UBileyamu—Umlando Noma Inganekwane?
NGOKWENCWADI yeBhayibheli kaNumeri, uBileyamu indodana kaBeyori wayengumprofethi okhokhelwayo. (Numeri, Izahluko 22-24) Eqinisweni, igama lakhe livela ezincwadini ezihlukene zeBhayibheli eziyisishiyagalombili, kuhlanganise nezincwadi zabalobi abangamaKristu uPetru noJuda. UBileyamu wayephila ekhulwini le-15 leminyaka B.C.E. eSigodini se-Ewufrathe engenhla. Waziqashisa kuBalaki, inkosi yakwaMowabi, owayefuna ukuba akhiphe iziqalekiso esizweni sakwaIsrayeli. Manje, ingabe uBileyamu wayengesiye umuntu ongokomlando noma wayemane eyinganekwane yamaJuda?
Njengoba kubhalwe kuyiBiblical Archaeology Review (September/October 1985), abavubukuli abasebenza eSigodini esiseJordani ephakathi baye baveza isiqinisekiso esithile esiphawulekayo sokuthi uBileyamu wayephila ngempela. Babemba eTell Deir Alla, ngasenyakatho yomfula owaziwa njengeJaboki eBhayibhelini, lapho bethola izingcezu zikasimende zohlobo lombhalo wezizukulwane zikaShemi. Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, lezingcezu ziye zacwaningwa ngokunakekela iminyaka ezalotshwa ngayo, zahlanganiswa zaba umqulu, kwase kufunwa ukuthi zisho ukuthini.
Umcwaningi waseFrance uAndré Lemaire uchaza ukuthi izingcezu zayiswa emshinini weradio-carbon ohlola iminyaka futhi uyaphawula: “Ngokwalokhu kuhlola, kwatholakala ukuthi imibhalo yayibhalwe ngo-c. 800 B.C., kwenezelwa noma kususwa iminyaka engama-70.” Futhi lemibhalo ithini? Ngokwezingcezu uLemaire azenza kabusha, umbhalo ngokwengxenye ufundeka kanje (amagama akubakaki afakwe esikhundleni sezingcezu ezingekho):
“[1]1. Umbhalo ka[Bi]leyamu [indodana kaBeyo]ri, indoda eyayingumprofethi wawonkulunkulu. Bheka, onkulunkulu beza kuye ebusuku [bakhuluma] kuye 2. Ngokwalamaz[w]i, bakhuluma ku[Bileya]mu, indodana kaBeyori . . . wakhala 4. Ngokudabuka okukhulu futhi abantu bakhe beza kuye futhi b[athi] kuBileyamu, indodana kaBeyori: ‘Kungani uzila futhi kungani ukhala?’”
Ngokusobala umbhalo wawukhona ukuba ufundwe umphakathi eminyakeni eyizi-2 800 edlule, njengoba wawuyingxenye yombhalo wodonga omude kakhulu. Nakuba kukhona izikhala kulowombhalo, uBileyamu ubhalwe ngokucacile. Ngisho nakuba umbhalo wabhalwa eminyakeni engamakhulu ayisikhombisa ngemva kwezehlakalo, ngokusobala uBileyamu wamukelwa njengomuntu ongokomlando kanye nomprofethi.
Lemibhalo yasodongeni iseduze ngamakhulu amaningana nezehlakalo ezichazwe eBhayibhelini kunemibhalo yesandla emidala kakhulu ekhona namuhla. Ingobunye ubufakazi futhi obunezela esiqinisekisweni sokuthi iBhayibheli linikeza umbhalo othembekile womlando wasendulo.—2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17.