Ingabe Ngubufakazi Bemivubukulo Bokuthi UJesu Wayekhona Ngempela?
“UBUFAKAZI Bokuthi UJesu Wayekhona Bubhalwe Etsheni.” Sasho kanjalo isihloko sesembozo se-Biblical Archaeology Review (November/December 2002). Kuleso sembozo kwakunomfanekiso webhokisi lamathambo le-limestone elatholakala kwa-Israel. Amabhokisi amathambo ayevame ukusetshenziswa kakhulu amaJuda enkathini emfushane esukela ekhulwini lokuqala B.C.E. kuya ku-70 C.E. Okwenza leli labaluleka ngokukhethekile umbhalo wesi-Aramu okolunye uhlangothi lwalo. Izazi zavuma ukuthi lo mbhalo walo uthi: “UJakobe, indodana kaJosefa, umfowabo kaJesu.”
NgokweBhayibheli, uJesu waseNazaretha wayenomfowabo ogama lakhe linguJakobe okwakuthiwa uyindodana kaJosefa umyeni kaMariya. Lapho uJesu Kristu efundisa emzini wakubo, izilaleli zakhe ezazimangele zabuza zathi: “Lo akayona yini indodana yombazi? Unina akabizwa yini ngokuthi uMariya, nabafowabo ngokuthi oJakobe noJosefa noSimoni noJuda na? Futhi odadewabo, abekho yini bonke kanye nathi?”—Mathewu 13:54-56; Luka 4:22; Johane 6:42.
Yebo, umbhalo okuleli bhokisi lamathambo uyavumelana nendlela uJesu waseNazaretha achazwa ngayo. Uma uJakobe oshiwo kulo mbhalo ayengumfowabo kaJesu Kristu ngomzali oyedwa, khona-ke lo mbhalo ungaba “ubufakazi bemivubukulo obudala kunabo bonke bokuthi uJesu wayekhona, ngaphandle kobeBhayibheli,” kusho u-André Lemaire, oyisazi semibhalo yasendulo nomlobi wesihloko esishiwo ekuqaleni kuyi-Biblical Archaeology Review. UHershel Shanks, umhleli walo magazini, uthi leli bhokisi lamathambo “liyinto ephathekayo nebonakalayo yamuva lé ngenkathi yokuphila komuntu obaluleke kunabo bonke owake waphila.”
Nokho, womathathu la magama abhalwe ngokucacile kuleli bhokisi lamathambo ayevamile ngekhulu lokuqala. Ngakho kungenzeka ukuthi wawukhona nomunye umkhaya owawunamalungu angoJakobe, uJosefa noJesu ngaphandle komkhaya wakubo kaJesu Kristu. ULemaire ulinganisela athi: “EJerusalema phakathi nezizukulwane ezimbili ngaphambi kuka-70 C.E., . . . cishe kwakunabantu abangaba ngu-20 ababengabizwa ngokuthi ‘uJakobe indodana kaJosefa umfowabo kaJesu.’” Noma kunjalo, unomuzwa wokuthi likhulu kakhulu ithuba lokuthi lo Jakobe obhalwe kuleli bhokisi lamathambo kwakungumfowabo kaJesu Kristu ngomzali oyedwa.
Kukhona elinye iphuzu elenza abanye bakholelwe ukuthi uJakobe okulo mbhalo kwakungumfowabo kaJesu Kristu ngomzali oyedwa. Nakuba kwakuvamile ukuba kubhalwe uyise womufi emibhalweni enjalo, kwakungavamile neze ukuba kubhalwe umfowabo. Ngakho, ezinye izazi zikholelwa ukuthi lo Jesu kumelwe ukuba wayengumuntu obalulekile, okuzenza zikholelwe ukuthi kwakunguJesu Kristu, umsunguli wobuKristu.
Ingabe Singalethemba Leli Bhokisi Lamathambo?
Yini ibhokisi lamathambo? Yibhokisi okwakufakwa kulo amathambo omuntu ofile ngemva kokuba isidumbu sesibolile emhumeni esasingcwatshwe kuwo. Amabhokisi amaningi amathambo antshontshwa emangcwabeni aseduze kwaseJerusalema. Leli bhokisi elinegama likaJakobe latholakala emakethe ethengisa izinto zasendulo, hhayi endaweni okwavubukulwa kuyo ngokomthetho. Kuthiwa umnikazi walo wayelithenge ngawo-1970 ngama-dollar angamakhulu ambalwa. Ngakho akwaziwa ukuthi lavelaphi. “Uma ungenakukwazi ukusho ukuthi into evubukuliwe itholakalephi nokuthi ibikuphi iminyaka engaba ngu-2 000, awukwazi ukuthi ungabe usuyihlobanisa nabantu okungenzeka babhalwe kuyo,” kusho uProfesa uBruce Chilton waseBard College, eNew York.
Ukuze kutholakale ubufakazi bokuthi lavubukulwa, u-André Lemaire walithumela kuyi-Geological Survey of Israel. Abacwaningi lapho baqinisekisa ukuthi leli bhokisi lalenziwe nge-limestone yangekhulu lokuqala noma lesibili C.E. Babika ukuthi “akutholakalanga phawu lokusetshenziswa kwethuluzi lanamuhla.” Nokho, izazi zeBhayibheli ezaxoxa ne-New York Times zathi “kungenzeka ukuthi bunamandla ubufakazi bezimo obusekela ukuhlobanisa leli bhokisi noJesu, noma kunjalo, kuwubufakazi bezimo nje kuphela.”
Umagazini i-Time waphawula ukuthi “kulezi zinsuku cishe akukho muntu ofundile ongabaza ukuthi uJesu wake waphila.” Noma kunjalo, abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi kumelwe kube khona obunye ubufakazi bokuthi uJesu wayekhona, ngaphandle kobeBhayibheli. Ingabe imivubukulo kumelwe ibe isisekelo sokukholelwa komuntu kuJesu Kristu? Yibuphi ubufakazi esinabo bokuthi wayekhona ngempela lo “muntu obaluleke kunabo bonke owake waphila”?
[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 3]
Left, James Ossuary: AFP PHOTO/J.P. Moczulski; right, inscription: AFP PHOTO/HO