Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
Ayengobani amaFilisti okukhulunywe ngawo eBhayibhelini?
IBhayibheli libhekisela kaningi kubantu abaziwa ngokuthi amaFilisti, ababehlala eKhanani lapho abantu bakaNkulunkulu basendulo bethatha iZwe Lesithembiso. LamaFilisti asendulo amelana nabantu bakaNkulunkulu isikhathi eside, njengoba kuqokonyiswe ekulandiseni kokulwa kukaDavide neqhawe elingumFilisti eliwumdondoshiya elalibizwa ngokuthi uGoliyati.—1 Samuweli 17:1-3, 23-53.
IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi amaFilisti asendulo athutha esuka eKafitori aya ogwini oluseningizimu-ntshonalanga yeKhanani. (Jeremiya 47:4) Yayikuphi iKafitori? I-International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979) iyaphawula: “Nakuba ubufakazi bunganikezi impendulo eqinisekile, ulwazi lwamanje lukhomba isiqhingi saseKrethe (noma mhlawumbe iKrethe ihlangene ne-Aegean Isles, okwakungokwandawonye ngokwendabuko) njengendawo okungenzeka kakhulu ukuthi yayikuyo.”—Umqulu 1, ikhasi 610.
Ngokuvumelana nalokhu, i-New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures ku-Amose 9:7 ifundeka kanje: “‘Anifani yini namadodana kaKushe kimi, O madodana ka-Israyeli?’ kusho uJehova. ‘Angikhiphanga yini u-Israyeli ezweni laseGibithe, namaFilisti eKrethe, nabaseSiriya eKhiri?’”
Akwaziwa ukuthi lesisizwe sasogwini lolwandle sasendulo sathutha nini sisuka eKrethe siya engxenyeni yeKhanani eyabizwa ngokuthi iFilistiya, ugu oluseningizimu-ntshonalanga phakathi kweJopha neGaza. Kubonakala sengathi base bekulendawo yamathafa aphansi asogwini kakade ngezinsuku zika-Abrahama no-Isaka.—Genesise 20:1, 2; 21:32-34; 26:1-18.
AmaFilisti aqhubeka enethonya elinamandla kulendawo isikhathi eside ngemva kokuba ama-Israyeli esengenile ezweni uNkulunkulu ayewathembise lona. (Eksodusi 13:17; Joshuwa 13:2; AbAhluleli 1:18, 19; 3:3, 4; 15:9, 10; 1 Samuweli 4:1-11; 7:7-14; 13:19-23; 1 AmaKhosi 16:15) Kamuva esikhathini sokubusa kwenkosi yakwaJuda u-Uziya, amaFilisti ayesahlala emizini yawo iGati, iJabine, ne-Ashidodi. (2 IziKronike 26:6) Eminye yemizi yawo evelele ekulandiseni kweBhayibheli kwakuyi-Ekroni, i-Ashikeloni, neGaza.
U-Alexander Omkhulu wanqoba umuzi wamaFilisti iGaza, kodwa ekuhambeni kwesikhathi, ngokusobala amaFilisti ayeka ukuba isizwe esizimele. UProfesa Lawrence E. Stager wabhala kuyi-Biblical Archaeology Review (May/June 1991): “AmaFilisti nawo athunjelwa eBabiloni. . . . Nokho, akukho mbhalo ogciniwe mayelana nokuthi kwenzekani kulamaFilisti ayethunjiwe. Lawo okungenzeka asala e-Ashikeloni ngemva kokunqoba kukaNebukadiresari ngokusobala awazange esabhekwa njengesizwe. Avele anyamalala embhalweni ogciniwe womlando.”
Igama lanamuhla elithi Palestina livela emagameni esiLatini nesiGreki, asibuyisela egameni lesiHeberu elisho “iFilistiya.” Ezinye izinguqulo zeBhayibheli olimini lwesi-Arabhu zisebenzisa igama elisho “amaFilistiya” elididaniseka kalula negama elisho abasePalestina banamuhla. Nokho, i-Today’s Arabic Version isebenzisa igama lesi-Arabhu elihlukile, kanjalo yenza umahluko phakathi kwamaFilisti asendulo nabasePalestina banamuhla.
[Isithombe ekhasini 31]
Amanye amanxiwa ase-Ashikeloni
[Umthombo]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.