Imifanekiso Evela EZweni Lesithembiso

IGerasa—Lapho UmJuda NomGreki Bahlangana Khona

UMPHOSTOLI uPawulu waloba ukuthi phakathi kwembewu yeqiniso ka-Abrahama, “akukho umJuda nomGreki.” (Galathiya 3:26-29) Yebo, isizinda esingokobuzwe noma impucuko kwakungabalulekile ukuze bamukelwe uNkulunkulu.

Lawomazwi angabonakala efaneleka kumaKristu ayesakazeke esifundazweni samaRoma, njengasesifundazweni saseGalathiya, lapho kwakunengxubevange yamaJuda, amaGreki, amaRoma, nabantu bendawo. Kodwa kuthiwani ngezingxenye zakwaIsrayeli ngokwakhe, njengeGileyadi?

Lesosifunda sisempumalanga yeJordani, phakathi koLwandle LukaSawoti (Olufile) noLwandle LwaseGalile. Cishe maphakathi nalelithafa elivundile, uMfula iJaboki wehlela eJordani. Isithombe esingenhla sibonisa amanye amanxiwa ahlaba umxhwele aseGerasa, manje ebizwa ngokuthi iJerash, eyayiseduze neJaboki engaphezulu.

Umzila wasendulo wabathengisi osuka enyakatho uye eningizimu obizwa ngokuthi ‘umgwaqo wenkosi’ wawunqamula eGileyadi. Ekuhambeni kwakhe eHarana, uJakobe nomkhaya wakhe ngokusobala behla ngalomgwaqo beya eJaboki. Wabambana nengelosi futhi wahlangana noEsawu eduze nalapho kwakuzokwakhiwa khona iGerasa. (Genesise 31:17-25, 45-47; 32:22-30; 33:1-17) Kamuva, amaIsrayeli asuka eningizimu akhuphuka ngomgwaqo wenkosi lapho eya eZweni Lesithembiso. Izizwe ezimbili nengxenye zahlala enyakatho naseningizimu yeJaboki ngasemgwaqweni wabathengisi.—Numeri 20:17; Duteronomi 2:26, 27.

Ingabe amaGreki ahileleka kulendawo, futhi uma kunjalo, kanjani? Yebo, ahileleka lapho uAlexander Omkhulu enqoba lendawo. Ngokwesiko, iGerasa wayitholela amasosha angomakadebona empini yakhe. Kancane kancane ithonya lamaGreki lachuma. Eyishumi yemizi engamakoloni esempumalanga yeJordani noLwandle LwaseGalile yahlangana yakha lokho okwaziwa ngokuthi iDekapholi. Kungenzeka uke waliphawula lelogama eBhayibhelini, elibika ukuthi “izixuku eziningi zamlandela [uJesu] zivela eGalile, naseDekapholi, naseJerusalema, naseJudiya, nangaphesheya kweJordani.” IGerasa yayingomunye wemizi yaseDekapholi.—Mathewu 4:25.

‘Kwakuyingxenye yecebo lika-Alexander ukuhlalisa amaGreki kuzo zonke izingxenye zombuso. ISiriya elisezansi [kuhlanganise neDekapholi], ikakhulukazi, njengesinye sezikhungo zokuqeqeshela impi, lathola abantu abaningi abangamaGreki. Kuze kube namuhla ayikho ingxenye yezwe elingasempumalanga engabonisa izinsalela zamaGreki eziningi nezimangalisa kangaka njengezwe elisempumalanga yeJordani. Amadolobha amaGreki ayebonisa ngokusobala isimiso esiphelele sezakhiwo nempucuko yamaGreki—amathempeli acwazimulayo onkulunkulu nonkulunkulukazi bamaGreki, izindawo zokuvivinya umzimba, izindlu zokugezela zomphakathi, ukugubha imidlalo kwaminyaka yonke, futhi ezimweni eziningi nezikole zefilosofi.’—Hellenism, nguNorman Bentwich.

Lapho uvakashela amanxiwa aseGerasa, uyothola ubufakazi obanele balokho. Eduze nesango elingaseningizimu, kunenkundla esasiyingi, noma imakethe yomphakathi, ebonakalayo esithombeni. Kungenzeka umangazwe izindawo zokugezela, amathempeli, izinkundla zemidlalo yasesiteji, nezakhiwo zomphakathi, eziningi zazo ezihlanganiswe imigwaqo egandayiwe enohele lwezinsika. Ngaphandle komuzi, ungabona izimpawu emgwaqweni wasendulo ohlanganisa iGerasa neminye imizi eseDekapholi namanye amatheku aseMedithera.

Ngisho nangemva kokuba iRoma ibuse iGerasa ngo-63 B.C.E., ithonya lobuGreki laqhubeka. Ungase ucabange ukuthi lelithonya lalingawathonya kanjani amaJuda ahlala eGerasa nasesifundeni sayo. Incwadi ethi Hellenism iyaphawula: “Kancane kancane amaJuda aqala ukuthonywa imiqondo engokwenkolo yabantu abawazungezile, nokubheka imiBhalo bethonywe yileyomiqondo.”

Nakuba kungenzeka ukuthi uJesu akazange ashumayele kulomuzi, wangena esigodini saseGerasa, okwakungenzeka sasize sifinyelele oLwandle LwaseGalile. Kulesosigodi wakhipha amademoni kwenye indoda, wawavumela ukuba angene ezingulubeni. (Marku 5:1-17) Cishe, abafundi bakhe bakuqala bashumayela kumaJuda emizini yaseDekapholi, futhi ngemva kuka-36 C.E., izindaba ezinhle zazingahlanganyelwa namaGreki aseGerasa. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi umuntu owayemukela ubuKristu wayeqhuba ngentshiseko ubuJuda, engumJuda oguqukele ebuGrekini, noma engumGreki, wayengamukeleka kuNkulunkulu weqiniso njengengxenye yembewu ka-Abrahama engokomoya.

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 24]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

IDion

IGerasa (IJerash)

IFiladelfiya (IRaba)

Umgwaqo WeNkosi

ULwandle LukaSawoti

IJerusalema

IJordani

IJaboki

IPella

IScythopolis (IBeti-Sheyani)

IGadara

ULwandle LwaseGalile

[Umthombo]

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

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Lesithombe esingenhla sikhulisiwe eKhalendeni LoFakazi BakaJehova Lika-1992.

[Umthombo]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 25]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.