Kodi Mukudziwa?

Kodi ndalama zoyendetsera ntchito zapakachisi wa Yehova ku Yerusalemu zinkachokera kuti?

▪ Ndalama zoyendetsera ntchito zosiyanasiyana zapakachisi zinkapezedwa kudzera m’misonkho imene anthu ankapereka, makamaka msonkho wa chakhumi. Koma panalinso misonkho ina imene anthu ankapereka. Mwachitsanzo, pa nthawi imene ankamanga chihema, Yehova anauza Mose kuti Mwisiraeli aliyense amene anawerengedwa, apereke hafu ya sekeli lasiliva ngati “chopereka kwa Yehova.”​—Ekisodo 30:12-16.

Zikuoneka kuti kenako Myuda aliyense ankafunika kupereka ndalama za msonkho wapakachisi umenewu chaka chilichonse. Msonkho umenewu ndi umene Yesu anauza Petulo kuti apereke pogwiritsa ntchito ndalama imene anaipeza m’kamwa mwa nsomba.​—Mateyu 17:24-27.

Zaka zingapo zapitazo, ku Yerusalemu kunapezeka ndalama ziwiri zasiliva zomwe zinkagwiritsidwa ntchito popereka msonkho wapakachisi. Ndalama ina yachitsulo ya ku Turo yopangidwa mu 22 C.E., anaipeza m’ngalande ina imene inalipo m’nthawi ya atumwi. Mbali imodzi ya ndalamayi inali ndi nkhope ya Melkart, kapena Baala, mulungu wamkulu wa ku Turo. Mbali ina kunali chithunzi cha chiwombankhanga chitaima kutsogolo kwa ngalawa. Ndalama ina inapezeka pamulu wa zinyalala zimene zinachotsedwa paphiri limene panali kachisi. Ndalama imeneyi inali ya m’chaka cha 66-67 C.E., chomwe ndi chaka choyamba cha nthawi imene Ayuda anaukira Aroma. Pandalamayi panajambulidwa tambula yaitali, nthambi ya mtengo wa makangaza yokhala ndi nthambi zing’onozing’ono zitatu zoyamba maluwa komanso panali mawu akuti “Hafu ya Sekeli” ndi akuti “Yerusalemu Woyera.” Ponena za ndalamayi, katswiri wina wa zinthu zakale zokumbidwa pansi, dzina lake Gabriel Barkay, ananena kuti ili ndi “zizindikiro zosonyeza kuti inapsa, ndipo iyenera kuti inapsa mu 70 CE, nthawi imene Kachisi Wachiwiri ankawonongedwa.”

Kodi zinthu zimene Nebukadinezara, mfumu ya Babulo, anamanga zinali zochititsa chidwi motani?

▪ Baibulo limanena kuti pa nthawi ina Nebukadinezara ananena kuti: “Kodi uyu si Babulo Wamkulu amene ine ndamanga ndi mphamvu zanga zazikulu ndiponso ndi ulemerero wanga waukulu ndi cholinga chakuti kukhale nyumba yachifumu?” (Danieli 4:30) Kodi mzinda wakale umenewu unalidi waukulu?

Olemba mbiri yakale amanena kuti Nebukadinezara anamanga akachisi, nyumba zachifumu, mipanda ya mizinda ndiponso minda ya maluwa yokhala ndi masitepe. Kachisi wamkulu yemwe anali pakati pa mzinda wa Babulo anali ndi nsanja yomwe mwina inali yaitali mamita oposa 70. Komabe buku lina linanena kuti: “Zinthu zotchuka kwambiri pa zomwe [Nebukadinezara] anamanga ndi khomo lalikulu la mpanda wa mumzindawo (Ishtar Gate) komanso msewu womwe unkadutsa pakhomolo (Processional Way).” M’mbali zonse za msewuwu munali makoma omwe anali ndi zithunzi za mikango yooneka ngati ikuyenda. Ponena za khomolo, lomwe linali lalikulu kuposa makomo ena onse olowera mumzinda wa Babulo, buku lomwe lija linati: “Khoma lake lonse linamangidwa ndi njerwa zopakidwa penti yabuluu ndipo pakhomalo panajambulidwa zithunzi zambirimbiri za ng’ombe zamphongo zikuyenda komanso zithunzi za njoka. Zinthu zimenezi zinkagometsa mlendo aliyense amene akulowa mumzindawu, womwe unali likulu la dzikolo.”​—Babylon​—City of Wonders.

Chakumayambiriro kwa zaka za m’ma 1900 akatswiri ofukula zinthu zakale anapeza zidutswa zambirimbiri za zinthu zimene anamangira khomo limeneli komanso zimene anamangira msewu uja. Ndiyeno analumikiza zidutswazo n’kupanga msewu ndi khomo zooneka ngati zoyamba zija ndipo zinthu zimenezi zimapezeka kumalo osungirako zinthu zakale otchedwa Pergamon, mumzinda wa Berlin, ku Germany.

[Zithunzi patsamba 12]

Mmene Ndalamazi Zinkaonekera

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Top: Clara Emit, Courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority; bottom: Zev Radovan

[Chithunzi patsamba 12]

Khomo Lotchedwa Ishtar Gate Lomangidwanso