Igama LikaNkulunkulu Elithi Jehova Ethempelini LaseGibhithe
NGAPHANDLE kwaseBhayibhelini, lidala kangakanani kweminye imithombo igama likaNkulunkulu elithi Jehova, noma Yahweh? Ezinye izazi ziphendula ngokuqiniseka: Laqala ukuvela ekhulwini leminyaka le-14 B.C.E. Kungani zisho kanjalo?
Cishe ngonyaka ka-1370 B.C.E., abaseGibhithe base benqobe amazwe amaningi. Umbusi wangaleso sikhathi, uFaro Amenhotep (Amenophis) III, wakha ithempeli elihle kakhulu eSoleb, eNubia, manje ebizwa ngokuthi iSudan. Ngesikhathi abavubukuli bethola lelo thempeli, bathola umbhalo wezimpawu obhalwe ngendlela yaseGibhithe (hieroglyphic) obonakala sengathi ubhalwe i-Tetragrammaton yesiHebheru ethi YHWH, noma Jehova—igama likaNkulunkulu elibhalwe ngezinhlamvu zesiHebheru. Lowo mbhalo uledlula ngeminyaka engu-500 iTshe LakwaMowabi—ngaphambili elalibhekwa njengomthombo omdala kunayo yonke onegama likaNkulunkulu. Kungani igama likaNkulunkulu weBhayibheli kubonakala sengathi libhalwe ethempelini laseGibhithe?
“Izwe LamaShasu OkungelikaJahu”
UFaro Amenhotep III wanikezela ithempeli ayelakhile kunkulunkulu u-Amun-Ra. Lelo thempeli lalicishe libe amamitha angu-120 ubude futhi lakhiwe entshonalanga yogu loMfula iNayile. Ingxenye esezansi yensika eyayikwelinye lamahholo ethempeli yayihlotshiswe ngombhalo wezimpawu obhalwe ngendlela yaseGibhithe futhi kwakubhalwe uhlu lwamagama ezindawo u-Amenhotep athi wazinqoba. Indawo ngayinye imelelwa isiboshwa esiboshwe izandla ngemuva futhi saphatha isihlangu esibhalwe igama lezwe lakubo noma abantu bakubo. Izindawo zabantu abaningi ababizwa ngokuthi amaShasu, noma amaShosou, zikhona kuleyo hieroglyphic. Ayengobani amaShasu?
AmaGibhithe ayebiza amaBedoiun ngokuthi amaShasu, okwakuyizinhlanga ezazingathandwa ezazihlala ngaphesheya komngcele osempumalanga yeGibhithe. Izindawo zamaShasu zazihlanganisa iningizimu yePalestina, iningizimu yeTransjordan kanye neSinayi. Abanye abacwaningi bathi izindawo okwakuthiwa ngezamaShasu zazize zifinyelele kude enyakatho yeLebhanoni neSiriya. Uhlu lwezindawo ezadliwa olwalubhalwe ethempelini laseSoleb luhlanganisa nenye ebizwa ngezindlela ezingefani ngokuthi “uYahwe ezweni lamaShosou,” “iZwe lamaShasu okungelikaJahu,” noma “iZwe lamaShasu-yhw.” Isazi sezinto ezindala zaseGibhithe, uJean Leclant, sithi igama elibhalwe kulesiya sihlangu eSoleb “livumelana negama likankulunkulu weBhayibheli elithi YHWH.”
Izazi eziningi zikholelwa ukuthi igama elithi Jahu, Yahu noma Yahwe kule ndaba nakwezinye izimo ezifanayo kumelwe ukuba libhekisela endaweni noma esifundeni esithile. Isazi, uShmuel Ahituv, sithi umbhalo osensikeni ubonisa “indawo abakhulekeli bakaYāhū, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, abazulazula kuyo.”a Uma isiphetho sakhe sinembile, igama lendawo kuyoba ngelilodwa phakathi kwamagama ezindawo eziningi zabantu abakhuluma isi-Arabhu nesiHebheru ezichaza indawo nonkulunkulu waleyo ndawo. Esinye isibonelo salokhu i-Assur ebonisa izwe lase-Asiriya nonkulunkulu walo omkhulu.
Lapho ekhuluma ngombhalo osethempelini eliseNubia, uRoland de Vaux, isazi seBhayibheli nomvubukuli, uthi: “Kusukela kudala phakathi nenkulungwane yesibili BC, esifundeni esasihlala okhokho bama-Israyeli, kwakukhona igama lendawo noma lomuntu elifana negama likaNkulunkulu wama-Israyeli.”
Igama Elisadunyiswa
ISoleb akuyona yodwa indawo eNubia enegama elithi Yahwe elibhalwe ngendlela yokubhala yamaGibhithe. Amathempeli kaRamses II aseNtshonalanga Amarah nase-Aksha nawo analo uhlu okubonakala sengathi lufana nolusethempelini eliseSoleb. Ohlwini oluse-Amarah, umbhalo obhalwe ngendlela yaseGibhithe, othi “uYahwe ezweni lamaShosou,” ubukeka ufana nalowo okwezinye izindawo zamaShosou, okucatshangelwa ukuthi iSeyiri neLaban. IBhayibheli lihlobanisa lezo zindawo neningizimu yePalestina, i-Edomi kanye neSinayi. (Genesise 36:8; Duteronomi 1:1) Lezo zindawo zazivame ukuhanjwa abantu ababazi uJehova futhi bemkhulekela ngaphambi nangemva kokuphuma kwama-Israyeli eGibhithe.—Genesise 36:17, 18; Numeri 13:26.
Ngokungafani namagama abanye onkulunkulu atholakala emibhalweni yasendulo, igama likaNkulunkulu weBhayibheli elithi Jehova, lisasetshenziswa futhi lisadunyiswa kabanzi namuhla. Ngokwesibonelo, emazweni angaphezu kuka-230, oFakazi BakaJehova abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-7 bayazidela ukuze basize abanye ukuba bangagcini nje ngokwazi igama likaNkulunkulu, kodwa futhi basondele kulowo Nkulunkulu obizwa ngegama eliyingqayizivele elithi Jehova.—IHubo 83:18; Jakobe 4:8.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Ezinye izazi aziqiniseki noma lowo mbhalo usho ukuthi amaShasu “ayengabalandeli bakankulunkulu uYahweh” noma cha. Zikholelwa ukuthi kwamane kwaqondana ukuthi igama lale ndawo elingaziwa licishe lifane negama likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, okuyinto emangazayo.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 21]
Kungani igama likaNkulunkulu weBhayibheli, elithi Jehova libhalwe ethempelini lamaGibhithe angamaqaba?
[Ibalazwe ekhasini 21]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
IGIBHITHE
Ithempeli laseSoleb
ISUDAN
UMfula iNayile
[Izithombe ekhasini 21]
Umfanekiso Wensika Yethempeli
[Isithombe ekhasini 22]
Amanxiwa ethempeli lika-Amun-Ra, eSoleb, eSudan
[Umthombo]
Ed Scott/Pixtal/age fotostock
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 21]
Background: Asian and Middle Eastern Division/The New York Public Library/Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations