“Ezinsukwini ZikaHerode Inkosi”
EMIZAMWENI yokubulala usana olunguJesu, uHerode Omkhulu, inkosi yaseJudiya, wathumela izithunywa ukuba ziyobulala zonke izingane zabafana eBhetlehema. Umlando ukhuluma ngezinto eziningana ezenzeka “ezinsukwini zikaHerode inkosi,” ezisisiza ukuba siqonde ukuphila nenkonzo kaJesu.—Mathewu 2:1-16.
Kungani uHerode ayefuna ukubulala uJesu? Ngesikhathi uJesu ezalwa, amaJuda ayenenkosi yawo. Pho kwenzeka kanjani ukuba kuthi lapho uJesu efa amaJuda azithole esebuswa uPontiyu Pilatu ongumRoma? Ukuze siyiqonde kahle indima kaHerode emlandweni nokuthi kungani ibalulekile kubafundi beBhayibheli, kufanele sibuyele emuva emashumini eminyaka ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaJesu.
Ukulwela Ukuphatha IJudiya
Engxenyeni yokuqala yekhulu lesibili leminyaka B.C.E., iJudiya lalibuswa uzalo lukaSeleucus waseSiriya, omunye wemindeni emine yasebukhosini eyaba khona ngemva kokuwa kombuso ka-Alexander Omkhulu. Nokho, cishe ngo-168 B.C.E., ngesikhathi inkosi yozalo lukaSeleucus izama ukususa ukukhulekelwa kukaJehova ethempelini eJerusalema ukuze ifake ihlelo likaZeyusi, amaJuda ayeholwa umndeni wamaMaccabee avukela. AmaMaccabee, noma amaHasmonea, abusa eJudiya kusukela ngo-142 kuya ku-63 B.C.E.
Ngo-66 B.C.E., amadodana enkosi amabili, uHyrcanus II nomfowabo u-Aristobulus axabana ebanga ukuthi ubani owayezolandela ekuthatheni umbuso. Kwaqubuka impi yombango, futhi womabili acela usizo kuPompey, ujenene ongumRoma owayeseSiriya ngaleso sikhathi. UPompey akaliyekanga ithuba lokungenela.
Eqinisweni, amaRoma ayesophe ukwelulela umbuso wawo ngasempumalanga futhi ngalesi sikhathi ayesevele elawula ingxenye enkulu ye-Asia Minor. Nokho, ukubusa ngokulandelana kwamakhosi angenamandla eSiriya kwakwenze ukuba ihlale ineziyaluyalu, futhi lesi simo sasiwusongo ekuthuleni abantu baseRoma ababefuna ukukugcina kukhona eMpumalanga. Ngakho, uPompey wayengenele ngenjongo yokuthatha iSiriya.
Isixazululo sakhe embangweni wamakhosana amaHasmonea saba ukuchema noHyrcanus, futhi ngo-63 B.C.E. amaRoma ahlasela iJerusalema abeka uHyrcanus ukuba abe inkosi. Kodwa uHyrcanus wayezoba inkosi ngegama nje. AmaRoma ayesebona ukuthi ayaphumelela, futhi ayengafuni ukuphunyukwa yiqatha emlonyeni. UHyrcanus waba umholi wabantu ongumRoma owayesemseni wawo, futhi ethembele ekusekelweni yiwo ukuze alondoloze isikhundla sakhe. Wayenalo ilungelo lokuzinqumela ukuthi izindaba zangaphakathi uzilawula kanjani, kodwa kwezangaphandle kwakufanele alandele imithetho yaseRoma.
Ukudlondlobala KukaHerode
UHyrcanus wayengumbusi ongakwazi ukumelela akushoyo. Nokho, wayesekelwa u-Antipase wase-Idumiya nonguyise kaHerode Omkhulu. Eqinisweni ngu-Antipase owayebambe izintambo zombuso. Akazange awanike ngisho nencú intuba amaJuda ayefuna ukuvukela futhi kungakabiphi wayeselawula iJudiya. Wasiza uJulius Caesar ukuba alwe nezitha zakhe eGibhithe, futhi amaRoma avuza u-Antipase ngokumkhuphulela esikhundleni sokuba umbusi, esasizomenza abe ngaphansi kwawo. U-Antipase wabe esebeka amadodana akhe ukuba abe ababusi, uPhasael wabusa eJerusalema, uHerode wabusa eGalile.
U-Antipase wafundisa amadodana akhe ukuthi ayikho into ayengazenzela yona ngaphandle kwemvume yeRoma. UHerode akazange asikhohlwe leso sifundo. Kuso sonke isikhathi sokubusa kwakhe, wakwazi ukujabulisa amaRoma ezintweni ayezifuna ngoba yiwona ayembeke esikhundleni nokujabulisa amaJuda ayewabusa. Amsiza kakhulu amakhono akhe okukwazi ukuhlela nokuba kwakhe ngujenene. Lapho ebekwa njengombusi, uHerode owayeneminyaka engu-25, washeshe wathandwa amaJuda namaRoma ngenxa yokuwaqeda ngokushesha amaqembu ezigilamkhuba endaweni yakhe.
Ngemva kokuba izitha zibulale u-Antipase ngokumdlisa ushevu ngo-43 B.C.E., uHerode waba yindoda evelele kakhulu eJudiya. Yize kunjalo wayenezitha. Izicukuthwane zaseJerusalema zazimbheka njengomuntu oketule u-Antipase, ngakho zazifuna iRoma imgudluze esikhundleni. Leyo mizamo ayiphumelelanga. IRoma yayimhlonipha uyise owayesashona futhi yayiwathanda amakhono endodana yakhe.
UHerode Ubekwa Inkosi EJudiya
Indlela uPompey awuxazulula ngayo umbango wokubusa owawuphakathi kwamakhosana amaHasmonea, uHyrcanus II nomfowabo u-Aristobulus, eminyakeni engaba ngu-20 ngaphambili ayibajabulisanga neze abaningi. Labo ababesekela u-Aristobulus bazama kaninginingi ukuwuhlwitha umbuso, kwathi ngo-40 B.C.E., bagcina bephumelele besizwa izitha zamaRoma, amaParte. Izinxushunxushu ezazibangelwe impi yombango eRoma zabasiza ukuba badle iSiriya, baketule uHyrcanus esihlalweni futhi babeke ilungu lomndeni wamaHasmonea elalimelene namaRoma.
UHerode wabalekela eRoma, lapho amukelwa khona ngezandla ezifudumele. AmaRoma ayefuna aphume aphele amaParte eJudiya bese lonke lelo zwe libuyela kumuntu othandwa yiwona. Ayefuna umuntu ayengamethemba, futhi abona uHerode eyindoda esifanele lesi sikhundla. Ngakho, isiGele SaseRoma sabeka uHerode waba inkosi yaseJudiya. Enye yezinto azincengela ngayo ukuze aqhubeke eqhoqhobelele ukubusa, kwaba ukuhola udwendwe olusuka kwelomkhulu lesiGele luya ethempelini likaJupiter lapho afike enzela khona onkulunkulu bamaqaba imihlatshelo.
Esizwa amabutho aseRoma, uHerode wanqoba izitha zakhe eJudiya, waphinde wathatha ubukhosi bakhe. Waziphindiselela ngonya olukhulu kulabo ababemelene naye. Wawuqothula wonke umndeni wamaHasmonea kanye namaJuda ayizicukuthwane ayeke awusekela; abasindanga nalabo ababecasulwa ukuthi babuswa umngane wamaRoma.
UHerode Uqinisa Umbuso Wakhe
Ngo-31 B.C.E., ngesikhathi u-Octavius endlondlobala futhi eba umbusi waseRoma othandwayo ngemva kokunqoba uMark Antony e-Actium, uHerode waqaphela ukuthi ubungane bakhe besikhathi eside noMark Anthony base buzomdalela amazinyo abushelelezi. Ngakho, waphuthuma waya ku-Octavius wayomqinisekisa ngokuthi wayengasohlangothini lwakhe. Umbusi omusha waseRoma wabe eseqinisekisa ukuthi uHerode uyinkosi yaseJudiya, wanweba nemingcele yezwe lakhe.
Eminyakeni eyalandela, uHerode waqinisa umbuso wakhe wawenza waceba, waguqula neJerusalema laba yisikhungo samasiko obuGreki. Wangena wagamanxa emisebenzini emikhulu yokwakha—wakha izigodlo, umuzi waseKhesariya onechweba, kanye nesithabathaba esisha sethempeli laseJerusalema. Phakathi naso sonke lesi sikhathi, wasebenzisa indlela yamaRoma yokubusa futhi nawo amsekela.
UHerode wayengungqo shishilizi eJudiya. Wayebalawula ngokuthanda kwakhe abapristi abaphakeme, ebeka noma ubani amthandayo kulesi sikhundla.
Isikhwele Siholela Ekubulaleni
Ukuphila kukaHerode kwasekhaya kwakungahambi neze kahle. Njengoba ayenamakhosikazi ayishumi, amaningi awo ayefisela amadodana awo okuthile. Inkosikazi ngayinye yayifuna ukuba kube indodana yayo ezothatha ubukhosi ngemva kukayise. Izinsolo ayenazo ngabathile esigodlweni zamenza wangathemba muntu futhi waba nesihluku. Ngenxa yesikhwele, wayala ukuba kubulawe enye yamakhosikazi akhe eyayiyintandokazi, uMariamne. Kamuva, wayala ukuba kuklinywe amadodana ayo amabili ngenxa yokuthi wayewasola ngokuthi amakhela itulo lokumyisa kwagoqanyawo. Ngakho-ke, ukulandisa kukaMathewu okukhuluma ngokubulawa kwabantu abaningi eBhetlehema kuyavumelana nalokho okwaziwayo ngoHerode ukuthi wayenenhliziyo encane futhi ezimisele ukugudluza noma ubani oma endleleni yakhe.
Abanye bathi njengoba ayazi ukuthi wayenyamanambana kwabaningi, wayefuna ukuba izwe lonke lilile ngemva kokufa kwakhe kunokuba kujatshulwe. Ukuze aphumelelise lelo cebo, wagquma ejele izakhamuzi zaseJudiya ezivelele futhi wayala ukuba zibulawe zonke ngosuku okuyomenyezelwa ngalo ukufa kwakhe. Lowo myalo awuzange ugcinwe.
Igama UHerode Omkhulu Azenzela Lona
Ngemva kokufa kukaHerode, iRoma yakhipha umyalo wokuba kube u-Arkelawu ophatha iJudiya ngemva kukayise, bese amanye amadodana akhe amabili abe ngamakhosana angaphansi—u-Antipase waphatha iGalile nePhereya, uFiliphu wabusa i-Itureya neTrakhoniti. U-Arkelawu wavele wangathandeka nje kubantu ayebaphethe nasezikhulwini. Ngemva kweminyaka eyishumi yokubusa kwakhe okungabanga nampumelelo, amaRoma amgudluza esikhundleni abe esebeka umbusi wawo, owandulela uPontiyu Pilatu. Phakathi naleso sikhathi u-Antipase—uLuka ambiza ngokuthi uHerode—noFiliphu baqhubeka bebusa amazwe ababewanikiwe. Zazimi ngale ndlela izimo zezombusazwe ngesikhathi uJesu eqala inkonzo yakhe emhlabeni.—Luka 3:1.
UHerode Omkhulu wayengumbusi oyiqili nombulali onesihluku; cishe isenzo sakhe esibi kunazo zonke yileso sokuzama ukubulala usana olunguJesu. Ukufunda ngezinto ezenziwa uHerode kubaluleke kakhulu kubafundi beBhayibheli—kuyasiza ekucaciseni izenzakalo ezivelele zangaleso sikhathi, ekuchazeni ukuthi amaRoma aba kanjani ababusi bamaJuda, nokuthi izinto zazinjani ngesikhathi uJesu eqala ukuphila kwakhe nenkonzo yakhe yasemhlabeni.
[Ibalazwe ekhasini 15]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
IPalestina nezindawo eziyizungezile ngesikhathi sikaHerode
ISIRIYA
I-ITUREYA
IGALILE
ITRAKHONITI
ULwandle LwaseGalile
UMfula IJordani
IKhesariya
ISAMARIYA
IPHEREYA
IJerusalema
IBhetlehema
IJUDIYA
ULwandle LukaSawoti
I-IDUMIYA
[Izithombe ekhasini 13]
UHerode ungomunye wababusi abaningi ababusa iJudiya amakhulu amabili eminyaka ngaphambi kokuba uJesu aqale inkonzo yakhe yasemhlabeni