Wayengubani Upontiyu Pilatu?

“UPILATU oweyisayo, ongathembi lutho ungumuntu wangempela wasemlandweni iningi lethu elihlala lizibuza ngaye. Kwabanye ungusanta, kwabanye uyikho konke okushiwo ukuba buthaka komuntu, usombangazwe wangempela ongakhathali ukunikela ngomuntu oyedwa ukuze kube nokuzinza emphakathini.”—Pontius Pilate, ka-Ann Wroe.

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uhambisana nomunye wale mibono noma cha, uPontiyu Pilatu wazenzela igama ngendlela aphatha ngayo uJesu Kristu. Wayengubani uPilatu? Yini eyaziwayo ngaye? Ukusiqonda kangcono isikhundla sakhe kuyojulisa ukuqonda kwethu izenzakalo ezibaluleke kakhulu kwezake zenzeka emhlabeni.

Isikhundla, Imisebenzi Negunya

UMbusi WamaRoma uTiberiyu wamisa uPilatu njengombusi wesifundazwe saseJudiya ngo-26 C.E. Lab’ ondunankulu babengamadoda ayesezikhundleni kodwa angewona awasebukhosini ngokungafani nalawo asebukhosini ayenikezwa izikhundla zokuba amalungu esigele. UPilatu cishe wangena empini njengomlawuli wamabutho ongaphansi; wakhushulelwa ezikhundleni eziningi phakathi nezikhathi ayethunywa ngazo ezimpini; wabe esemiswa njengombusi wesifundazwe engakayihlanganisi neminyaka engu-30 ubudala.

Lapho edlubhe ezasempini, kumelwe ukuba uPilatu wayegqoka ijazi lesikhumba nesivikelo sesifuba sensimbi. Lapho esemphakathini, wayefaka ingubo ende emhlophe enomphetho onsomi. Kumelwe ukuba izinwele zakhe zazimfushane futhi eshefa kahle. Nakuba abanye bekholelwa ukuthi wayengowaseSpain, igama lakhe lisikisela ukuthi wayengowesizwe samaPontii—izicukuthwane ezingamaSamnite zaseningizimu Italy.

Ondunankulu ababesesikhundleni esifanayo nesikaPilatu ngokuvamile babethunyelwa ezindaweni zamaqaba. AmaRoma ayebheka iJudiya njengenye yalezo zindawo. Ngaphezu kokuqinisekisa ukuthi kunokuthula, uPilatu wayengamela ukuqoqwa kwentela nemali yekhanda. Izinkantolo zamaJuda zazimatasa ngokwahlulela amacala nsuku zonke, kodwa amacala ayefuna isigwebo sokufa ayedluliselwa kumbusi wesifundazwe, owayebhekwa njengegunya eliphakeme kwezokwahlulela.

UPilatu nomkakhe babehlala edolobheni elaliyitheku laseKhesariya kanye nedlanzana lababhali, abangane nezithunywa. UPilatu wayephethe izigaba ezinhlanu zamabutho emigundatshani ngasinye sinamasosha angu-500 kuya kwangu-1 000 kanye nebutho labakhwela amahhashi cishe elalinamasosha angu-500. Amasosha akhe ayephanyeka izephula-mthetho njalo. Ngezikhathi zokuthula, umuntu wayebulawa ngemva kokuquliswa icala kafushane, kodwa ngezikhathi zezinxushunxushu, abavukeli babebulawa ngaso leso sikhathi futhi bengamaqembu amakhulu. Ngokwesibonelo, amaRoma aphanyeka izigqila ezingu-6 000 ukuze aqede ukuvukela okwakuholwa uSpartacus. Lapho kubonakala kuvuka udweshu eJudiya, umbusi wesifundazwe ngokuvamile wayengacela usizo enxuseni loMbuso eliseSiriya, elaliphethe amabutho aseRoma. Phakathi nengxenye enkulu yokubusa kukaPilatu, lalingekho inxusa eSiriya, ngakho kwakudingeka ukuba uPilatu aziqede ngokushesha izinxushunxushu.

Ababusi besifundazwe babexhumana njalo noMbusi omkhulu. Izindaba eziphathelene nesikhundla sakhe noma ezisongela igunya lamaRoma kwakudingeka zibikwe futhi uMbusi akhiphe iziyalezo. Umbusi wesifundazwe wayekhathazeka ngokunika uMbusi umbiko wakhe ngezenzakalo zesifundazwe sakhe bengakakhonondi abanye. Njengoba kwakufufusa izinxushunxushu eJudiya, uPilatu wayekhathazeka kufanele.

Ngaphandle kokulandisa kwamaVangeli, ukwaziswa okuningi ngoPilatu kunikezwa izazimlando oFlavius Josephus noPhilo. Isazimlando esingumRoma uTacitus naso silandisa ukuthi uPilatu wabulala uKristu, lowo amaKristu aziqambe ngaye.

Uvusa Ulaka LwamaJuda

UJosephus uthi ababusi bezifundazwe zaseRoma becabangela ukuthi kwakuwacasula amaJuda ukwenza izithombe, bakugwema ukungena eJerusalema namafulege empi anemifanekiso yoMbusi. Ngenxa yokuthi uPilatu wayengazange awahloniphe kule ndaba, amaJuda ayethukuthele egan’ unwabu aphuthuma eKhesariya eyokhalaza. UPilatu wake wathi ukuziba izinsuku ezinhlanu, kwathi ngolwesithupha wayala amasosha ukuba ahaqe ababhikishi wabasongela nangokubabulala uma bengahlakazeki. Lapho amaJuda ethi ayeqoma ukufa kunokubukela uMthetho wawo uphulwa, uPilatu wahoxa futhi wayala ukuba lezo zithombe zisuswe.

UPilatu wayengenqeni ukusebenzisa indluzula. Kwesinye isenzakalo esilotshwe uJosephus, lo mbusi waqala umsebenzi wokumba umsele owawuzoletha amanzi eJerusalema futhi wasebenzisa izimali ezazisengcebweni yethempeli ukuze anakekele izindleko zalo msebenzi. UPilatu akazange asimze ayithathe le mali, ngoba wayazi ukuthi ukuphanga ithempeli kwakuyicala elibi lokuhlambalaza futhi kwakungenza amaJuda ayethukuthele acele ukuba uTiberiyu amehlise esikhundleni. Ngakho kubonakala sengathi uPilatu wanxenxa izikhulu zethempeli ukuba zibambisane naye. Izimali ezinikezelwe, ezazibizwa ngokuthi “ikorbana,” kwakuvumelekile ukuba zisetshenziselwe imisebenzi yomphakathi ngokwenzuzo yomuzi. Kodwa izinkulungwane zamaJuda zabuthana ukuze ziveze intukuthelo yazo ngalokhu.

UPilatu wayala amabutho ukuba angene esixukwini. Wawayala ukuba angasebenzisi izinkemba kodwa ukuba ashaye ababhikishi ngemishiza. Kubonakala sengathi wayefuna ukulawula izixuku ngaphandle kokuvusa udweshu olwalungaholela ekuchithekeni kwegazi eliningi. Kubonakala kwaphumelela lokhu, nakuba bekhona abafa. Kungenzeka ukuthi abantu ababikela uJesu ukuthi uPilatu wayexube igazi labaseGalile nemihlatshelo yabo babebhekisele kulesi senzakalo.—Luka 13:1.

“Liyini Iqiniso?”

Into eyenza uPilatu ukuba angathandeki kwaba ukuphenya kwakhe icala abapristi abakhulu bamaJuda namadoda amadala ababemangalele uJesu ngalo lokuthi wayezenza iNkosi. Lapho ezwa ngokuthunywa kukaJesu ukuzofakazela iqiniso, uPilatu wabona ukuthi lesi siboshwa sasingelona usongo eRoma. Wabuza, “Liyini iqiniso?” ngokusobala ecabanga ukuthi iqiniso lalingeyona into ephathekayo nokungadingeki uzihluphe kakhulu ngayo. Waphetha ngokuthini? “Angitholi cala kulo muntu.”—Johane 18:37, 38; Luka 23:4.

Kwakufanele ukuba lokho kuliqede icala likaJesu, kodwa amaJuda aphikelela ngokuthi wayephambukisa isizwe. Abapristi abakhulu benziwa umona ukuba banikele uJesu, futhi uPilatu wayekwazi lokhu. Wayazi nokuthi ukukhulula uJesu kwakungadala inxushunxushu, into ayefuna ukuyigwema. Kwase kube nezinxushunxushu eziningi kakade, ngoba uBharabha nabanye babevalelwe ngenxa yamacala okuvukela umbuso nokubulala. (Marku 15:7, 10; Luka 23:2) Ngaphezu kwalokho, izingxabano ayebe nazo namaJuda zazilingcolisile igama lakhe kuTiberiyu owayenedumela elibi lokubaphatha ngesandla esiqinile ababusi bezifundazwe abangenzi kahle. Nokho, ukugoba uphondo kulolu daba lwamaJuda kwakuyoba uphawu lobuthakathaka. Ngakho zayima emthumeni kuPilatu.

Lapho ezwa ukuthi uJesu wayevelaphi, uPilatu wazama ukudlulisela leli cala kuHerode Antipase, umbusi wesifunda saseGalile. Lapho lokho kubhuntsha, uPilatu wazama ukwenza labo ababebuthene ngaphandle kwesigodlo ukuba bacele ukuba uJesu akhululwe, ngokuvumelana nenkambiso yokukhulula isiboshwa ngePhasika. Isixuku sacela uBharabha.—Luka 23:5-19.

Kungenzeka ukuthi uPilatu wayefuna ukwenza okulungile, kodwa wayenanesifiso sokuvikela isikhundla sakhe nesokujabulisa isixuku. Ekugcineni wacabangela isikhundla sakhe ngaphezu kukanembeza wakhe nobulungisa. Ecela ukuba bamlethele amanzi, wageza izandla zakhe wathi umsulwa ekubulaweni komuntu ayesekugunyaza.a Nakuba ayekholelwa ukuthi uJesu wayemsulwa, uPilatu wayala ukuba abhaxabulwe futhi wavumela amasosha ukuba amgcone, amshaye futhi amkhafulele.—Mathewu 27:24-31.

UPilatu wazama okokugcina ukukhulula uJesu, kodwa isixuku samemeza sathi uma emkhulula, wayengeyena umngane kaKhesari. (Johane 19:12) Lapho ezwa lokho, uPilatu wagoba. Esinye isazi sasho lokhu ngalesi sinqumo sikaPilatu: “Isixazululo sasilula: makabulawe lo muntu. Kwakuzofa umJuda oyedwa kuphela owayebonakala engabalulekile; kwakungaba ubuwula ukuvumela ukuba kuvuke inxushunxushu ngenxa yakhe.”

Kwenzekani KuPilatu?

Kunenye futhi ingxabano eyisenzakalo sokugcina esilotshiwe esenzeka ngesikhathi uPilatu esaphethe. UJosephus uthi isixuku esikhulu samaSamariya ahlomile sabuthana eNtabeni iGerizimu ngethemba lokumbulula ingcebo okwakukholakala ukuthi uMose wayeyigqibe khona. UPilatu wangenela, futhi amabutho akhe abulala abaningana kuleso sixuku. AbaseSamariya bakhalaza kuLucius Vitellius, umbusi wesifundazwe saseSiriya owayemkhulu kunoPilatu. Akushiwo noma uVitellius wacabanga ukuthi uPilatu wayegabadele ngokwenza lokhu noma cha. Kunoma ikuphi, wayala uPilatu ukuba aye eRoma ayophendula kuMbusi ngezenzo zakhe. Nokho, uTiberiyu washona uPilatu esesendleleni.

Omunye umthombo uthi: “Umlando olotshiwe ngoPilatu uphelela lapha, bese kuqala izindaba ezingenasiqinisekiso.” Kodwa abaningi baye bazama ukufakela imininingwane entulekayo. Abanye bathi uPilatu waba umKristu. “AmaKristu” aseTopiya amenza “usanta.” U-Eusebius owayengumlobi wezincwadi wangasekupheleni kwekhulu lesithathu leminyaka nasekuqaleni kwelesine, waba owokuqala kwabaningi abathi uPilatu wazibulala njengoJuda Iskariyothe. Nokho, ukuthi kwenzekani ngempela kuPilatu kumane nje kuwukuqagela.

Kungenzeka ukuthi uPilatu wayeyisijaka, ephoxana, futhi enesandla esiqinile. Kodwa waqhubeka esesikhundleni sakhe iminyaka eyishumi, kanti ondunankulu abaningi baseJudiya babephathe isikhathi esifushane. Ngakho-ke uma umbheka ngokombono wamaRoma, uPilatu wayephumelela njengombusi. Uye wabizwa ngokuthi igwala elisolwa ngokuyala ukuba uJesu ahlushwe futhi abulawe ukuze lizivikele. Abanye bathi umsebenzi kaPilatu wawungekona kangako ukumelela ubulungisa kodwa wawuwukugqugquzela ukuthula nokuthuthukisa izithakazelo zamaRoma.

Izikhathi zikaPilatu zazihluke kakhulu kwezethu. Nokho, akekho umahluleli owayengalahla ngecala umuntu ayembheka njengomsulwa. Ukube kwakungengenxa yalesi senzakalo esithinta uJesu, uPontiyu Pilatu ngabe mhlawumbe waba nje elinye lamagama abantu abasezincwadini zomlando.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 11]

Lo mbhalo owatholakala eKhesariya ubonisa ukuthi uPontiyu Pilatu wayengundunankulu waseJudiya