Liyini Iqiniso NgeBetlehema Nokhisimusi?
“LAPHO sicabanga ngeMfihlakalo yeBetlehema asinakuyigwema imibuzo nokungabaza okufika engqondweni yethu.”—Bethlehem, kaMaria Teresa Petrozzi.
‘Kungani kuba nemibuzo nokungabaza?’ ungase ubuze. Kakade, izinkolelo ezihlukahlukene eziphathelene noKhisimusi, kanye nezindawo ezihlangene nalezinkolelo, zisekelwe emaqinisweni. Noma ingabe kunjalo?
Wazalwa Nini?
Ngokuphathelene nosuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu, uMaria Teresa Petrozzi uyabuza: “Wazalwa nini ngempela uMhlengi? Singethande ukwazi unyaka nje kuphela kodwa futhi nenyanga, usuku, ihora. Asikunikeziwe ukunemba okungokwezibalo.” INew Catholic Encyclopedia iyakusekela lokhu: “Usuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu Kristu lungabalwa ngokulinganisela kuphela.” Ithi ngokuphathelene nosuku okuthiwa olokuzalwa kukaKristu: “Usuku lukaDecember 25 aluhambisani nokuzalwa kukaKristu kodwa luhambisana nomkhosi weNatalis Solis Invicti, umkhosi welanga wamaRoma ngesikhathi esingenisa ihlobo enhla nenkabazwe.”
Ngakho ungase ubuze, ‘Uma uJesu engazalwanga ngoDecember 25, wazalwa nini?’ NgokukaMathewu izahluko 26 no-27, sithola ukuthi uJesu wafa ngesikhathi sePhasika lamaJuda, elaliqala ngoApril 1, 33 C.E. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uLuka 3:21-23 usitshela ukuthi uJesu wayeneminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-30 lapho eqalisa inkonzo yakhe. Njengoba inkonzo yakhe yasemhlabeni yathatha iminyaka emithathu nengxenye, wayeneminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-33 1/2 ubudala ngesikhathi efa. UKristu ngabe waba neminyaka engu-34 egcwele ezinyangeni eziyisithupha kamuva, cishe okwakuyoba ngo-October 1. Uma sibala sihlehlela emuva ukuze sibone ukuthi uJesu wazalwa nini, asifinyeleli kuDecember 25 noma kuJanuary 6, kodwa sifinyelela cishe kuOctober 1 wonyaka ka-2 B.C.E.
Futhi kungokuphawulekayo ukuthi phakathi nenyanga kaDecember, iBetlehema nezindawo eziyizungezile iba nesimo sezulu esibandayo sasebusika, izimvula ezibandayo, neqhwa ngezinye izikhathi. Umuntu akabatholi abelusi bephumile nemihlambi yabo ebusuku phakathi nalesosikhathi. Lesi akusona isimo sezulu esingavamile samuva nje. ImiBhalo ibika ukuthi inkosi yakwaJuda uJehoyakimi “yayihlezi endlini yobusika ngenyanga yesishiyagalolunye [uKhisilevi, ehambisana noNovember-December], iziko elivuthayo liphambi kwayo.” (Jeremiya 36:22) Yayidinga ukushisa ukuze izigcine ifudumele. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kuEzra 10:9, 13 sithola ubufakazi obucacile bokuthi inyanga kaKhisilevi ‘yayiyisikhathi semvula enkulu, kungameki ngaphandle.’ Konke lokhu kubonisa ukuthi izimo zezulu eBetlehema ngoDecember azifanelani nencazelo yeBhayibheli yezenzakalo ezihlangene nokuzalwa kukaJesu Kristu.—Luka 2:8-11.
Kuyiphi Indawo?
Uyini umbono ofanele ngendawo eyaba yingxenye yento eyashukumisela impi yaseCrimea (1853-56), ‘okuyimpi enegazi’ okwafa kuyo amasosha aseFrance angaphezu kwezinkulungwane eziyikhulu? Ingabe ngempela leyo iyindawo okwazalelwa kuyo uJesu?
Okokuqala, iBhayibheli ngokwalo aliyisho indawo eqondile yokuzalwa kukaJesu. UMathewu noLuka baqinisekisa ukuthi ukuzalwa kukaJesu kwagcwalisa isiprofetho sobuMesiya kuMika 5:2, esasibikezele ukuthi “ozakuba-ngumbusi kwaIsrayeli, okuvela kwakhe kusukela endulo,” wayeyovela eBetlehema. (Mathewu 2:1, 5; Luka 2:4) Kokubili ukulandisa kwamaVangeli kuthinta izinto eziyisisekelo kuphela, okuwukuthi, uJesu wazalelwa eBetlehema nokuthi, ngokukaLuka, umntwana wayesongwe ngengubo futhi elaliswe emkhombeni.—Luka 2:7.
Kungani abalobi bamaVangeli bengazange banezele imininingwane eyengeziwe? UMaria Teresa Petrozzi uyaphawula: “AbaVangeli abayinaki lemininingwane, ngokusobala ngenxa yokuthi bayibheka njengengasho lutho.” Eqinisweni, kusobala ukuthi uJesu ngokwakhe akazange abheke imininingwane yokuzalwa kwakhe njengebaluleke ngokukhethekile, ngoba akazange nakanye acashunwe ekhuluma ngosuku lokuzalwa kwakhe noma indawo eqondile yokuzalwa kwakhe. Ngisho nakuba azalelwa eBetlehema, uJesu akazange abheke leyondawo njengekhaya lakubo, kodwa indawo yaseGalile kwakubhekiselwa kuyo ‘njengezwe lakubo.’—Marku 6:1, 3, 4; Mathewu 2:4, 5; 13:54.
Ukufundwa kukaJohane 7:40-42 kubonisa ukuthi abantu ngokuvamile babengayazi indawo azalelwa kuyo, becabanga ukuthi wazalelwa eGalile: “Abanye bathi: Kanti uKristu uvela eGalile na?” Ngokusekelwe kulokho okwabhalwa kuJohane 7:41, ethi The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem iyaphetha: “Ukuthi kwaphakama izingxoxo ezinjalo ngokwakho akuliphiki iqiniso lokuthi uKristu wazalelwa eBetlehema; kodwa okungenani kubonisa ukuthi abaningi babangane baKhe babengalazi.”
Kusobala ukuthi phakathi nesikhathi sokuphila kwakhe siqu uJesu kwasemhlabeni, akazange amemezele imininingwane yokuzalwa kwakhe. Akuzange kugcizelelwe indawo azalelwa kuyo. Khona-ke, siyini isisekelo senkolelo yokuthi uMhume Wokuzalwa KukaJesu uyindawo lapho uJosefa aletha khona uMariya ukuba azalele kuyo?
UPetrozzi uvuma ngokusobala: “Akunakwenzeka ukuba sazi ngokuqinisekile ukuthi lomhume wawungomunye wemihume yemvelo engenakubalwa esendaweni eyakhelene neBetlehema, noma umhume owawusetshenziswa njengesitebela endlini yokungenisa izihambi. Nokho, isiko elihlehlela emuva engxenyeni yokuqala yekhulu lesibili leminyaka, licacile; isitebela esiwumhume.”—Omalukeke sizenzele.
Isiko Nje
UMaria Teresa Petrozzi noR. W. Hamilton, kanye nabanye abafundi abahlukahlukene bomlando weBetlehema, babonisa ukuthi uJustin Martyr, wekhulu lesibili leminyaka C.E., waba ngowokuqala ukusho ukuthi uJesu wazalelwa emhumeni, ngaphandle kokucacisa ukuthi usho muphi. UHamilton uyaphetha ngokuphathelene nenkulumo kaJustin Martyr: “Lokhu kumane kuwukubhekisela nje, futhi ukuthatha ngokuthi uSt. Justin wayecabanga ngomhume othile, kanye nangokungaphezulu kwalokho ukuthi wayebhekisela eMhumeni Wokuzalwa KukaJesu okhona namanje, bekuyoba ukugcizelela kakhulu ubufakazi begama elilodwa.”
Embhalweni waphansi uHamilton uyabhala: “Indaba yokuZalwa KukaJesu evela encwadini engaphefumlelwe ethi ‘Book of James’ noma ethi ‘Protevangelium,’ cishe ezabhalwa ngesikhathi esisodwa, nayo iyawuveza umhume, kodwa iwuchaza njengophakathi nendlela eya eBetlehema. Kuze kube yilapho iba nokubaluleka okuthile okungokomlando lendaba isikisela ukuthi isiko lalingakahlanganiswa nanoma iyiphi indawo eyodwa, ngokuqinisekile hhayi noMhume Wokuzalwa KukaJesu.”
Abalobi bezenkolo bekhulu lesithathu leminyaka uOrigen noEusebius bahlanganisa isiko nendawo ethile njengoba lalaziwa ngalesosikhathi. UHamilton uthi: “Uma nje indaba yase ihlanganiswe nomhume othile kwakungenakwenzeka ukuba singabaze; futhi kuphephile ukuphetha ngokuthi umhume owaboniswa izivakashi ngokushesha ngemva kuka-A.D. 200 wawufana noMhume Wokuzalwa KukaJesu wamanje.”
UW. H. Bartlett, encwadini yakhe ethi Walks About the City and Environs of Jerusalem (1842), waphetha ngokungaqiniseki ngokuphathelene nalomhume: “Nakuba isiko lokuthi lena indawo okwazalelwa kuyo uMhlengi wethu, liwumkhuba wakudala ohlonishwayo, njengoba lithintwa nawuSt. Jerome, owaphila futhi wafela emzini wezindela ongumakhelwane, lendawo ayivumelani namathuba okuthi kungenzeka kube yiyo, njengoba nakuba ngezikhathi ezithile kungenzeka ukuthi imihume isetshenziswe njengezitebela ePalestina, lona ujule kakhulu ngaphansi komhlaba kunokuba wawungafanelekela leyonjongo; futhi ngaphezu kwalokho, uma sicabangela ukuthambekela kwezindela kokugxilisa indawo yezehlakalo eziphawulekayo ezingokombhalo emihumeni, mhlawumbe ngenxa yokuhlaba umxhwele kwezindawo ezinjalo, ukucabanga ngokumelene nalendawo cishe kubonakala kuletha esiphethweni.”
Yini esingaphetha ngayo ngobufakazi obungokomlando obukhona, futhi ngokubaluleke nangokwengeziwe, ngeqiniso elingokomBhalo lokuthi uJesu nabafundi bakhe abazange banikeze noma yikuphi ukubaluleka endaweni azalelwa kuyo? Kusobala ukuthi lapho iNdlovukazi uHelena, unina kaConstantine Omkhulu, emisa indawo yeSonto Lokuzalwa KukaJesu ngonyaka ka-326 C.E., lokho wakwenza ngesisekelo salokho uHamilton akubiza ngokuthi ‘ukuhlangana ngesiko elinesikhathi eside.’ Kwakungekhona ngesisekelo sobufakazi obungokomlando noma obungokweBhayibheli.
Lokhu kuholela kwesinye isiphetho sokuthi indawo yangempela yokuzalwa kukaKristu ayaziwa. Ngakho-ke, ingabe kunengqondo ukuthi abathembekile kumelwe bathathe uhambo lokuyokhulekela ezindaweni ezinjalo njengoMhume Wokuzalwa KukaJesu futhi bazidumise? Uma ngempela okunjalo kwakudingeka ngamaKristu, ingabe uJesu ngokwakhe wayengeke atshele abafundi bakhe ngalesibopho noma ngisho nangalolohlobo lwesifiso? Ingabe kwakungeke kubhalwe eZwini likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli, ukuze izwe lesintu likufunde? Njengoba ubufakazi obunjalo bungekho ngokusobala emiBhalweni Engcwele, senza kahle ukuzibuza ngalokho uJesu akubheka njengokufanele ukukhunjulwa.
Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sifunisisa kangakanani, okuwukuphela kwesenzakalo esiyothola ukuthi abafundi bakaJesu kwakumelwe basikhumbule ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane kwakuwukufa kwakhe okuwumhlatshelo. Wafa entwasahlobo, ngokushesha ngemva kokugubha isidlo sePhasika lakhe lokugcina nabafundi bakhe. Kulesosenzakalo waqondisa abafundi bakhe abathembekile ukuba babe nesidlo esingokomfanekiso besebenzisa isinkwa esingenamvubelo, njengematzoth, newayini elibomvu. Ngokuphathelene nalomkhosi ongenamcikilisho, owenziwa okokuqala ngoApril 1, 33 C.E., wayala: “Yenzani lokhu ukuba ningikhumbule.”—Luka 22:19, 20.
Belalela lomyalo ongokomBhalo ovela kuJesu ngokwakhe, emhlabeni wonke oFakazi BakaJehova minyaka yonke bagubha iSikhumbuzo sokufa kukaKristu komhlatshelo. Lokhu kuhlangana kobuKristu abakwenzeli endaweni ethile ekhethekile egumbini eliphezulu eJerusalema, ngoba uJesu akazange asho kanjalo. Kodwa emhlabeni wonke, bahlangana emaHholo abo oMbuso nakwezinye izindawo zokuhlangana ezifanelekayo ezindaweni abahlala kuzo. Umkhosi olandelayo uyoba ngoMarch 30, 1991, ngemva kokushona kwelanga. Uyamenywa ukuba ube khona eHholo LoMbuso loFakazi BakaJehova eliseduze nekhaya lakho.
Ukuze ube khona kulomkhosi obalulekile ngokulalela umyalo kaJesu, akudingeki ukuba uye eJerusalema noma eBetlehema. UJesu nabafundi bakhe abazange babonise ukubaluleka kwezindawo ezithile njengeziyizindawo zokugxilisa ukukhulekela kobuKristu. Ngokuphambene, uJesu watshela owesifazane ongumSamariya, owayegxilise ukukhulekela kwakhe eGerizimu, intaba eseSamariya, enyakatho yeJerusalema: “Sifazane, kholwa yimi, isikhathi siyeza, lapho ningasayikukhuleka kuBaba nakulentaba naseJerusalema. Kodwa isikhathi siyeza, sesikhona namanje, lapho abakhulekayo abaqinisileyo beyakukhuleka kuBaba ngomoya nangeqiniso; ngokuba uBaba ufuna abakhuleka kuye abanjalo.”—Johane 4:21, 23.
Labo abakhulekela uBaba ngomoya nangeqiniso abathembeli ezindaweni ezikhethekile, njengeBetlehema, noma ezintweni ezingaphili, njengezithombe, ekukhulekeleni kwabo. Umphostoli uPawulu wathi: “Nxa ikhaya lethu lisesemzimbeni, sahlukene nekhaya eliseNkosini; ngokuba sihamba ngokukholwa, asihambi ngokubona.”—2 Korinte 5:6, 7.
Nokho, usengacabanga ukuthi, umuntu angamkhulekela kanjani uNkulunkulu ngendlela eyamukelekayo kuye? Esikhathini esilandelayo lapho omunye woFakazi BakaJehova efika ekhaya lakho, siza umbuze.
[Isithombe ekhasini 5]
Ebusika, iqhwa lingamboza indawo eseduze neBetlehema. Ingabe abelusi babengalala ngaphandle nemihlambi yabo?
[Umthombo]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.
[Izithombe ekhasini 7]
ISonto Lokuzalwa KukaKristu eBetlehema nomhume walo ongaphansi komhlaba
[Umthombo]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.
[Umthombo]
Garo Nalbandian