Umthombo Ohlukile EBhayibhelini Ukhuluma Ngesizwe Okuthiwa U-Israyeli

EMNYUZIYAMU waseCairo eGibhithe, kunesikhumbuzo setshe legwadle (granite) sokukhumbula izimpi ezanqotshwa uFaro Merneptah. Izazi ziqagula ukuthi le ndodana ye-13 kaRamses II yabusa phakathi kuka-1212 no-1202 B.C.E.—ngasengxenyeni yokugcina yenkathi yabaHluleli kwa-Israyeli wasendulo. Imigqa emibili yokugcina yalesi sikhumbuzo sikaMerneptah ifundeka kanje: “IKhanani liphangwe kanzima. I-Ashikeloni lidliwe, iGezeri lithunjiwe [futhi] iYano‘am liphundlwe ngokuphelele. U-Israyeli wenziwe incithakalo, inzalo yakhe iphelile.”

Kushiwoni ngegama elithi “u-Israyeli” kulo mongo? Embhalweni osebenzisa izimpawu (hieroglyphic), lapho kubhalwa amagama kwakunezelwa izimpawu ezithile ezingaphimiselwa lapho kufundwa, zinjengeziqondiswano, ukuze zibonise ukuthi lawo magama akumuphi umkhakha. Incwadi ethi The Rise of Ancient Israel iyachaza: “Kwamathathu ala magama amane—i-Ashikeloni, iGezeri neYanoam—kunaleso siqondiswano esisitshela ukuthi asho imizi. . . . Nokho, [isiqondiswano] esikwelithi Israyeli sisho isizwe.”—Omalukeke sizenzele.

Ubaluleke ngani lo mbhalo? UHershel Shanks, ongumhleli abuye abe ngumlobi, uyaphendula: “ISikhumbuzo SikaMerneptah sibonisa ukuthi sasikhona isizwe okwakuthiwa u-Israyeli ngo-1212 B.C.E. futhi akukhona nje ukuthi lo faro waseGibhithe wayazi ngaso, kodwa wayenomuzwa wokuthi kwakufanele aqhoshe ngokusehlula kwakhe empini.” UWilliam G. Dever, uprofesa wesayensi yezemivubukulo yaseMpumalanga Eseduze, uthi: “Nakhu isikhumbuzo sikaMerneptah esisitshela kona ngokuqondile: EKhanani kukhona isizwe esizibiza ngokuthi ‘u-Israyeli,’ ngakho nabaseGibhithe, empeleni abangathambekele eBhayibhelini, abasibiza ngokuthi ‘u-Israyeli’ futhi akunakwenzeka ukuthi baziqambele isizwe esiqondile nesiyingqayizivele ‘njengo-Israyeli’ ngenjongo nje yokwandisa inkulumo-ze yabo.”

Elithi Israyeli kukhulunywa ngalo okokuqala eBhayibhelini njengegama elethiwa inzalamizi uJakobe. Abantwana bamadodana kaJakobe angu-12 baziwa ngokuthi “abantwana bakwa-Israyeli.” (Genesise 32:22-28, 32; 35:9, 10) Eminyakeni eminingi kamuva, umprofethi uMose noFaro waseGibhithe basebenzisa igama elithi, “Israyeli” lapho bebhekisela kulaba bantwana bakaJakobe. (Eksodusi 5:1, 2) Ngaphandle kweBhayibheli, isikhumbuzo sikaMerneptah siwumthombo wasendulo wokuqala owaziwayo okhuluma ngesizwe okuthiwa u-Israyeli.

[Izithombe ekhasini 24]

Isikhumbuzo sikaMerneptah

Ukuba khona kwezimpawu ezintathu zokugcina (kusuka kwesokudla kuya kwesokunxele)—induku, indoda nowesifazane abahlezi—kubonisa ukuthi u-Israyeli wayeyisizwe sabafokazi

[Umthombo]

Egyptian National Museum, Cairo, Egypt/Giraudon/The Bridgeman Art Library