Izinto zakudala ezivunjululwa ngabezembali ziyavumelana yini lalokho okutshiwo liBhayibhili? Ngo-2014 enye imagazini okuthiwa yi-Biblical Archaeology Review yakhuluma ngombuzo othi: “Bangaki abantu ababhalwe eMibhalweni yesiHebheru okulobufakazi obavunjululwayo obutshengisa ukuthi bake baphila?” Impendulo yathi: “Bangu-50.” Enye indoda engazange iqanjwe emabizweni lawa nguThathenayi. Ake sihlole imbali yakhe eseBhayibhilini sibone ukuthi wayevele engubani.

IJerusalema yake yaba ngaphansi koMbuso wePhesiya. Idolobho lelo lalakhelwe endaweni amaPhesiya ayeyibiza ngokuthi Ngaphetsheya koMfula, entshonalanga kweYufrathe. Ngemva kokunqoba iBhabhiloni, amaPhesiya akhulula amaJuda ayethunjiwe njalo awavumela ukuthi akhe kutsha ithempeli likaJehova eJerusalema. (U-Ezra 1:1-4) Kodwa izitha zamaJuda ezazingafuni ukuthi akhe kutsha ithempeli zawethesa icala lokuthi ahlamukela amaPhesiya. (U-Ezra 4:4-16) UDariyu Wokuqala wabusa ngo-522 kusiya ku-486 B.C.E., * njalo ngalesosikhathi umbusi wasePhesiya okuthiwa nguThathenayi wadingisisa ukuthi amaJuda ayephiwe ngubani imvumo yokuthi akhe kutsha ithempeli. IBhayibhili limbiza ngokuthi ‘ngumbusi wangaphetsheya kweYufrathe.’—U-Ezra 5:3-7.

Kulamatshe amanengi atholwe ngabezembali alebizo elithi Thathenayi njalo kukhanya amatshe la ayebhalwe ezosendo lwemuli yakoThathenayi. Ilitshe elihlanganisa ilunga lemuli le loThathenayi yincwadi yesivumelwano eyayiphakathi kwabantu abathile eyabhalwa ngomnyaka wesi-20 wokubusa kukaDariyu Wokuqala, ngo-502 B.C.E. Incwadi le iqamba owayengufakazi esivumelwaneni lesi ngokuthi yisigqili ‘sikaTattannu, umbusi Waphetsheya KoMfula.’ UTattannu otshiwo lapha nguThathenayi okukhulunywa ngaye eBhayibhilini ku-Ezra.

Wenzani uThathenayi? Ngo-535 B.C.E., uKhurosi wahlukanisa umbuso wakhe waba yizabelo. Esinye sasithiwa yiBhabhiloni Laphetsheya KoMfula. Isabelo lesi saphinda sehlukaniswa saba yizabelo ezimbili, njalo esinye sasibizwa ngokuthi Ngaphetsheya koMfula. Sasigoqela iCoele-Syria, iFenike, iSamariya kanye lesizwe sakoJuda njalo kukhanya isigodlo saso sasiyiDamaseko. UThathenayi wayengumbusi wesabelo lesi kusukela ngabo-520 kusiya ku-502 B.C.E.

UThathenayi waya eJerusalema ukuze adingisise ukuthi amaJuda ayephiwe ngubani imvumo yokwakha kutsha iJerusalema. Esedingisisile wabhalela uDariyu incwadi emtshela ukuthi amaJuda ayesithi uKhurosi nguye owayewanike imvumo yokwakha. Ukuphenya okwenziwa ezincwadini zesikhosini ezaziqoqwe ndawonye kwakufakazela lokho. (U-Ezra 5:6, 7, 11-13; 6:1-3) Yikho uThathenayi watshelwa ukuthi angaphambanisi umsebenzi wokwakha njalo walalela.—U-Ezra 6:6, 7, 13.

Imbali kayikhulumi lutho ‘ngoThathenayi umbusi wangaphetsheya kweYufrathe’ ngoba kenzanga lutho abezembali abalubona luqakathekile. Kodwa iBhayibhili liyakhuluma ngaye njalo limnika lesikhundla esiyiso. Lobu ngobunye ubufakazi obutshengisa ukuthi izinto zakudala ezivunjululwa ngabezembali ziyakuveza ukuthi izindaba eziseBhayibhilini ziliqiniso.