwi athi ‘iNdlu KaDavide’—ngokuvamile abhekisela ohlangeni lwamakhosi lukaDavide—asetshenziswa izikhathi ezingu-25. (1 Samuweli 20:16) Ingabe iNkosi uDavide nohlanga lwakhe lwamakhosi kwakumane kuyindaba eqanjiwe? Yembulani imivubukulo? Kubikwa ukuthi into eyisimangaliso esanda kutholwa endaweni embiwe eTel Dan enyakatho yeGalilee isekela ukuba ngokomlando kukaDavide nohlanga lwakhe lwamakhosi.

Ehlobo ngo-1993, iqembu labavubukuli, elaliholwa uProfesa Avraham Biran, lacenta indawo engaphandle kwesango lomuzi wakwaDani wasendulo. Lathola igceke eligandaywe ngamatshe. Kalula nje kwakhishwa itshe le-basalt elalivele ngaphezu komhlabathi. Lapho lelitshe libhekiswa ngaselangeni lantambama, izinhlamvu zavela obala. “Awu, Nkosi yami, umbhalo oqoshiwe lona!” kubabaza uProfesa Biran.

Ngokushesha, uProfesa Biran nozakwabo, uProfesa Joseph Naveh waseHebrew University eseJerusalem, babhala umbiko ongokwesayensi ngalombhalo oqoshiwe. Indaba esekelwe kulombiko ekumagazini i-Biblical Archaeology Review, ka-March/April 1994, ifundeka kanje: “Akuvamile ukuba okutholakale ngokuvubukula kube isihloko esikhulu sephephandaba i-New York Times (ingasaphathwa ekamagazini i-Time). Kodwa yilokho okwenzeka ehlobo elidlule ngalokho okwatholwa eTel Dan, igquma elihle elisenyakatho yeGalilee, phansi kweNtaba yaseHermoni eceleni kwesinye sezizalo zoMfula iJordani.

“Kuleyo ndawo u-Avraham Biran neqembu lakhe labavubukuli bathola umbhalo oqoshiwe omangalisayo wangekhulu lesishiyagalolunye B.C.E. okhuluma ‘ngeNdlu KaDavide’ ‘nangeNkosi yakwa-Israyeli.’ Kuyaqala ukuba igama likaDavide litholakale kunoma imuphi umbhalo oqoshiwe wasendulo ngaphandle kweBhayibheli. Kumangalisa ngisho nakakhulu ukuthi lombhalo awukhulumi nje ‘ngoDavide’ othile kodwa ukhuluma ngeNdlu KaDavide, uhlanga lwamakhosi lwenkosi enkulu yakwa-Israyeli.

“Amagama athi ‘iNkosi yakwa-Israyeli’ atholakala kaningi eBhayibhelini, ikakhulukazi eNcwadini yamaKhosi. Nokho, kungenzeka ukuthi lona umbhalo omdala kunayo yonke imibhalo yamaSemite engahlangene neBhayibheli obhekisela ku-Israyeli. Ngaphezu kwakho konke, lombhalo ufakazela ukuthi u-Israyeli noJuda babeyimibuso ebalulekile ngalesi sikhathi, ngokuphambene nokuzisholo kwabagxeki abathile beBhayibheli abayizazi.”

Unyaka walombhalo usekelwe ekumeni kwezinhlamvu, ukuhlaziywa kwezinto zobumba ezatholakala eduze kwalolu cezu lwetshe, nalokho okushiwo yilombhalo. Zonke lezi zindlela ezintathu zikhomba inkathi yesikhathi efanayo, ikhulu lesishiyagalolunye B.C.E., iminyaka engaphezudlwana kwekhulu ngemva kweNkosi uDavide. Izazi zikholelwa ukuthi lombhalo wawuyingxenye yesikhumbuzo sokunqoba esamiswa kwaDani yisitha esingumAramu ‘seNkosi yakwa-Israyeli’ ‘[neNkosi] yeNdlu KaDavide.’ Ama-Aramu, ayekhulekela unkulunkulu wesiphepho othandwayo, uHadadi, ayehlala ngasempumalanga.

Phakathi nehlobo lango-1994, kwatholakala ezinye izingcezu ezimbili zalelitshe. UProfesa Biran uyabika: “Kulezi zingcezu ezimbili kunegama likankulunkulu wama-Aramu uHadadi, kanye nendawo ekhuluma ngempi phakathi kwama-Israyeli nama-Aramu.”

Ucezu olukhulu olwatholakala ngo-1993 lwalunemigqa engu-13 engacacile kahle ebhalwe ngombhalo wesiHeberu esidala. Ngaleso sikhathi, kwakusetshenziswa amachashaza ekuhlukaniseni amagama embhalweni. Nokho, amagama athi “iNdlu KaDavide” abhalwe njengegama elilodwa ngezinhlamvu ezithi “bytdwd” (uma ziguqulelwe ezinhlamvwini zesiRoma) kunokuba zithi “byt” (indlu), kube ichashaza, bese kuba ezithi “dwd” (Davide). Kuyaqondakala ukuthi kuye kwaphakanyiswa imibuzo mayelana nokuchazwa kwelithi “bytdwd.”

Uchwepheshe wezilimi uProfesa Anson Rainey uyachaza: “UJoseph Naveh no-Avraham Biran abazange bawuchaze ngokuningiliziwe lombhalo oqoshiwe, mhlawumbe ngenxa yokuthi bathatha ngokuthi abafundi babezokwazi ukuthi isehlukanisi segama phakathi kwezingxenye ezimbili ezimi ngalendlela ngokuvamile asifakwa, ikakhulukazi uma ukuhlangana kwalezo zingxenye kwakha ibizoqho elaziwa kahle. Ngokuqinisekile elithi ‘iNdlu KaDavide’ laliyibizoqho elinjalo elaziwayo kwezombangazwe nasendaweni maphakathi nekhulu lesishiyagalolunye B.C.E.”

Obunye UbuFakazi Bemivubukulo

Ngemva kwalokho okwatholwa, uchwepheshe wetshe eliqoshiwe likaMesha (elibizwa nangokuthi iTshe LakwaMowabi), uProfesa André Lemaire, wabika ukuthi nalo liyakhuluma ‘ngeNdlu KaDavide.’a Itshe likaMesha, elatholakala ngo-1868, lifana ngokuningi netshe laseTel Dan. Womabili ahlehlela emuva ekhulwini lesishiyagalolunye B.C.E., awuhlobo lwetshe olulodwa, acishe alingane ngobukhulu, futhi abhalwe ngombhalo wamaSemite ocishe ufane ncamashí.

Maqondana nokulungiswa komugqa owawulimele wetshe likaMesha, uProfesa Lemaire wabhala: “Eminyakeni cishe emibili ngaphambi kokutholakala kocezu lwaseTel Dan, ngaphetha ngokuthi itshe likaMesha linendawo ebhekisela ‘eNdlini KaDavide.’ . . . Isizathu esasenza ukuba lokhu kubhekisela ‘eNdlini KaDavide’ kungaphawulwa ngaphambili kungenzeka ukuthi yingoba itshe likaMesha alikaze libe ne-editio princeps [uhlelo lokuqala] yangempela. Ngilungisa yona, eminyakeni engu-125 ngemva kokutholakala kwetshe likaMesha.”

Lokho kwaziswa kwemivubukulo kuyathakazelisa ngoba ingelosi, uJesu uqobo, abafundi bakhe, nabantu abaningi bakufakazela ukuba ngokomlando kukaDavide. (Mathewu 1:1; 12:3; 21:9; Luka 1:32; IzEnzo 2:29) Ngokusobala okutholakele ngokuvubukula kuyavuma ukuthi indaba yakhe nohlanga lwakhe lwamakhosi, ‘iNdlu KaDavide,’ iyiqiniso, ayiqanjwanga.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 31]

Ucezu lwaseTel Dan,* olwatholakala ngo-1993 edolobheni laseDan, enyakatho yeGalilee

* Umfanekiso usekelwe esithombeni esikuyi-Israel Exploration Journal.