Egipita Yakare—Rokutanga Ramasimba Makuru Enyika

EGIPITA—nyika yakare yavanaFarao neyeNire—yakanga iri imwe yeshambidziko huru dzenyika. Zviyevwa zvayo zvinoshongedza mamiyiziyemu makuru. Nhau yayo inorondedzerwa mumabhuku anoshandiswa echikoro. Zvifananidzo zvayo zvihombe zvinokatyamadza vashanyi. Kupfuurirazve, zvinoitika zvakawanda zveBhaibheri zvakaitikamo kana kuti zvimwe zvinobatanidza iyi nyika. Egipita navanhu vayo zvinonongedzerwa kwazviri kanopfuura ka 700 muBhaibheri.

Bva, chii chaunoziva chaizvoizvo pamusoro peEgipita yakare? Kudzidza zvakawanda pamusoro payo kuchakubetsera kunzwisisa zvinhu zvakawanda zvinodudzwa muBhaibheri.

MuEgipita, voruzivo rwokuchera matongo vakawana zvakawanda izvo zvinosimbisa chinyorwa cheBhaibheri. Somuenzaniso, rangarira nhauro pamusoro paJosefa. Mazita, mazita okuremekedza, nzvimbo yaJosefa somutarisiri womumba, nzvimbo yakamupiwa somutongi wechipiri munyika macho uye somutarisiri wezvokudya, miitiro yokuviga yeEgipita, uye kunyange muitiro wokutakura matengu kwavabiki vezvingwa pamisoro yavo—zvose izvozvi zvakawanwa kuva zvinowirirana netsika dzeEgipita dzenguva iyoyo.—Genesi, ganhuro 39–47;Gen. 50:1-3.

Nyika Navanhu Vayo

Egipita inotsamira pana Nire. Mupata wakapfuma worwizi irworwo, unoita avhareji yaanenge bedzi mamaira 12 [19 km] muupamhi kubva kuAswân kuenda kuCairo, unoenda nechokumusoro kufanana neribhoni nhete yegirini yakagura renje rakaoma reAfrica. Munguva yakapfuura, mafashamo arwo egore negore aiunza ivhu rakapfuma iro rakaita kuti Egipita ive inotumira zvokudya kudzimwe nyika nenzvimbo youtiziro munguva yenzara. (Genesi 12:10) Tsanga, dzinowanwa mumhenderekedzo marwo, dzaiitiswa mapepa ekaresa.

Pakafara, apo mvura dzeNire dzinopararira dzisati dzayerera dzichipinda muMediterranean yebhuruu, panonzi Lower Egypt. Pano, sezviri pachena, pane “nyika yeGosheni,” apo vaIsraeri vakagara mukati mokugara kwavo kurefu muEgipita.—Genesi 47:27.

Rudzidziso rweEgipita

VaEgipita vakare vaidavira kuti Farao wavo akanga ari mwari. Iri idi rinowedzera revo kumubvunzo wokuzvidza waFarao kuna Mosesi: “Jehovha ndiye aniko, kuti nditeerere inzwi rake?” (Eksodho 5:2) VaEgipita vaivawo navamwe vamwari vakawanda. Mazita avane 740 vaivava akawanwa mundaza yakawanwa muguva raThutmose III. VaEgipita vainamata utatu huzhinji hwavamwari, kana kuti utatu, uye humwe hwakakurumbira zvikurusa hwaihwohwu hwakanga huri utatu hwaOsiris, Isis, uye Horus.

Vazhinji vavamwari vakatanhamara zvikurusa veEgipita vairatidzirwa nemiviri yavanhu nemisoro yemhuka. VaEgipita vairatidzira Horus nomusoro wefalcon neThoth ine musoro weibis kana kuti ape. Katsi, makava, ngwena, matiro, uye shiri dzakasiana-siana dzairangarirwa kuva dzinoyera nemhaka yesonganirano yadzo navamwari vakati. Handira Apis, yairangarirwa kuva yakapindwa namwari Osiris, yaichengetwa mutembere paMemphis, ipapo yakava namariro akasanorongwa uye kunyange kuomeswa parufu. Mascarab akakurumbira eEgipita, aipfekwa sezvuma samazango anodzivirira, zvaimirira chitutandove—chaifungwa kuva ratidzirwo yamwari musiki.

Pasinei zvapo nokugara kwenguva refu muEgipita neonano yapedyo navanhu venyika iyoyo, vaIsraeri vaingova naMwari mumwe bedzi, Jehovha, uye vaifanira kumubatira iye oga. Ivo vakanyeverwa kusaita chifananidzo chipi nechipi chorudzidziso—chingava chaMwari amene kana kuti cheshiri, chikara, hove, kana kuti chinhu chipi nechipi zvacho. Kunamata kwavo mhuru yendarama pashure pokubuda kwavo muEgipita kungave kwakabva mupesvedzero yeEgipita.—Eksodho 32:1-28; Dheuteronomio 4:15-20.

Rudaviro Mukusafa

VaEgipita vaiva vadaviri vakasimba mukusafa. Nokudaro, vatongi veEgipita vaigadzirira makuva akaisvonaka, akazadzwa nezvinodikanwa zvoupenyu nezvoumbozha, vachikarira kuwana mufarwa usingagumi muupenyu hwapashure porufu. Mapiramidhi muenzaniso wakatanhamara zvikurusa wouyu muitiro.

Mabwe endarama, zvipfeko, fanicha, waini, zvokudya, zviumbwa, mabhokisi enyanga dzenzou, uye kunyange mabwe maduku okukuya pendi yamaziso zvose zvaisanoiswa mumakuva eEgipita. Kwakanga kuchidavirwa kuti izvi zvinhu zvaigona kushandiswa muupenyu hwenguva yemberi. Munguva dzapakuvamba, varanda vaiurawa ndokuvigwa pamwe chete navanatenzi vavo, kuti vavabatire pashure porufu. Muunganidzwa wamazango unozivikanwa se“Book of the Dead” wakawanwa mukati mezviuru zvamakofeni avaEgipita. Kwaikarirwa kuti aya mazango aizobetsera munhu akafa kukurira ngozi dzakasiana-siana dzoupenyu hwapashure porufu.

Murangariro wavaIsraeri wakanga wakasiana sei! Ivo vaiziva, seizvo Bhaibheri raizotaura gare gare, kuti “asi vakafa havana chavanoziva.” Uye apo munhu anofa, “nezuva iro mano ake anopera.”a Tariro yavo youpenyu hwenguva yemberi yakanga iri murumuko.—Muparidzi 9:5, 10; Pisarema 146:4; Jobho 14:13-15.

Ndivanaani Vakararama Rini?

Vanodzidza nhau yeEgipita vanozivisa “mitsara yamadzimambo” 31 yamadzimambo eEgipita ndokutaura nezveUmambo hweKare (Mitsara yamadzimambo 3-6), uye Umambo hwaPakati (Mutsara wamadzimambo 11, 12), uye Umambo Hutsva (Mitsara yamadzimambo 18-20). Asi iyi nzira yokuverenga haina kutongorurama. Iyo inobatanidza manyoro anopanikirika naasina kukwana uye ingatobatanidza madzimambo anoverengeka aitonga munharaunda dzakasiana-siana panzvimbo penhevedzano inotonga mumwe pashure pomumwe.b

Apo Mosesi akavamba kunyora mabhuku okutanga eBhaibheri, iye akatevera iyo sezviri pachena yakanga iri tsika yavaEgipita vamene yokunongedzera kuna mambo wavo sa“Farao,” pasina kushandisa zita romunhu. Nokudaro, hatizivi zita ravanaFarao avo Abrahama naJosefa vakaziva kana kuti ndoupi akatonga panguva yokubuda kwavaIsraeri muEgipita. Zvisinei, zita rokuremekedza rokuti “Farao” gare gare rakavamba kubatanidzwa nezita ramambo amene, kuchikuita kuti kuve kunobvira kubatanidza zvinoitika zveBhaibheri nendaza yamadzimambo eEgipita. Hevano vamwe vavanaFarao vefariro chaiyo kumudzidzi weBhaibheri:

Akhenaton (woMutsara wamadzimambo unonzi wechi 18) akanga ari munamati anoshingaira waAton wedenderedzwa rezuva. Muna 1887 muunganidzwa wamahwendefa 377 wakawanwa paTel el-Amarna, anenge mamaira 200 [320 km] zasi kweCairo. Aya mahwendefa anofadza akanga ari tsamba dzokutaurirana kwamarudzi dzakagamuchirwa dzichibva kuna Akhenaton nababa vake Amenhotep III. Dzakabatanidzwa dzakanga dziri tsamba dzakabva kuvatongi veJerusarema, Megidho, Hazori, Shekemi, Rakishi, Hebroni, Gaza, uye mamwe maguta enyika muParestina. Zvichida dzakanyorwa chinguvana Israeri asati apinda muKanani, idzi tsamba dzinozivisa kakavadzano dzokurwa nerangano. Idzo dzinoratidzawo kuti taundi rimwe nerimwe raiva namambo waro rimene, sezvinoratidzira bhuku reBhaibheri raJoshua.

Tutankhamen, mukuwasha waAkhenaton, ndiye “King Tut” akakurumbira ane zvishongo zveguva zvendarama zvakaisvonaka zvakafukunurwa naveruzivo rwokuchera matongo uye zvakaratidzirwa mumamiyiziyemu akasiana-siana. Izvi zvishongo iratidzirwo yakatanhamara yepfuma yavanaFarao. Yakanga iri pfuma yakadai seiyi iyo Mosesi pakuvamba akanga arinza gotsi rake kwairi apo iye “akaramba kunzi mwanakomana womwanasikana waFarao, achisarudza kubatwa zvisina kufanira navanhu vaMwari panzvimbo pokuva nokufarikanywa kwechinguvana kwechivi.”—VaHebheru 11:24, 25, NW.

Merneptah wakanga uri “Mutsara wamadzimambo wechi 19.” Pamufananidzo worukundo wakawanwa mutembere paTibhisi, uyu Farao akanyora kuti “Israeri anoparadzwa, mbeu yake haipo.” Iyi ndiyo dudzwo yakananga bedzi yaIsraeri sorudzi inowanwa muzvinyorwa zvakare zveEgipita. Nepo sezviri pachena kuri kuzvitutumadza kusina maturo, uku kutaura kunoratidzika kuva kunoratidzira kuti kukunda kwaIsraeri Kanani kwakanga kwatoitika. Nokudaro, kukunda ikoko kwa 1473 P.N.V. kunofanira kuve kwakaitika pakati penguva iyo Akhenaton akagamuchira tsamba dzeTel el-Amarna namazuva aMerneptah.

Shishaki (Sheshonk I, “Mutsara wamadzimambo wechi 22”) ndiye Farao wokutanga kududzwa nezita muBhaibheri. Neuto rine simba rengoro navarume vamabhiza, iye akavhozhokera Judha, akatyisidzira Jerusarema, uye “akatora pfuma yeimba yaJehovha, nepfuma yeimba yamambo; akazvitora zvose.” (2 Makoronike 12:9) Ichi chinoitika chinosimbiswa nemifananidzo iri parusvingo rwezasi rwetembere yaAmoni paKarnaki (Tibhisi yakare). Iyo inoratidza varanda vakasungwa 156, mumwe nomumwe achimirira guta rakatapwa kana kuti musha, kubatanidza Megidho, Shunemi, uye Gibheoni. Pakati penzvimbo dzakatapwa, Shishaki akatoronga “Munda waAbrama”—nongedzero yapakuvamba zvikurusa kuna Abrahama muzvinyorwa zveEgipita.

Mamwe Masimba Enyika Anomuka

Pakupedzisira, Egipita yakatsiviwa neAsiria sesimba guru renyika. Asi iyo yakaramba iri simba rakasimba rezvamatongerwe enyika. Hoshea, mambo wokupedzisira woumambo hwokumusoro hwamarudzi gumi hwaIsraeri, akaronga namambo So weEgipita mukuedza kusina kubudirira kwokukandira kwakadaro joko reAsiria. (2 Madzimambo 17:3, 4) Makore gare gare, mukati mokutonga kwaMambo Hezekia waJudha, Mambo Tirhaka weEtiopia (zvimwe mutongi weEtiopia weEgipita, Farao Taharqa) akapinda muKanani ndokutsausa kwechinguvana denho yamambo weAsiria Sanheribhi. (2 Madzimambo 19:8-10) Zvinyorwa zvaSanheribhi amene, zvakawanwa muAsiria, sezviri pachena zvinonongedzera kuna ikoku apo izvo zvinoti: “Ini pachangu ndakatapa vari vapenyu . . . vakwiri vengoro vamambo weEtiopia.”—Oriental Institute Prism of Sennacherib, University of Chicago.

Muporofita waJehovha Isaya akanga adeya kutaura kuti Egipita yaizoiswa mu“ruoko rwamambo une hasha” uye kuti “mambo une mwoyo mukukutu” aizotonga pavaEgipita. (Isaya 19:4) Uzvokwadi hwouhu uporofita hunosimbiswa nechinyorwa cheAsiria umo mwanakomana waSanheribhi anoganza pamusoro pokukunda kwake Egipita, achiti: “Mambo wayo, Tirhaka, ndakamukuvadza kashanu nemiseve ndokutonga panyika yake yose.”

Farao Neko akafamba akananga kumusoro munenge muna 629 P.N.V. kundodzivisa hondo dzesimba renyika rechitatu rinomuka, Bhabhironi. Bhaibheri rinotaura kuti Josia weJerusarema nenzira yokusachenjera akaedza kumisa mauto eEgipita paMegidho uye akakundwa ndokuurawa.c (2 Makoronike 35:20-24) Anenge makore mana gare gare, muna 625 P.N.V. Farao Neko amene akakundwa navaBhabhironi paKarkemishi. Zvinyorwa zvose zviri zviviri zveBhaibheri nezveBhabhironi zvinonongedzera kuichi chinoitika, icho chakapa vaBhabhironi udzori paAsia yokumabvazuva.

Muna 525 P.N.V., Egipita yakadzorwa nesimba renyika rechina, Medo-Persia. Anodokuva mazana amakore maviri gare gare, muna 332 P.N.V., Alexander Mukuru akaoneka uye akapinza Egipita musimba renyika rechishanu, Girisi. Alexander akatanga guta reAlexandria munharaunda yaNire weEgipita, umo, munenge muna 280 P.N.V., shanduro yokutanga yeBhaibheri kubva muchiHebheru kupinda muchiGiriki yakavambwa. Iyi shanduro, iyo yakasvika pakuzivikanwa seSeptuagint, yakanga iri Bhaibheri rakashandiswa navateveri vaJesu munyika inotaura chiGiriki.

Munguva yeRoma, simba renyika rechitanhatu, Jesu akaunzwa kuEgipita somwana muduku kumuponesa pana Herodhe ane shanje. (Mateo 2:13-15) VaEgipita vakanga varimo muJerusarema pazuva rePentekosta ya 33 N.V. kuzonzwa kuparidzirwa kunoshamisa kwamashoko akanaka echiKristu. Uye Aporosi wechiKristu aitaura zvakanaka womuzana rokutanga ramakore akabvako.—Mabasa 2:10; 18:24.

Hungu, Egipita navaEgipita zvakatanhamara zvikuru munhau yeBhaibheri, uye zviwanwa zvizhinji zvokuchera matongo zvinosimbisa izvo magwaro anotaura pamusoro peiyi nyika yakare. Zvamazvirokwazvo, Egipita yakanga yakatanhamara kwazvo zvokuti muzvimwe zvikamu zvamashoko zvouporofita, iyo inofananidzira nyika yose inodzorwa naSatani. (Ezekieri 31:2; Zvakazarurwa 11:8) Asi Egipita yakare, pasinei zvapo nesimba rayo sesimba renyika, haina kutongokwanisa kudzivisa zadziko yamadonzo aJehovha. Uye ikoku kwakanga kuri kwechokwadiwo nezvesimba renyika rechipiri renhau yeBhaibheri, Asiria, sezvatichaona muchinyorwa chinotevera chamagazini eNharireyomurindi.

[Mashoko Omuzasi]

[Mepu iri papeji 23]

(Kana uchida mashoko azere, ona bhuku racho)

Mediterranean Sea

Carchemish

Euphrates

Megiddo

Jerusalem

Alexandria

GOSHEN

Memphis

Nile

LOWER EGYPT

Thebes

[Kwazvakatorwa]

Based on a map copyrighted by Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est. and Survey of Israel

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 24]

Mwari weEgipita anoratidzirwa ane muviri womunhu nomusoro wefalcon

[Kwazvakatorwa]

Courtesy of the British Museum, London

[Mifananidzo iri papeji 25]

Chikamu che“Book of the Dead” chakawanwa mukati mekofeni yeEgipita

[Kwazvakatorwa]

Courtesy of the Superintendence of the Museo Egizio, Turin

Kofeni yeEgipita nechifukidziro chomuviri wakaomeswa

[Kwazvakatorwa]

Courtesy of the Superintendence of the Museo Egizio, Turin

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 26]

Mambo Tutankhamen ari pedyo namwari akagara Amoni

[Kwazvakatorwa]

Courtesy of the Superintendence of the Museo Egizio, Turin