I-Ebla Umuzi Wasendulo Osuphinde Watholakala

Ehlobo lika-1962, uPaoLo Matthiae, umvubukuli osemncane ongumNtaliyane, wahlola amathafa asenyakatho-ntshonalanga yeSiriya emanqikanqika. ISiriya lalibhekwa njengelingenalutho kwezokuvubukula. Nokho, ekumbeni okwaqala eminyakeni emibili kamuva eTell Mardikh, engamakhilomitha angaba ngu-60 eningizimu ye-Aleppo, kwatholakala lokho abaningi abakubheka ngokuthi ‘into ebaluleke kunazo zonke kwezemivubukulo yekhulu lama-20.’

IMIBHALO yasendulo iyakufakazela ukuba khona komuzi obizwa ngokuthi i-Ebla. Nokho, njengoba zaziningi izindunduma ezazikulo lonke elaseMpumalanga Ephakathi, akekho owayazi ukuthi lo muzi wawungatholakalaphi. Omunye umbhalo ulandisa ngokunqoba kukaSarigoni, inkosi yase-Akkad, “iMari, iYarmuti ne-Ebla.” Komunye umbhalo, inkosi yaseSumer, uGudea, yakhuluma ngezingodo eziyigugu eyazithola “ezintabeni zase-Ibla [Ebla].” Igama elithi Ebla latholakala naseKarnak, eGibhithe, ohlwini lwemizi yasendulo eyanqotshwa uFaro Thutmose III. Ungasiqonda isizathu sokuba abavubukuli bazame ukuthola i-Ebla.

Nokho, ukumba okuqhubekayo kuye kwaba nezithelo. Ngo-1968, kwatholakala ingxenye yesithombe sika-Ibbit-Lim, inkosi yase-Ebla. Sasinesifungo esasibhalwe ngesi-Akkad esembula ukuthi siye sanikezelwa kunkulunkulukazi u-Ishtar, ‘owayedumile e-Ebla.’ Yebo, okwatholwa abavubukuli kwaqala ukwembula “ulimi olusha, umlando omusha nesiko elisha.”

Ubufakazi bokuthi iTell Mardikh iyi-Ebla yasendulo batholakala ngo-1974/75 lapho kutholakala izibhebhe zemibhalo yesandla ezilicaphuna ngokuphindaphindiwe lelo gama lasendulo. Lapho kugujwa kwembuleka nokuthi lowo muzi wakhiwa kabili. Ngemva kokuba ube nethonya okokuqala, wabhujiswa. Kamuva i-Ebla yakhiwa, yaphinde yabhujiswa futhi yabe isikhohlakala amakhulu eminyaka.

Umuzi Owodwa Onemilando Eminingi

Imizi eminingi yasendulo yayakhiwa emathafeni anesihlabathi, njengaleyo ephakathi kwemifula iTigrisi ne-Ewufrathe, lapho ezolimo zazivuma khona. Imizi yokuqala okukhulunywa ngayo eBhayibhelini yayiseMesophothamiya. (Genesise 10:10) Kubonakala sengathi igama elithi Ebla lisho ukuthi “Idwala Elimhlophe,” okubhekisela emhlabathini we-limestone lapho umuzi wawakhiwe khona. Kusobala ukuthi le ndawo yakhethwa ngenxa yongqimba lwe-limestone olunikeza isiqiniseko sokuthi kunesiphethu semvelo, okuyinto ebalulekile endaweni ekude nemifula emikhulu.

Ukungani kahle kwemvula e-Ebla kwenza ukuba kuvume kuphela ukolweni, imivini nezihlahla zomnqumo. Le ndawo yayikufanelekela nokufuya, ikakhulukazi izimvu. Ukuba kwe-Ebla endaweni ekahle kakhulu—phakathi kweThafa LaseMesophothamiya noGu LwaseMedithera—kwayenza yaba indawo efanelekayo yokudayisa izingodo, amatshe angelona igugu kangako nezinsimbi. Lo muzi wawungumakhonya endaweni ehlala abantu abangaba ngu-200 000, abangamaphesenti ayishumi kubo behlala enhloko-dolobha yawo.

Amanxiwa esigodlo esikhulu afakazela ukuthi le nkathi yempucuko yase-Ebla yayimangalisa. Kulesi sigodlo kwakungenwa ngesango elingaba amamitha angu-12 kuya kwangu-15 ukuphakama. Lesi sigodlo sasike sanwetshwa njengoba isikhathi sasiqhubeka ukuze sihlangabezane nezidingo zombuso okhulayo. Izikhulu zaziqondiswa isigaba sabaphathi esiyinkimbinkimbi—inkosi nendlovukazi babesizwa “izinduna” ‘nababusi.’

Kuye kwatholakala izibhebhe zobumba nezingcezu ezingaphezu kuka-17 000. Ekuqaleni, kungenzeka ukuthi kwakunezibhebhe eziphelele ezingaphezu kwezingu-4 000, ezazibekwe ngokucophelela emashalofini okhuni. Le mibhalo inikeza ubufakazi bokuthi ezebhizinisi zase-Ebla zazichuma kakhulu. Ngokwesibonelo, lo muzi wawuhweba neGibhithe, njengoba kuboniswa izimpawu zasebukhosini zofaro ababili. Ngokuyinhloko lezi zibhebhe zazilotshwe ngesiSumer. Kodwa ezinye zazibhalwe ngesi-Ebla, ulimi lwasendulo lwamaSemite olwalungachazwa ngale mibhalo. Abantu baseMpumalanga bamangala ukuthola leyo mibhalo yolimi lwakudala lwamaSemite. Ungase ukuthole kuthakazelisa ukuthi ezinye izibhebhe zinezilimi ezimbili isiSumer nesi-Ebla. Incwadi ethi Ebla—Alle origini della civiltà urbana (I-Ebla—Ekuqaleni Kwempucuko Yasedolobheni) ibiza lezi zibhebhe ngokuthi “izichazamazwi ezindala kunazo zonke esizaziyo.”

Kusobala ukuthi i-Ebla yayinamandla kwezempi ngoba izinto ezibaziwe ezambiwa zibonisa amaqhawe ase-Ebla ebulala izitha zawo noma ephethe amakhanda. Nokho, ubukhazikhazi base-Ebla baphela lapho kuqala ukubusa i-Asiriya neBhabhiloni. Akulula ukulandelela lezo zenzakalo ngempela, kodwa kubonakala sengathi uSarigoni I owahlasela i-Ebla (hhayi uSarigoni okukhulunywa ngaye ku-Isaya 20:1) kwalandela umzukulu wakhe uNaram-Sin. Imivubukulo ibonisa ukuthi lezi zimpi zazinonya futhi kuphangwa ngobudlova.

Nokho, njengoba kushiwo ekuqaleni, ngemva kwesikhathi esithile lo muzi waphinde wakhiwa futhi waba obalulekile endaweni. Lo muzi omusha wakhiwa ngokwepulani eliqondile, elalizowenza ube muhle ngokwengeziwe. Ngaphansi komuzi kwakunendawo engcwele eyayenzelwe unkulunkulukazi u-Ishtar, owayebuye abhekwe abaseBhabhiloni ngokuthi unkulunkulukazi wenzalo. Kungenzeka ukuthi wake wezwa ngeSango Lika-Ishtar elidumile, elatholakala emanxiweni aseBhabhiloni. Isakhiwo sase-Ebla esihle kubonakala sengathi sasisetshenziselwa ukugcina izingonyama ezazibhekwa njengezingcwele kunkulunkulukazi u-Ishtar. Lokhu kusiholela enkolweni yase-Ebla.

Inkolo E-Ebla

I-Ebla yayinonkulunkulu abaningi njengakwezinye izindawo zasendulo eziseMpumalanga. Abanye babo kwakunguBhali, uHadadi (igama eliyingxenye yamagama athile amakhosi aseSiriya) noDagan. (1 AmaKhosi 11:23; 15:18; 2 AmaKhosi 17:16) Abantu base-Ebla babebakhonza bonke. Babehlonipha ngisho nawonkulunkulu bezinye izizwe. Imivubukulo ibonisa ukuthi, ikakhulu ngenkulungwane yesibili B.C.E., kwase kukhulekelwa ngisho namakhosi ayesengokhokho.

Abantu base-Ebla babengabethembi ngokuphelele onkulunkulu babo. Umuzi omusha wase-Ebla wawubiyelwe ngezindonga ezibhangqene, ezazingase zesabise noma iziphi izitha. Izindonga zangaphandle zazicishe zibe amakhilomitha amathathu. Zisabonakala ngokucacile.

Noma kunjalo, i-Ebla eyakhiwe kabusha yabhujiswa. Kungenzeka ukuthi yabhujiswa amaHeti cishe ngo-1600 B.C.E. ebhubhisa umuzi owake waba namandla amakhulu. Ngokwenkondlo yasendulo, i-Ebla “yaphahlazwa njengesitsha sobumba.” Ngokushesha yanyamalala emlandweni. Incwadi eyabhalwa amabutho empi yenkolo ayehamba eJerusalema ngo-1098 ikhuluma ngendawo lapho i-Ebla yayakhiwe khona, ibhekisela kuyo njengekamu lamabutho elithe qekelele, elibizwa ngokuthi iMardikh. I-Ebla yacishe yakhohlakala, kodwa iphinde yatholakala ngemva kwamakhulu eminyaka.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 14]

I-EBLA NEBHAYIBHELI

Isihloko esanyatheliswa ngo-1976 kumagazini i-Biblical Archeologist savusa ilukuluku lezazi zeBhayibheli. Ochaza izibhebhe zemibhalo yase-Ebla waveza ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi phakathi kwezinye izinto, kwakunezibhebhe ezazinamagama abantu nawezindawo ashiwo ngemva kwamakhulu eminyaka eBhayibhelini. Mhlawumbe becabangela okungale kwalokho okwashiwo yilesi sihloko, abanye baqala ukuthi i-Ebla iye yaveza ubufakazi bemivubukulo bokuba iqiniso kokulandisa kukaGenesise.a UmJesuit, uMitchell Dahood, wathi “izibhebhe zobumba [zase-Ebla] zicacisa lokho okufihlekile eBhayibhelini.” Ngokwesibonelo, wayekholelwa ukuthi zazingabasiza baxazulule “inkinga yokuthi kwase kuyisikhathi esingakanani kusetshenziswa igama likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.”

Manje le mibhalo ihlolwa ngokucophelela okukhulu. Ngenxa yokuthi isiHebheru nesi-Ebla ziyizilimi zamaSemite, kungenzeka ukuthi amanye amagama emizi noma abantu ayafana nalawo aseBhayibhelini. Kodwa lokhu akufakazeli ukuthi abhekisela ezindaweni noma kubantu abafanayo. Akukaziwa ukuthi kungakanani okutholakele nge-Ebla okuzothinta izifundo zeBhayibheli. Maqondana negama likaNkulunkulu, owaloba isihloko kuyi-Biblical Archeologist uye wakuphika ukuthi wake wathi “uYahweh” kwakukhulunywa ngaye emibhalweni yase-Ebla. Kwezinye izazi, uphawu olutholakala emibhalweni yesandla oluhunyushwe ngokuthi ja lubhekisela kwesinye nje sezithombe eziningi ezazikhonzwa abantu base-Ebla, kuyilapho iningi lezinye izazi lichaza ukuthi lolu phawu lumane nje luwuphawu lohlelo lolimi. Kunoma ikuphi, alubhekiseli kuNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova.—Duteronomi 4:35; Isaya 45:5.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibalazwe/Isithombe ekhasini 12]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

ULWANDLE OLUKHULU

IKHANANI

ISIRIYA

I-Aleppo

I-Ebla (iTell Mardikh)

UMfula i-Ewufrathe

[Umthombo]

Archaeologist: Missione Archeologica Italiana a Ebla - Università degli Studi di Roma ‘La Sapienza’

[Isithombe ekhasini 12, 13]

Umgexo wegolide okungenzeka ukuthi owango-1750 B.C.E.

[Isithombe ekhasini 13]

Amanxiwa esigodlo esikhulu

[Isithombe ekhasini 13]

Izibhebhe zobumba zazigcinwa enqolobaneni yokugcina imibhalo

[Isithombe ekhasini 13]

Isibhebhe sombhalo wesandla

[Isithombe ekhasini 13]

Induku yobukhosi yaseGibhithe, ngo-1750-1700 B.C.E.

[Isithombe ekhasini 13]

Iqhawe lase-Ebla liphethe amakhanda ezitha

[Isithombe ekhasini 14]

Itshe lesikhumbuzo elenzelwa unkulunkulukazi u-Ishtar

[Umthombo]

Missione Archeologica Italiana a Ebla-Università degli Studi di Roma ‘La Sapienza’

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 13]

All images (except palace remains): Missione Archeologica Italiana a Ebla - Università degli Studi di Roma ‘La Sapienza’