Ikusasa Lenkolo Uma Kubhekwa Isikhathi Sayo Esidlule
Ingxenye 10—537 B.C.E kuqhubeke—Kusalindelwe UMesiya
“Ukuzimisela kumane nje kuyisiqubulo uma ikusasa lingenathemba.”—UJohn F. Kennedy, umongameli wama-35 waseUnited States
IMINYAKA engamashumi ayisikhombisa yokuthunjwa eBabiloni yayisiphelile! Umnqobi weBabiloni uKoresi, inkosi yasePheresiya, wayekhulula amaJuda ukuba abuyele ekhaya. Kodwa lapho esebuyele emuva eZweni Lesithembiso (537 B.C.E.), ithemba lawo lokujabulela ukuzimisela njengesizwe esikhululekile alizange ligcwaliseke. Ayengenankosi, futhi igunya elingokombangazwe lababusi bawo ngokushesha lasithibezwa igunya lenkolo lompristi omkhulu, owabhekwa njengomholi wesizwe.
Ukuphishekela Ithemba LikaMesiya
NgokweThe Concise Jewish Encyclopedia, kwakuphakathi nalenkathi lapho umqondo wokuba noMesiya waqala khona, “umbusi omuhle wezinsuku ezizayo owayengeke nje abe omunye umbusi ‘ogcotshiwe’ kodwa owayezoba umbusi owayezobhubhisa izitha zikaIsrayeli futhi amise inkathi enhle kakhulu yokuthula nokuphelela.”
Ekhulwini lesine leminyaka B.C.E., ngokunqoba, uAlexander Omkhulu wasingatha amaJuda esifubeni sakhe. Kodwa ngokusobala wayengeyena uMesiya ayemlindele, ngisho nakuba umbuso wakhe wawunethonya elikhulu ezweni lawo, empucukweni yawo, nasenkolweni yawo.
Ngemva kokufa kuka-Alexander, iPalestina yahlala ingaphansi kweGreece, ekuqaleni ngaphansi kwabaBusi baseGibithe futhi kamuva ngaphansi kwabaBusi baseSiriya, yomibili lemibuso imiswe abalandeli baka-Alexander. Njengoba ithonya lamaGreki lalikhula, amaJuda avelele naphakeme aqala ukubheka amasiko nemikhuba yobuJuda njengephelelwe isikhathi. Umkhaya owawuhola kwakungowakwaTobiad, owasekela uMenelaus, ngokusobala oyisihlobo sawo, ukuba abe umpristi omkhulu phakathi nokubusa kwenkosi yaseSeleucid uAntiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.E.). Benza lokhu, ngisho nakuba uMenelaus ayengeyena owendlu yobupristi engokwesiko kaSadoki, umpristi omkhulu ethempelini likaSolomoni. Ithonya lamaGreki laqina kangangokuthi imikhosi engokwenkolo yobuJuda yanqatshelwa futhi ithempeli lenziwa indawo yokukhulekela yamaGreki!
Ngo-167 B.C.E., umpristi ongumJuda uMattathias namadodana akhe amahlanu, ngokuvamile abizwa ngokuthi amaMaccabee, noma amaHasmon, bahlubuka. UkuVukela kwamaMaccabee, ekuqaleni okwakungokwenkolo, ngokushesha kwaba umzabalazo ongokombangazwe wokuzimisela kwamaJuda. Ngo-165 B.C.E. ithempeli labuye lathunjwa futhi lanikezelwa kabusha, isenzakalo amaJuda namuhla emhlabeni jikelele asigubha minyaka yonke phakathi nomkhosi wezinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili wokukhanya owaziwa ngokuthi iHanukkah. Kodwa uMesiya wayengakaveli.
Abelusi Abayekelelayo Nokwahlukana Kwenkolo
Ngalesikhathi, “kwakungekho nje kuphela ezandleni zabapristi ukuhola okungokomoya nokungokwenhlalo kwabantu,” kuphawula iPictorial Biblical Encyclopedia yamaJuda, “kodwa bakha isigaba esinamandla kakhulu nesasicebe kunazo zonke eJerusalema, ngokwezombangazwe nangokwezomnotho.” Nokho, abapristi baba abaziphakamisa kakhulu nabanganaki ekufezeni imisebenzi yabo yokwalusa kangangokuthi abangebapristi baqala ukubathathela indawo ekuchazeni uMthetho nasekukhipheni izahlulelo. Lamadoda, aziwa ngokuthi ababhali, ayekuhlakaniphele ukuthola abantu abahlose ukubalekela uMthetho izindlela zokubaleka.
Phakathi nalesikhathi esifanayo, inkolo yobuJuda yahlukana yaba amaqembu ancintisanayo. Abafarisi babefundisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayenikeze uIsrayeli umthetho onezingxenye ezimbili, ingxenye ebhaliwe nengxenye eshiwo ngomlomo. Kwakuphezu kwesisekelo salomthetho oshiwo ngomlomo ababeqaphela khona ukufanelekela isikhundla sohlu lozalo lobupristi obukhulu ngisho nangemva kokuba kunqamuke uhlu lozalo olungokwesiko. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, abaSadusi benqaba ukuba khona komthetho oshiwo ngomlomo, bazisholo ukuthi inzalo eqondile kuphela kaSadoki eyayingakhonza njengompristi omkhulu.
Igama elithi “Farisi” lavela egameni elisho “okuhlukanisiwe” noma “okungefani.” Abanye bathi lalisetshenziswa abaphikisi babo ukuze babahlukanise njengabachezukayo. Abanye bathi libhekisela esimweni ‘esihlukile’ abasithatha, bezihlukanisa kuma‛am ha·’aʹrets (abantu bendawo), ababebabheka njengabangahlanzekile. AbaFarisi babeziphakamisa kakhulu ekugcineni kwabo kokubili umthetho obhaliwe nomthetho oshiwo ngomlomo. Isimo sengqondo sabaSadusi sokuqina ngokulinganayo emthethweni obhaliwe ngokunokwenzeka “asivelanga kunoma yimuphi umuzwa okhethekile ongokwenkolo,” kubhala umlobi ongumJuda uGaalyahu Cornfeld, “kodwa njengesikhali esezombangazwe ekumelaneni kwawo namandla okukhipha izahlulelo zabaFarisi.”
AmaEssene, elinye iqembu elingokwenkolo, ngokusobala laqala phakathi nesikhathi esifanayo. Aqembuka nobupristi obungokomthetho, ayeka ukuhlanganyela ezinkonzweni ezingokwenkolo nasemihlatshelweni ethempelini, kodwa noma kunjalo anamathela ngokuseduze eMthethweni. NjengabaFarisi, ababefana nabo ngezindlela eziningi, aba izisulu zethonya lamaGreki, ethatha inkolelo yomphefumulo ongafi.
Ngokunokwenzeka leliqembu lalinamalungu cishe angengaphezu kwezi-4 000, onke kungabesilisa abakhulile, abaningi babo ababengashadile. Babehlala ezindlini zikawonk’ uwonke emiphakathini engayodwa kulo lonke elasePalestina. IEncyclopædia Judaica ikhuluma ngalokho ababekubheka njengokwenqaba ukuhlanganyela empini, ithi “cishe, kwakunjengalokho koFakazi BakaJehova banamuhla.” Kodwa kusobala ukuthi amaEssene awazange ngempela abe nokuma kokungathathihlangothi okuqinile namuhla okuthathwa oFakazi BakaJehova. IPictorial Biblical Encyclopedia yamaJuda ithi amaEssene “alwa ngobuqhawe ekuvukeleni iRoma, abanye abaholi bevela ngisho kuwo.” Isazimlando esingumJuda uJosephus sibhekisela komunye umholi onjalo—“uJohn umEssene” othile owakhonza njengojenene wamaJuda ekuvukeleni kwango-66 C.E.
ImiQulu yasoLwandle Olufile, eyatholakala ngo-1947, inikeza ukwaziswa ngehlelo elingokwenkolo lamaQumran, elicatshangelwa ngezinye izazi njengelifana namaEssene. Kodwa uma kuziwa ekusikiseleni kokuthi uJohane uMbhapathizi noJesu babengabaleliqembu, noma okungenani babethonywe yilo, iNew Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Izimpikiswano ezibalulekile . . . zikhuluma ngokumelene nalokhu kucabangela.” Kukhona “ukungefani okuyisisekelo phakathi kwehlelo lobuQumran noJohane uMbhapathizi . . . [kanye] nokungafani okukhulu phakathi kwemibono yalelihlelo nochungechunge lwenkonzo kaJesu, isigijimi sakhe sensindiso, ukuqonda kwakhe intando kaNkulunkulu . . . futhi, ikakhulukazi, izimfanelo ezingokwesisekelo zomthetho wakhe wothando nobudlelwano bakhe nezoni nabantu abanganakiwe emphakathini.”
Eqinisweni, wonke amaqembu angokwenkolo obuJuda ayemelane noJohane uMbhapathizi nalowo ayemmemezela njengowuMesiya. Kunokulalela isigijimi sikaJohane, abapristi abaningi, kusho uJosephus, baphendukela kumaZealot, iqembu labavukeli abangamaJuda elalithambekele ekuzimiseleni. Emashumini eminyaka amaqembu anjengaleli, ayemelene nokubusa kwamaRoma okwakuthathele iGreece indawo kusukela ngo-63 B.C.E., enza imisebenzi yobuphekula. Ekugcineni ngo-66 C.E., bavukela obala. Lokhu kwaholela ekubhujisweni kwethempeli lamaJuda nabapristi bawo. Ithemba lokuba noMesiya lafiphala.
UbuJuda Obungenathempeli, Obungenabupristi
Emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambili, phakathi, noma mhlawumbe ngokushesha ngemva kokuthunjelwa eBabiloni, kwakuye kwagcizelelwa kakhulu ekuzuzeni ulwazi loMthetho. Kwakhiwa izikhungo zokufundisa ezaziwa ngokuthi amasinagoge, futhi ngemva kwalokho kwakuyiwa ethempelini kuphela ngezenzakalo ezikhethekile nangenjongo yokwenza imihlatshelo. Ngakho ngekhulu lokuqala leminyaka C.E., kwase kuvame kakhulu ukukhulekela emasinagogeni. Khona-ke, ngemva kokubhujiswa kwethempeli ngo-70 C.E., ngokusobala ayebhekwa njengathathele ithempeli indawo.
Ukugcizelela manje kwasuka ebupristini obungekho bagudluzelwa kubefundisi abaziwa ngokuthi orabbi. AbaSadusi base bephelile njengendikimba ephumelelayo, futhi amaEssene ayesemane anyamalala, ngakho abaFarisi bavela njengabaholi abangaphikiswa. UEllis Rivkin waseUnion College yamaHeberu uchaza ithonya ababenalo. “Umthetho oshiwo ngomlomo wabaFarisi wadala iMishnah (iqoqo lemithetho yamaJuda), iMithetho Yamasiko yasePalestina neyaseBabiloni, iresponsa [izinkathi] yanamuhla, eyenkathi ephakathi, neyabaholi nezazi zemithetho yamaJuda.” IThe New Encyclopædia Britannica iyanezela: “Ngisho nanamuhla amaqembu ahlukahlukene amaJuda, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi awobuOrthodox, aweSiko, noma aweNguquko, lawo azisholo ukuthi ngokomoya ayinzalo yabaFarisi nezihlakaniphi ezingorabbi.”
Amathemba ObuMesiya Ngaphandle KwasePalestina
Ngisho nangaphambi kuka-70 C.E., izigidi zamaJuda zazihlala ngaphandle kwePalestina, ngokuyinhloko eSiriya, eAsia Minor, eBabiloni, naseGibithe. Nokho, ngemva kuka-70 C.E. noma yimaphi amaJuda ayesaphila asishulwa ngokuphelele, asakazeka ukuba aphile ngediaspora, igama lesiGreki elimelela “ukuhlakazeka.” Ngisho nalapho, amaningi agcina ithemba lawo lokuzimisela ngaphansi kukaMesiya ozayo. Umholi ongumJuda uBar Kokhba wabonakala engumesiya wokukhohlisa, ngokungaphumeleli eholela ekuvukeleni iRoma ngo-132 C.E. NgokweThe Jewish Encyclopedia, omesiya abanjalo bamanga abangama-28 bavela phakathi kwalesosikhathi kwaze kwaba ngo-1744 C.E.
Ngakho-ke, mhlawumbe ngokuqondakalayo, ithemba lobuMesiya ladidaniswa. IEncyclopædia Judaica iyachaza: “Umqondo wobuJuda eNkathini Ephakathi awuzange uthole umqondo ongaguquguquki, onobunye ngoMesiya enkathini yasendulo, . . . futhi izincwadi zemithetho yamasiko nezihlukahlukene zeMidrashim zazihlanganisa imibono eminingi ephikisanayo.” Ekuqaleni kwekhulu leminyaka le-12, isazi sefilosofi esingumJuda uMoses Maimonides saphikisa ngokuthi ukubusa kukaMesiya mhlawumbe kwakumane kuwumcabango wendlela ephakeme yomphakathi. Ekhulwini leminyaka le-19, amaJuda eNguquko “ayeka ukukholelwa enkathini yobumesiya akholelwa kuMesiya ongumuntu. . . . Ithemba lobumesiya lonakaliswa kubangane balo abangokwesiko lapho ababethunjiwe bebuyela eSiyoni.”
Ngokushesha ngaphambi kwalokhu, inhlangano yeHaskalah (Ukukhanyiselwa) eYurophu yadida lempikiswano ngokuqhubekayo. Yasekela ubuJuda obabuzimisele ukuzivumelanisa nendlela yokuphila yaseNtshonalanga. Yasiza ekuhlukaniseni amaJuda aba yilawo abheka ukuzimisela ezweni lamaJuda elibuye latholwa ngaphansi kukaMesiya kuyinto eza kuqala, nalawo anomuzwa wokuthi ukuhlangana ekuphileni kwezwe lenkaba yawo kwakubaluleke kakhudlwana.
Lezizinto, kuhlanganise nokuphakama kokuvukelwa kwabantu besizwe sikaShemu, kwabangela ukuba kube khona ubuZiyoni banamuhla, obasungulwa uTheodor Herzl ngasekupheleni kwekhulu le-19 leminyaka. Namuhla, ngoMay 1989, iminyaka engama-41 ukuya enyangeni okwasungulwa ngayo uMbuso wakwaIsrayeli, amaJuda ajabulela ukuzimisela njengomphakathi wamaJuda ezweni lamaJuda ayekucabanga. Ingabe ithemba lawo lobuMesiya liye lagcwaliseka?
Uma kunjalo, kungani amanye amaJuda, ngokweThe Times yaseLondon, bebona “ebuZiyonini ukungcola okwaba ngokoqobo lapho kudala uIsrayeli”? Kungani isazimlando esingasekho uTheodore H. White, esingumJuda ngokwaso, sivuma ngokungagwegwesi: “Cishe kunamahlelo amaningi ahlukahlukene amaJuda, axabana wodwa, . . . njengoba kunjalo phakathi kwamaProthestani”? Kungani umagazini iThe Time, lapho ubhekisela ukunakekela ngo-1987 emaqenjini enkolo axabanayo phakathi kwendikimba yezombangazwe enamalungu ayi-120 yakwaIsrayeli, iKnesset, yabhala: “Kumelwe kutholakale ikhambi elihlala njalo uma uIsrayeli . . . engezukuba yindlu ehlukene phakathi kabuhlungu”?
Ukuzimisela kobuJuda banamuhla akunikezi themba ngekusasa. Ngokuthembela kwezombangazwe zabantu ukuze bugcwalise ithemba labo lobuMesiya, ubuJuda abuzange buwanake amazwi emibhalo yabo engcwele: “Kungcono ukuphephela ENKOSINI kunokuthembela kumuntu. . . . Ungabeki ithemba lakho emakhosini, nasendodaneni yomuntu, okungekho kubo usizo.”—IHubo 118:8; 146:3, The Holy Scriptures, eyakhishwa iNhlangano yaseMelika Yezincwadi zesiJuda.
Ngokuphambene nobunzima amaJuda amaningi anabo namuhla ekuphawuleni ithemba lawo lobuMesiya, okhokho bawo abaningana emuva ekhulwini lokuqala leminyaka C.E. babengenabunzima nakancane. (Bheka uJohane 1:41.) Baba abalandeli baLowo abamamukela njengoMesiya, beba abameleli abanentshiseko benkolo esingayibiza ngokufanelekile ngokuthi “Indlela Yokholo, Ithemba, Nothando.” Isihloko sethu esilandelayo sizochaza.
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UDonga lwaseNtshonalanga, olubizwa ngokuvamile ngokuthi uDonga Lokulila, yilokho kuphela amaJuda akushiyile kwethempeli lawo elingcwele, elabhujiswa ngo-70 C.E.