Izwe Lezinzalamizi
USTEFANU waqala inkulumo edumile ngokukhuluma ngezindawo ezazikhona ngempela: “[UJehova] wabonakala kukhokho wethu u-Abrahama lapho eseMesophothamiya, ngaphambi kokuba ahlale eHarana, futhi wathi kuye, ‘Phuma . . . uye ezweni engizokutshengisa lona.’” (IzE 7:1-4) Lokhu kwabeka isisekelo sezenzakalo ezibalulekile eZweni Lesithembiso ezazithinta u-Abrahama, u-Isaka noJakobe, nezazihlobene nenjongo kaNkulunkulu yokubusisa isintu.—Gen 12:1-3; Josh 24:3.
UNkulunkulu wabiza u-Abrahama (noma, u-Abrama) e-Uri lamaKhaledi, umuzi owawucebile owawusempumalanga yoMfula i-Ewufrathe. U-Abrahama wayezohamba ngayiphi indlela? Uma usuka eKhalideya, isifunda esibuye sibizwe nangokuthi iSumeri noma iShinari, kungase kubonakale kulula ukuba uvele uqonde entshonalanga. Uyofunani eHarana enhla kangaka?
I-Uri lingasempumalanga ekugcineni koKhalo Oluvundile, indawo eyisiyingi esuka ePhalestina izungeze ize ifike esizalweni somfula iTigrisi ne-Ewufrathe. Kungenzeka ukuthi kuqala le ndawo yayinesimo sezulu esikahle. Ngezansi kwalolu khalo kukhona uGwadule oluphakathi kweSiriya ne-Arabhiya, olunamagquma omcako namathafa anesihlabathi. I-Encyclopædia Britannica ithi “lwaluyindawo engahambeki” ephakathi koGu LwaseMedithera neMesophothamiya. Olunye udwendwe lwabahwebi lwalungase lunqamule khona lusuka e-Ewufrathe luya eTadimori bese luya eDamaseku, kodwa u-Abrahama akahambanga nomkhaya wakhe nemfuyo yakhe kulolu gwadule.
Kunalokho, u-Abrahama wakhuphuka ngoMfula i-Ewufrathe waya eHarana. Ukusuka lapho wayengahamba ngendlela yabahwebi aye ezibukweni laseKharikemishi abese elibangisa eningizimu adlule ngaseDamaseku aze ayofika kulokho okwabizwa ngokuthi uLwandle LwaseGalile. INdlela YaseMaris, noma “INdlela Egudla ULwandle,” yayiqhubeka iye eMegido ize ifike eGibhithe. Nokho, u-Abrahama wanqamula ezintabeni zaseSamariya, ekugcineni wakanisa eShekemi. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, wehla ngaleyo ndlela yasezinkangala. Hambisana naye njengoba ufunda uGenesise 12:8–13:4. Phawula nazi ezinye izindawo ahlangabezana kuzo nezigigaba ezihlukahlukene: KwaDani, eDamaseku, eHoba, eMamre, eSodoma, eGerari, eBheri-sheba, naseMoriya (eJerusalema).—Gen 14:14-16; 18:1-16; 20:1-18; 21:25-34; 22:1-19.
Ukwazi ukuthi izindawo ezithile zikuphi kwenza umuntu aziqonde kangcono izinto ezenzeka ekuphileni kuka-Isaka noJakobe. Ngokwesibonelo, ngesikhathi u-Abrahama eseBheri-sheba, wayithumaphi inceku yakhe ukuba iyofunela u-Isaka umfazi? Lé phezulu eMesophothamiya (okusho ukuthi “Izwe Eliphakathi Kwemifula”) ePhadani-aramu. Cabanga-ke ukuthi kwakuwuhambo olukhathaza kanjani kuRebheka ehamba ngekamela eya eNegebhi, mhlawumbe eduze kwaseKadeshi, eyohlangana no-Isaka.—Gen 24:10, 62-64.
Kamuva indodana yabo uJakobe (u-Israyeli) nayo yathatha uhambo olude ukuze ishade nomkhulekeli kaJehova. UJakobe wahamba ngendlela ethi ayihluke lapho esephindela ezweni lakubo. Ngemva kokuba ewele iJabhoki eduze nasePhenuweli, uJakobe walwa nengelosi. (Gen 31:21-25; 32:2, 22-30) U-Esawu wahlangana naye kuyo leyo ndawo, ngamunye wabe eseyohlala kwesinye isifunda.—Gen 33:1, 15-20.
Ngemva kokuba kudlwengulwe indodakazi kaJakobe uDina, eShekemi, uJakobe wathuthela eBhethele. Kodwa uyabona yini ukuthi kukude kangakanani lapho amadodana kaJakobe ayeklabisa khona umhlambi wakhe nalapho uJosefa agcina ewathole khona? Leli balazwe (naleli elisekhasini 18-19) lingakusiza ubone ukuthi iHebroni ikude kangakanani neDothani. (Gen 35:1-8; 37:12-17) Abafowabo bakaJosefa bamthengisela abahwebi ababeya eGibhithe. Ucabanga ukuthi babehamba ngayiphi indlela lapho kwenzeka lesi senzo esaholela ekuthutheleni kwama-Israyeli eGibhithe nasekuFudukeni kwawo khona?—Gen 37:25-28.
[Amabalazwe asekhasini 7]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
Uhambo Luka-Abrahama (Bheka encwadini)
hambo Luka-Isaka (Bheka encwadini)
Uhambo LukaJakobe (Bheka encwadini)
Imigwaqo Emikhulu (Bheka encwadini)
Izinzalamizi (ngamafuphi)
A4 IGOSHENI
A5 IGIBHITHE
B4 ISHURI
B5 IPHARANU
C3 IDamaseku
C3 KwaDani (ILayishi)
C4 IShekemi
C4 IBhethele
C4 IHebroni (IKiriyati-ariba)
C4 IGerari
C4 IBheri-sheba
C4 ISEYIRI
C4 IKadeshi
C5 KWA-EDOMI
D1 IKharikemishi
D2 ITadimori
D3 IHoba
E1 IPHADANI-ARAMU
E1 IHarana
F2 IMESOPHOTHAMIYA
G2 INineve
G2 UKHALO OLUVUNDILE
G3 IBhabhiloni
H4 IKHALIDEYA
H4 I-Uri
[Izintaba]
C4 IMoriya
[Amachibi amanzi]
B3 ULwandle LwaseMedithera (ULwandle Olukhulu)
[Imifula]
E2 I-Ewufrathe
G2 ITigrisi
Izinzalamizi (Ezweni Lesithembiso)
IKHANANI
IMegido
IGILEYADI
IDothani
IShekemi
ISukoti
IMahanayimi
IPhenuweli
IBhethele (ILuze)
I-Ayi
IJerusalema (ISalema)
IBhetlehema (I-Efrathi)
IMamre
IHebroni (IMakaphela)
IGerari
IBheri-sheba
ISodoma?
INEGEBHI
IRehobhoti?
IBheri-lahayi-royi
IKadeshi
Imigwaqo Emikhulu
INdlela YaseMaris
UMgwaqo WeNkosi
[Izintaba]
IMoriya
[Amachibi amanzi]
ULwandle Lukasawoti
[Imifula nemihosha]
IJabhoki
IJordani
[Isithombe ekhasini 6]
UMfula i-Ewufrathe eduze kweBhabhiloni
[Isithombe ekhasini 6]
U-Abrahama wayehlala eBheri-sheba futhi imihlambi yakhe iklaba eduze kwakhona
[Isithombe ekhasini 6]
Isigodi sesifufula saseJabhoki