Icalembwa Cimbi Icalanda pa Bantu Abetwa Ukuti Abena Israele

MU CIYANDA basungila ifya kale sana mu musumba wa Cairo, mu Egypt, mwaliba ilibwe apo balemba inkondo isho Farao Merneptah acimfishe. Abasoma batila, nalimo Merneptah ali mwana uwalenga 13 uwa kwa Ramses II kabili atekele pa kati ka 1212 na 1202 B.C.E., mupepi na ku mpela ya nshita lintu abena Israele baletungululwa na bapingushi. Ifyebo fya kulekeleshako pali ili libwe fitila: “Ifipe fya mu Kanaani nalipokele. Ashkelone nalicimfishe, Gezer nalipokele, [kabili] Yano‘am nalyonawile. Israele naisangwile icibolya, kabili abantu baiko nalilofeshe.”

Bushe ishiwi “Israele” muli ifi fyebo lilosha kuli cinshi? Pa kwishiba bwino ifyo ifi filembo fyalepilibula, balilundileko ifilembo na fimbi. Icitabo ca The Rise of Ancient Israele citila: “Ifilembo ifyo balunda ku mashiwi yatatu, Ashkelone, Gezer na Yano’am filanga ukuti iyi yali misumba. . . . Icilembo ico balunda kuli Israele cena cilanga ukuti balelosha ku bantu.”

Bushe ifi fyebo fyacindama shani? Kalemba Hershel Shanks atila: “Ifyebo fyalembwa pali ili libwe filanga ukuti mu 1212 B.C.E. kwali abantu abo baleita ukuti abena Israele. Farao uwa ku Egupti alishibe aba bantu kabili amwene ukuti calilingile ukuyumfwa ilyo acimfishe aba bantu.” Profesa William G. Dever uwa ku Near Eastern Archaeology atila: “Ifyalembwa pali ili libwe fitweba ukwabula ukupita mu mbali ukuti: Mu Kanaani mwali abantu abaleita ukuti ‘abena Israele,’ kabili e mulandu wine na bena Egupti babetile ukuti ‘abena Israele.’ Abena Egupti te kuti balembe fimo pa kuti balenge ifyaba mu Baibolo ukuba ifya cine, kabili te kuti balande pa bantu abashabako muli iyi nshila ilyo balesabankanya ilyashi.”

Mu Baibolo ishiwi Israele lyalumbulwa mu kubalilapo fye nge shina ilyapeelwe ku cikolwe Yakobo. Ubufyashi bwa bana baume ba kwa Yakobo abali 12 balebwita ukuti “abana ba kwa Israele.” (Ukutendeka 32:22-28, 32; 35:9, 10) Ilyo papitile imyaka, kasesema Mose ne mfumu sha ku Egupti balebomfya ishiwi “Israele” lintu balelanda pa bana ba kwa Yakobo. (Ukufuma 5:1, 2) Ifyebo Merneptah alembele pe libwe fyaba e calembwa cimbi ica kale sana icalanda pa bantu abetwa ukuti abena Israele.

[Ifikope pe bula 24]

Ilibwe Merneptah alembelepo

Egyptian National Museum, Cairo, Egypt/Giraudon/The Bridgeman Art Library

[Abatusuminishe]

Ifilembo fya kulekelesha fitatu (ifili ku kuso), ulupikiso, umwaume no mwanakashi abaikala, filanga ukuti abena Israele bali bena fyalo