Ingabe Usutholakele Umkhumbi KaNowa?

KANCANE kancane, sizwa izinto ezithile ngokufunwa komkhumbi kaNowa. Liyaqondakala isasasa elikhona. Ukutholakala kwalowo mkhumbi omkhulu owasindisa uNowa nomndeni wakhe kuZamcolo ngo-2370 kuya ku-2369 B.C.E. kungaba umvubukulo ongundab’ uzekwayo. Nokho, naphezu kwemizamo eminingi, ukufunwa komkhumbi kaNowa kusaqhubeka. Ngaphandle kwezinto eziningi ezicatshangelwayo nezishiwoyo, yikuphi ngempela okwaziwayo ngalo mkhumbi?

IBhayibheli lembula ukuthi umkhumbi kaNowa “wahlala ezintabeni zase-Ararati.” (Genesise 8:4) Isifunda sase-Ararati sinentaba edumile esibizwa ngokuthi iNtaba i-Ararati empumalanga yeTurkey, ngasemingceleni ye-Armenia ne-Iran.

Kunabantu abaye kaningana kule ndawo befuna umkhumbi kaNowa futhi kuye kwashiwo izinto ezithakazelisayo kodwa ezingenabo ubufakazi obuqinisekile. Izithombe ezihlaba umxhwele ezithwetshulwe emoyeni, izingcezu zezinkuni ezihuqwe ngetiyela nemibiko evela kubantu abathi baye bawubona kuye kwenza abantu bafuna ubufakazi obuphathekayo. Nokho, ukufunwa kwalo mkhumbi kuye kwaba nzima. Enye indawo okuhlale kukhulunywa ngayo okungase kube iyona enalo mkhumbi iqhele ngamamitha angaphezu kuka-4 500 emagqumeni eNtaba i-Ararati. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngenxa yezinxushunxushu zezombusazwe ezikule ndawo, abantu abavela kwamanye amazwe abavunyelwa ngaso sonke isikhathi ukuya kule ntaba.

Noma kunjalo, abashisekeli bokufunwa kwalo mkhumbi bamagange ukubona abavubukuli abengeziwe bezocinga lo mkhumbi kule ndawo. Bakholelwa ukuthi izingcezu zawo zisekhona kule ntaba embozwa yiqhwa izinyanga eziningi onyakeni. Bathi likhona ithemba lokuthi lo mkhumbi ungatholakala ngokuya kule ndawo ngeminyaka enehlobo elifudumele.

Amathemba anjengalawa aye agqugquzelwa imibiko eminingana. UJosephus, isazi-mlando esingumJuda sangekhulu lokuqala C.E., ukhuluma ngezazi-mlando eziningana ezaphila ngaphambi kwakhe ezathi lo mkhumbi wawubonakala ezintabeni zokhahlamba zase-Ararati. Kuthiwa abantu babethatha izingcezu zawo zokhuni ezinetiyela bazigcine njengezikhumbuzo. UBerossus ungomunye wamadoda acashunwa uJosephus, futhi wayengumlobi womlando waseBhabhiloni wangekhulu lesithathu B.C.E.

Phakathi nekhulu leminyaka lama-20, eminye yemibiko ethakazelisa nakakhulu yavela endodeni yase-Armenia, uGeorge Hagopian. Wathi ngesikhathi esengumfana, yena nomalume wakhe bahamba bayobona lo mkhumbi ekuqaleni kwawo-1900 waze wawugibela nokuwugibela. UHagopian washona ngo-1972, kodwa lokho akusho kusenza abantu abaningi babe nesithakazelo kule ndaba futhi kuyabamangaza.

Ingabe Ukutholakala Kwawo Kungaba Yisisekelo Sokholo?

Ingabe sikhona ngempela isizathu sokukholelwa ukuthi abahloli bamazwe bawutholile umkhumbi noma basazowuthola? Mhlawumbe, kodwa kubonakala sengathi ziningi izizathu zokungabaza ukutholakala kwawo. Esinye sazo siwukuthi iBhayibheli alisho ngokuqondile ukuthi umkhumbi wehlela kuphi njengoba amanzi kaZamcolo ayebohla. Limane likhulume ‘ngezintaba zase-Ararati.’

Kulindelekile ukuba abahloli bamazwe bakhethe intaba ephakeme kunazo zonke kulesi sifunda. Nokho, imiBhalo ayisitsheli ukuthi uNkulunkulu wahlela ukuba lo mkhumbi uhlale phezulu esiqongweni seNtaba i-Ararati, namuhla eyintaba emakhaza nephakeme cishe ngamakhilomitha amahlanu ngaphezu kolwandle.a Khumbula, uNowa nomndeni wakhe baba semkhunjini izinyanga eziningana ngemva kokuba usuhlezi phansi. (Genesise 8:4, 5) Kubonakala futhi kuyinto eyayingenakwenzeka ukuba ngemva kokuphuma emkhunjini, bona nezilwane eziningi ezazisemkhunjini behle isiqongo esiphakeme njengabaqwali bezintaba. Mhlawumbe indawo umkhumbi owahlala kuyo yayihambeka kunalokho abahloli bamazwe bosuku lwethu abakucabangayo, kodwa futhi iphakeme ngezinga elithile njengoba uGenesise 8:4, 5 echaza. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi umkhumbi wahlalaphi esifundeni sase-Ararati, akunakwenzeka yini ukuthi wanyamalala emakhulwini eminyaka adlule ngenxa yokubola?

Ngaphezu kwalokho, kukhona okungabazisayo kulokho ngezinye izikhathi okuye kushiwo abezindaba mayelana nokubaluleka okungokwenkolo ngokuqondene nokufunwa kwalo mkhumbi. Umhleli wolunye uhambo wathi ukuthola umkhumbi “kuzoqinisa ukholo lwezigidi zabantu . . . futhi abaningi bazoba nokholo.” Engqungqutheleni yabezindaba eyayingonyaka ka-2004, wathi ukuthola lo mkhumbi kuyoba “esinye sezenzakalo ezinkulu esilandelwa ukuvuswa kukaKristu.” Kamuva, ukuhlola kwakhe kwahoxiswa.

Ingabe ukutholakala komkhumbi kaNowa kungaqinisa mhlawumbe kuze kwakhe ukholo? IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi ukholo lwangempela aluncikile ezintweni ongazibona noma ongazibamba. (2 Korinte 5:7) Abanye abantu bamathintanyawo kangangokuthi bathi ubufakazi obuphathekayo kuphela obungabenza babe nokholo ezindabeni ezithile eziseBhayibhelini. Nokho, iqiniso liwukuthi, kubantu abafana nalaba abukho ubufakazi obungabenza babe nokholo. UJesu ngokwakhe wathi abanye abantu ngeke bagculiswe amaqiniso aseBhayibhelini—ngisho bangabona umuntu evuka kwabafileyo!—Luka 16:31.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukholo lwangempela alukona ukuthatheka; lusekelwe ebufakazini obuqinile. (Hebheru 11:1) Ingabe bukhona ubufakazi obuqinile obungasiza abantu abanengqondo namuhla ukuba babe nokholo ekulandiseni kweBhayibheli ngoZamcolo? Yebo, bukhona. UJesu Kristu wakubeka ngokucacile lokhu: ‘UNowa wangena emkhunjini, futhi kwafika uzamcolo.’ (Luka 17:26, 27) Lobu ubufakazi obuqand’ ikhanda obake baba khona. Kungani?

UJesu wayesezulwini ngaphambi kokuba eze emhlabeni. (Johane 8:58) Wakubona ukwakhiwa komkhumbi kaNowa futhi wawubona uZamcolo. Yibuphi-ke ubufakazi obubonakala bukholisa kakhulu kuwe? Ingabe yilobu bukafakazi wokuzibonela owazibonakalisa ethembeke ngokuphelele nowanikeza ubufakazi bokuthi uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, noma yilobu obungatheni babahloli bamazwe abasathola izingcezu zokhuni zasemandulo esiqongweni sentaba esineqhwa? Uma le ndaba ibhekwa ngale ndlela, ubufakazi bokuthi umkhumbi kaNowa wake waba khona buhlaba umxhwele.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 13]

Ingabe bukhona ubufakazi obuphathekayo obuqinisekisa ukulandisa kweBhayibheli ngoZamcolo?

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 14]

UJesu Kristu wakubeka ngokucacile lokhu: ‘UNowa wangena emkhunjini, futhi kwafika uzamcolo.’