abakwelaseBhabhiloni
elaseBhabhiloni ngasemifuleni iThigrisi neEfrathaElaseBhabhiloni kwakuyingxenye eseningizimu yakwelaseIraki: lesi sifundazwe okunqamula kuso imifula iEfratha neThigrisi ingakafinyeleli olwandle lwasePhereshiya. Kukwadedangendlale, imimango ibekile. Selokhu baqala abakhona ukuwanqanda bawagelezisele ezivandeni nasemasimini amanzi emifula yakwelakubo benothisa ngawo umhlaba, kwaphembeka imizi yokuqala eyahluma yathuthuka.
Impucuko
ElaseBhabhiloni ngesinye sezifundazwe kwelaseMpumalanga-emaPhakathi elaziselwa impucuko kwasekudaleni. Eminyakeni engaphezu kwenkulungwane engakazalwa uAbhrahamu kwakwakhe amaSumara kuleli. Ubufakazi obuqoshwé phansi kanye nemiqulu okulotshwé kuyo amagama isekhona nanamuhla lokhu. Kwaqoshwa konke phansi ngezikhathi eziseminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezintathu nekhulu ngaphambi kwale nkathi esiphila kuyo [3100 ph.Khr.], ziqoshwé eziledini zobumba ngendlela okwakulotshwa ngayo ngaleso sikhathi.
Ngokuyela enyakatho, ngenhla kwelamaSumara kwakwakhé amaAkhada, okuyisizwe sendabuko yabakwaSemu. Eminyakeni engaphambili kweyizinkulungwane ezimbili ngaphambi kwale nkathi esiphila kuyo [2000 ph.Khr.] umuzi waseUri, lapho kwavela khona uAbhrahamu, wawuyikomkhulu lombuso omkhulu, owaziswayo, owawuphethwe yisizukulwane sesithathu sababusi bakhona.
umBhalo
Kusukela endleleni ababeloba ngayo abaseSumara kwavela indlela yakwelaseBhabhiloni yokuloba ngemidwana namashazana, kwedlulela kweyokuloba ngemifanekiso eyayingaphezu kwezinkulungwane ezimbili [2000], kwaze kwafika kweyokuloba ngezinhlamvu ezazibalelwa emakhulwini amahlanu [500].
iKhono
Nasezikhathini eziseminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezimbili ngaphambi kwale nkathi esiphila kuyo [2000 ph.Khr.] kwasekukhona ababebaza becandula, bakha ngegolide nesiliva okokuhloba nokokuhlobisa, becija nezikhali, bebumba begxumeka izikhumbuzo zensimbi nezamatshe ayigugu.
elaseBhabhiloni nombuso wakhona
ElaseBhabhiloni lase laké laba umuzi omkhulu owaziswayo ngezikhathi zeminyaka eyinkulungwane namakhulu ayisikhombisa namashumi ayisithupha ngaphambi kwalé nkathi esiphila kuyo [1760 ph.Khr.]. Umbusi wakhona owayaziwa, aziswa kakhulu ngalezozikhathi kwakunguHamuraphi, inqolobane yemithetho ayishayayo esabatshazwa nanamuhla lokhu. Eminyakeni ebalelwa kweyinkulungwane namakhulu amabili emva kwalokho, sekubusa inkosi uNebukhadineza wesiBili, zaphinde zabuya futhi izikhathi zomnotho nokunethezeka. Kwakuyisikhathi soMbuso omuSha kwelaseBhabiloni.
Ezikhathini zeminyaka engamakhulu ayisishiyagalombili ngaphambi kwale nkathi esiphila kuyo [800 ph.Khr.] kwakungelaseAsirya elingasenyakatho nakwelaseBhabhiloni elaliwumbuso owawaziswa kakhulu kwelaseMpumalanga-emaPhakathi. Sekuthi-ke kodwa ngonyaka wamakhulu ayisithupha neshumi nane ngaphambi kwale nkathi esiphila kuyo [614 ph.Khr.] elaseAsirya lanqotshwa ngamaMeda. AmaMeda akha ubumbano nabakwelaseBhabhiloni, belekelelana, banqoba ikomkhulu laseAsirya, iNinive, ngonyaka wamakhulu ayisithupha neshumi nambili ngaphambi kwale nkathi esiphila kuyo [612 ph.Khr.]. Dukuduku abaseBhabhiloni base bebusa konke kulawo mazwe. Umbusi waseGibhithe, uNekho, wayihlomisa, wahlasela eligudle umfula iEfratha, wabambana nabaseBhabhiloni ngaseKhakhemisha ngonyaka wamakhulu ayisithupha nanhlanu ngaphambi kwale nkathi esiphila kuyo [605 ph.Khr.]. Bamshaya bamnqoba abaseBhabhiloni beholwa yinkosi yabo uNebukhedineza omncane, kwafanele ahlehle, abuyele kwelakubo.
abakwelaseBhabhiloni behlula abakwaJuda
Amabutho abakwelaseBhabhiloni ewukela kweliseningizimu; uJoyakhimu, umbusi wabakwaJuda wakubona kuwukuhlakanipha ukuthi avele azethule njengosenqotshiwe kuNebhukhedineza. Kwedlula iminyakana, waphenduka wafuna ukuphinda futhi azimele. Ngonyaka akhothama ngawo, bahlasela futhi abakwelaseBhabhiloni kwelakwaJuda, bawuzungeza umuzi iJerusalema.
Umbusi wakhona omusha, uJoyakhini, wavele wazinikela njengosenqotshiwe. Wabanjwa kanye nengxenye enkulu yomphakathi wakwelakwaJuda, baqhutshwa basiwa kwelaseBhabhiloni. Embhalweni omdala wangalezo zikhathi kulotshwé namanani okudla uJoyakhini nabakwakhe okwakunqunyelwe ukuthi baphakelwe khona. Ukuzungezwa nokunqotshwa kweJerusalema kuqoshwé nanosuku lwakho emiqulwini yomlando wakwelaseBhabhiloni (zilishumi nanhlanu kuya zilishumi nesithupha ngoMashi onyakeni wamakhulu amahlanu namashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesikhombisa ngaphambi kwale nkathi esiphila kuyo – 597 ph.Khr.). Kuthiwa: „Kowesikhombisa unyaka enyangeni kaKhislevu yawahlomisa yawavivisa amabutho ayo inkosi uAkhadi, anikela eKhathu (eSirya). Ikomkhulu labakwaJuda alihlasela; zimbili enyangeni uAdari alinqoba. Umbusi wakhona amthumba.“
Eminyakeni eyishumi emva kwalokho waphinda uZedekhiya wabavukela abakwelaseBhabhiloni. Ngalokhu-ke iJerusalema nethempeli kwabhidlizwa; ingxenye enkulu yababekade beshiyiwe, baqhutshwa basiwa eBhabhiloni.
iBhabhiloni likaNebhukhedineza
UNebhukhedineza walivuselela walithuthukisa ikomkhulu lakwelaseBhabhiloni. Lalivikelwe lizingelezelwe ngomselekazi ojulile nangezindonga ezimbili zamatshe ezaziqhelelene ngezingalo eziyisikhombisa phakathi nazo okwakunomgwaqo ogandayiwe okwakungowokuvikela umuzi owawuhamba ngokucishe ulingane nokhakhayi lwezindonga ezazizungezile.
Emasangweni amakhulukazi ayisishiyagalolunye elalaziswa kakhulu kwakuyileli elalibizwa ngokuthi yiSango i-Ishtha, kulandeliselwa igama lesithixokazi esasikhonzwa kulelo. Umgwaqo owawuqondé kulelo sango wawuphahlwé wuhlu lwezigxobo ezazibunjwé ngokomfanekiso wezinkunzi nangowezinkanyamba, zilolongiswé zaba bushelelezi okwengilazi, zimiswe ngokudedelana. Inkunzi yayingumfanekiso yesithixo uBhele; inkanyamba kuwumfanekiso sikaMaduku (ngokwasebhaybhelini: uMedorka), owayeyisithixo esasiphezu kwazo zonke kwelaseBhabhiloni.
Kusuka eSangweni i-Ishtha kwakunomgwaqo owawugandayelwe ukuhanjwa ngezinyawo ngemikhosi kuhlotshiwe kuyongenwa komkhulu nasemathempelini akhona. Kwakuthululeka izihlwele ngezihlwele ngoMkhosi yowoNyaka omuSha, zithwele imifanekiso yezithixo, ziqondé phakathi. Izindonga ezaziphahlé lo mgwaqo zazakhiwé ngamatshe aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, alolongisiswé aba bushelelezi okwengilazi, ahlotshiswa ngemifanekiso yamabhubesi ayebunjwé ngamatshe aphuzi namhlophe, ayelolongisiswé aba bushelelezi okwengilazi. Ibhubesi kwakuwumfanekiso wesithixokazi uIshtha.
Kwakunamathempeli angamashumi amahlanu kulomuzikazi, kunombhoshongo wethempeli owawumkhulu kanye nemizikazi eminingi yabahlonishwa.
Wagcina uwile umbuso wakwelaseBhabhiloni
Nòma wawunamandla nobukhazikhazi obungako, awuhlanganisanga ngisho ikhulu-nje leminyaka umbuso omuSha wakwelaseBhabhiloni; ngowamakhulu amahlanu namashumi amathathu nesishiyagalolunye ngaphambi kwale nkathi esiphila kuyo [539 ph.Khr.], lawa kungaliwanga ikomkhulu iBhabhiloni, lawela ezandleni zombusi wakwelasePhereshiya, uKhirosi.
Umtapo: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia 2. Auflage; Die Lexikon-Bibel. ISBN 3-438-01653-2 ; https://www.biblia-zuluensis.de/ezisematheni/284-uhezekhiya/
© Ben Khumalo-Seegelken, http://www.benkhumalo-seegelken.de/