IBHAYIBHILI alisitsheli ukuthi uJesu wazalwa nini. Kodwa lisinika ubufakazi obuqinileyo obenza siphethe ngokuthi uJesu kazalwanga ngoDecember.

Cabanga ngokuthi umumo womkhathi wawunjani ngalesosikhathi somnyaka eBhethilehema lapho okwazalelwa khona uJesu. Inyanga yesiJuda uChislev (eqondana loNovember/December) yayilomqando lezulu. Inyanga eyayilandela leyo kwakungu-Tebeth (December/January). Kwakuyinyanga eyayilomqando ukwedlula zonke emnyakeni, njalo ezindaweni lapho okwakulezintaba khona kwakuke kube longqwaqwane. Ake sibone ukuthi iBhayibhili lisitshelani ngomkhathi waleyondawo.

Umlobi weBhayibhili u-Ezra utshengisa ukuthi uChislev yayiyinyanga yomqando lezulu. U-Ezra wakhuluma ngexuku elaliseJerusalema “ngelanga lesi-20 lenyanga yesificamunye [Chislev],” wasebika ukuthi abantu ‘babegxanxwa lizulu elalisina.’ Abantu labo ababebuthene bakhuluma ngomumo womkhathi walesosikhathi somnyaka bathi: “Lesi yisikhathi sezulu; ngakho ngeke  sime lapha phandle.” (U-Ezra 10:9, 13; UJeremiya 36:22) Yikho kungamangalisi ukuthi ngoDecember abelusi ababehlala kuleyondawo babezama ngazo zonke izindlela ukuthi bona lemihlambi yabo bangatholakali emadlelweni ebusuku!

Kodwa iBhayibhili lisitshela ukuthi abelusi babesemadlelweni beluse imihlambi yabo ebusuku ngelanga uJesu azalwa ngalo. Kanti njalo umlobi weBhayibhili uLukha utshengisa ukuthi ngalesosikhathi, abelusi ‘babehlala emlageni belinda imihlambi yabo yezimvu ebusuku’ eduze leBhethilehema. (ULukha 2:8-12) Nanzelela ukuthi kuthiwa abelusi babehlala emlageni, hatshi ukuthi babezihambela nje phandle emini. Babelemihlambi yabo emadlelweni ebusuku. Ingcazelo yokuthi babehlala emlageni iyahambelana yini lomumo womkhathi weBhethilehema okaDecember owawumakhaza futhi ulezulu? Hatshi, akuhambelani. Ngakho okwenzakala ngesikhathi uJesu ezalwa kutshengisa ukuthi kazalwanga ngoDecember. *

ILizwi likaNkulunkulu likubeka kucace ukuthi uJesu wafa nini, kodwa lisitshela okulutshwana mayelana lokuthi wazalwa nini. Lokhu kusikhumbuza amazwi eNkosi uSolomoni athi: “Ibizo elihle lingcono kulamakha amnandi, lelanga lokufa lingcono kulelanga lokuzalwa.” (UmTshumayeli 7:1) Akumangalisi-ke ukuthi iBhayibhili lisitshela okulutshwana ngesikhathi sokuzalwa kukaJesu beselisitshela okunengi mayelana lenkonzo yakhe kanye lokufa kwakhe.