Ingabe Bewazi?

Ingabe uchoko okukhulunywa ngalo eBhayibhelini luyafana nesifo esibizwa ngochoko namuhla?

Igama lezokwelapha elithi “uchoko” elisetshenziswa namuhla lisho igciwane elithile elingena kubantu. Leli gciwane (Mycobacterium leprae) latholwa okokuqala nguDkt. G. A. Hansen ngo-1873. Abacwaningi bathole ukuthi leli gciwane lingaphila ngaphandle komzimba lisemafinyileni izinsuku ezingaba ngu-9. Bathole nokuthi makhulu amathuba okuba abantu abahlala nabanochoko bathole lesi sifo futhi izingubo ezinaleli gciwane zingaba umthombo wokungenwa yilesi sifo. Ngokwe-World Health Organization, ngo-2007 kwabikwa abantu abanalesi sifo abangaphezu kuka-220 000.

Akungabazeki ukuthi uchoko lwalubaphatha abantu eMpumalanga Ephakathi ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli, futhi uMthetho KaMose wawuthi umuntu onalo kufanele angahlali nabanye. (Levitikusi 13:4, 5) Kodwa, igama lesiHebheru elithi tsa·raʹʽath elihunyushwe ngokuthi “uchoko” lalingasebenzi nje kuphela kubantu abanalesi sifo. I-tsa·raʹʽath yayitholakala ezingutsheni nasezindlini. Lolu hlobo lochoko lungatholakala ezingutsheni ezenziwe ngovolo noma ngelineni nakunoma iyiphi into eyenziwe ngesikhumba. Ngezinye izikhathi, lwalungaqedwa ngokuhlanza impahla, kodwa uma “isifo esiluhlaza ngokuphuzi noma esibomvana” siqhubeka, leyo ngubo noma isikhumba kwakufanele sishiswe. (Levitikusi 13:47-52) Ezindlini, lesi sifo sasibonakala ‘ngezifaca eziluhlaza ngokuphuzi noma ezibomvana’ odongeni. Amatshe nodaka lokwakha olunalesi sifo kwakumelwe kukhishwe kulahlwe kude nendawo abantu abahlala kuyo. Uma uchoko lubuya, leso sakhiwo kwakufanele sibhidlizwe kulahlwe izinto ebesakhiwe ngazo. (Levitikusi 14:33-45) Abanye bathi uchoko olusezingutsheni noma ezindlini kungenzeka ukuthi kwakuyilokho manje okwaziwa njengesikhunta noma umngcithi. Kodwa, akunakuqinisekwa ngalokhu.

Kungani ukushumayela komphostoli uPawulu e-Efesu kwabangela isiyaluyalu phakathi kwabakhandi besiliva?

Abakhandi besiliva base-Efesu babechuma ngokwenza “izindawo zokukhulekela zesiliva zika-Arthemisi,” umvikeli we-Efesu, unkulunkulukazi wokuzingela, wenzalo nowokuzalwa kwezingane. (IzEnzo 19:24) Kwakuthiwa umfanekiso wakhe wawuwe “ezulwini” futhi wagcinwa ethempelini lika-Arthemisi e-Efesu. (IzEnzo 19:35) Leli thempeli lalibhekwa njengesinye sezimangaliso ezingu-7 zasendulo. Izixuku zabakhulekeli zazithuthelekela e-Efesu ngo-March/​April unyaka ngamunye zize emikhosini edumisa u-Arthemisi. Ukuthutheleka kwezivakashi kwakwenza kudingeke izithixo eziningi, ezazisetshenziswa njengezikhumbuzo, amasongo, imihlatshelo yonkulunkulu, noma bakhuleke ngazo lapho sebebuyele ekhaya. Imibhalo eqoshiwe yase-Efesu lasendulo ikhuluma ngokwenziwa kwemifanekiso ka-Arthemisi yegolide nesiliva, kanti eminye imibhalo eqoshiwe ikhuluma ngokukhethekile ngamaqembu abakhandi besiliva.

UPawulu wafundisa ukuthi imifanekiso ‘eyenziwe ngezandla ayibona onkulunkulu.’ (IzEnzo 19:26) Ngakho, abakhandi besiliva babona ukuthi indlela yabo yokuziphilisa yayisongelwa, ngakho bavusa isiyaluyalu sokubhikishela ukushumayela kukaPawulu. UDemetriyu, omunye walaba bakhandi besiliva, wabonisa ukukhathazeka kwabo, ethi: “Kukhona ingozi hhayi nje kuphela yokuthi lo msebenzi wethu uzoba nedumela elibi kodwa neyokuthi ithempeli likankulunkulukazi omkhulu u-Arthemisi lizobhekwa njengelingelutho futhi ngisho nobukhazikhazi bakhe obukhulekelwa yiso sonke isifunda sase-Asiya nangumhlaba owakhiwe sebuzokwenziwa ize.”—IzEnzo 19:27.