Ukunikela Ngabantwana—Kungani Kuyisinengiso Kangaka?
“Bakhile izindawo eziphakeme zaseTofeti ezisesigodini sendodana kaHinomu ukuba bashise amadodana abo namadodakazi abo ngomlilo, engingakuyalelanga nokungangenanga enhliziyweni yami.”—Jeremiya 7:31.
EZINSUKWINI zika-Ahazi noManase amakhosi akwaJuda, isizwe sakwaIsrayeli sawela ogibeni lokukhulekela okonakele kwezizwe ezazingomakhelwane. Lokhu kwahlanganisa ukunikela ngabantwana babo kuMoloki. (2 IziKronike 28:3; 33:6, 9) Ngisho nakuba kamuva iNkosi uJosiya yachitha imikhuba eminingi ‘eyisinengiso,’ “uJehova akabuyanga ekuvutheni kwentukuthelo yakhe enkulu, intukuthelo yakhe eyavuthela ngakho uJuda ngenxa yakho konke ukucunula uManase ayemcunulé ngakho.” (2 AmaKhosi 23:10, 26) Ngani? Yini eyenza isono saba ‘esicunula’ kangaka kangangokuba singabe sisakwazi ukuthethelelwa?
“Ukunikela ngabantwana kwakuyisici esivelele sokukhulekelwa kukaMalik-Baal-Kronos wabantu baseFenike,” kusho iJewish Encyclopedia kaFunk noWagnalls. Ekuqaleni abantu baseFenike babehlala ezindaweni ezisogwini olusenyakatho Khanani. Njengoba babengabantu abahamba ngemikhumbi, bamisa izindawo ezingaphansi kwabo kulo lonke elaseMedithera, futhi noma yikuphi lapho babeya khona babehamba namasiko abo ayisinengiso okunikela ngabantwana. Okuye kwatholwa muva nje ekuvubukuleni okwenziwa edolobheni lasendulo iCarthage eFenike (manje esemaphethelweni edolobha iTunis eTunisia, eNyakatho Afrika) kuye kwadalula unya olukhulu lwalomkhuba.
Lendawo yatholwa okokuqala ngo-1921. Kodwa kusukela ngawo-1970, kwambiwa kakhulu ngenxa yokuthi idolobha lesimanje lalinwetshelwa kuleyondawo. Lapho okwakumbiwa khona kwabonakala indawo enkulu engamathuna ezidumbu zabantwana okwakunikelwa ngabo. Iphephandaba iArchaeology Review liyabika:
“Lapha, kusukela ekhulwini lesishiyagalombili B.C. kuze kube sekhulwini lesibili B.C., omama nobaba baseCarthage bangcwaba amathambo abantwana babo ababenikele ngabo kunkulunkulu uBa’al Hammon nakunkulunkulukazi uTanit. Kungenzeka ukuthi ngekhulu lesine B.C. iThofeti [lithathwe kuTofeti engokweBhayibheli] yayiyindawo enkulu engaba amakhilomitha-skwele ayizi-6 000, enemikhakha yamathuna eyisishiyagalolunye.”
Izindawo ezifanayo ziye zatholwa eSicily, eSardinia, nakwezinye izindawo eTunisia. Esikhathini esidlule, zonke zake zaba amazwe abuswa iFenike. Emathuneni aseCarthage, abacwaningi bathola amatshe amaningi ayeqoshwe imifanekiso kankulunkulukazi uTanit, oye wafaniswa nonkulunkulukazi wamaKhanani uAshitaroti, umkaBali. Ngaphansi kwalawomatshe kwatholakala izitsha zobumba, ezinye ezazihlotshiswe ngokugqamile, zinamathambo ahangukile ezisulu okwakunikelwa ngazo.
Ukuze ubonise izinga lomkhuba owawufinyelela kulo, umbiko uthi: “Lapho sisebenzisa isisindo sezitsha ukuze silinganise indawo esasesiyimbile, saphetha ngokuthi kungenzeka ukuthi kwalahlelwa izitsha ezicishe zibe yizi-20 000 kuleyondawo phakathi nekhulu lama-400 nelama-200 B.C.” Lelinani elikhulu lishaqisa kakhulu lapho umuntu ecabanga ukuthi esikhathini sokubusa kwayo inani labantu baseCarthage ngokwalendaba, lalicishe libe yizi-250 000 kuphela.
Imibhalo eyaqoshwa ematsheni ibonisa ukuthi abazali babenikela ngabantwana babo ukuba bagcwalise izifungo ababezenze kuBali noma kuTanit ukuze abaphe umusa. Izikhundla neziqu okwakuqoshwe ematsheni kubonisa ukuthi lomkhuba wawuthandwa ikakhulukazi yizikhulu, ngokusobala ukuze ziqinise isibusiso sawonkulunkulu emizamweni yazo yokufinyelela nokulondoloza ingcebo yazo negunya. Ezinye izitsha zatholakala zinamathambo abantwana ababili noma abathathu, okungenzeka ukuthi babengabomkhaya owodwa uma kubhekwa umahluko eminyakeni yabo.
Uma umkhuba wabantu baseFenike ushaqisa, khona-ke khumbula ukuthi “uManase wadukisa uJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema, baze benza okubi kunabezizwe uJehova abachitha phambi kwabantwana bakwaIsrayeli.” (2 IziKronike 33:9) Kwakungekhona ukweqisa lapho uJehova ethi: “Bagcwalisa lendawo ngegazi labangenacala.” (Jeremiya 19:4) Ngokufanelekile, isihloko seReview siyaphawula: “Ubufakazi obandayo bokuvubukula nobemibhalo eqoshiwe, okwanikezwa ngabantu baseCarthage ngokwabo, busikisela ngokunamandla ukuthi ababhali abadumile nabeBhayibheli babekwazi ababekhuluma ngakho.”
Ngakho, njengoba uJehova ‘achitha abezizwe’ abangamaKhanani ababekhulekela izithombe, akazange awayeke amaIsrayeli angathembekile. Athola isahlulelo esiwafanele ezandleni zabaseBabiloni ngo-607 B.C.E. Ngokufanayo, labo namuhla abahlanganyela ekuchitheni igazi lezigidi ngezigidi ezenzweni ezinjalo ezinyanyekayo ezinjengezimpi, ubugebengu, ukubulala, ukukhipha izisu nokunye, ngokuqondile noma ngokungaqondile, bayolandisa kuye.—IsAmbulo 19:11-15.