Lesakhiwo sa-Titus sinemidvwebo lemibili lemikhulu lebatiwe lekhombisa tintfo letidvumile letenteka emlandvweni. Nanobe singakadvumi kakhulu, kunekuhlobana lokukhona kulesakhiwo kanye neliBhayibheli​—lesakhiwo lesidvumisa Titus sifakazela kutsi tiphrofetho letiseBhayibhelini tishaya emhlolweni.

Ekhulwini lekucala C.E., uMbuso waseRoma bewucala e-Britain nase-Gaul (nyalo leseyatiwa ngekutsi yi-France) uyogcina eGibhithe, futsi bantfu bakuleyo ndzawo bebajabulela kundlondlobala kwalombuso kanye nekuphumelela kwawo. Kodvwa bekunalenye indzawo lekhashane lebeyenta bantfu baseRoma bangajabuli, lokusifundza saseJudiya.

I-Encyclopedia of Ancient Rome itsi: “Tindzawo letimbalwa lebetibuswa yiRoma betingatsandvwa lokufaka ekhatsi iJudiya. EmaJuda bakatfukutseliswa baholi bawo lebebanganendzaba nemasiko awo futsi emaRoma bekatsatsa emaJuda njengebantfu labanenkani, lokwabangela kutsi bawacindzetele kakhulu.” EmaJuda lamanyenti bekanelitsemba lekutsi bekutawuvela umholi lobekatawakhulula futsi ente ema-Israyeli aphindze ajabule. Kodvwa ngemnyaka wa- 33 C.E., Jesu Khristu wakhuluma ngenhlekelele lenkhulu lebeyitawenteka eJerusalema.

Jesu watsi: “Sikhatsi siyeta lapho titsa takho titawukwakha lutsango ngetigodvo leticijile futsi tikuvimbetele, tikuhlasele kuto tonkhe tinhlangotsi. Titakubhubhisa kanye nebantfwabakho labanawe, futsi ngeke tishiye litje etikwalelinye litje.”​—Lukha 19:43, 44.

Emavi aJesu abamangalisa bafundzi bakhe. Ngemuva kwemalanga lamabili, ngesikhatsi babuka lithempeli lebeliseJerusalema, lomunye wabo wamemeta watsi: “Mfundzisi, buka lamatje naletakhiwo!” Kubikwa kutsi lamanye ematje alelithempeli bewangu-11 metres budze, 5 metres bubanti na-3 metres kuphakama. Kodvwa Jesu waphendvula watsi: “Niyakubona konkhe loku, sikhatsi siyeta lapho kungeke kushiywe litje etikwalelinye lingakadzilitelwa phansi.”​—Makho 13:1; Lukha 21:6.

Jesu wachubeka watsi: “Nanibona iJerusalema itungeletwe ngemabutfo, yatini kutsi kubhujiswa kwayo sekusondzele. Labo labaseJudiya babobalekela etintsabeni, futsi labo labangekhatsi kuyo babophuma, nalabo labasemaphandleni abangangeni kuyo.” (Lukha 21:20, 21) Kwenteka yini loko lokwashiwo nguJesu?

Kwaphela iminyaka lengu-33 solo iJudiya ingakutsandzi kuba ngaphansi kwembuso waseRoma. Kodvwa nga-66 C.E. ngesikhatsi Gessius Florus lobekangumbusi longumRoma wesifundza saseJudiya eba imali yemnikelo lebeyisethempelini, emaJuda atfukutsela kakhulu. Ngekushesha, libutfo lemaJuda laya eJerusalema lafike labulala libutfo lemasotja aseRoma futsi lafuna inkhululeko kubaseRoma.

Ngemuva kwetinyanga letintsatfu, emasotja emaRoma langetulu kwa-30 000 lebekaholwa ngu-Cestius  Gallus aya eJerusalema ayokulwa nalabo lebebavukela. Ngekushesha emaRoma angena kulelidolobha futsi abhidlita lubondza lwelithempeli. Ngemuva kwaloko ajika ngaphandle kwesizatfu. EmaJuda ajabula futsi abacosha. Ngenca yekutsi emasotja aseRoma nemaJuda lebakavukela besekahambile kulelidolobha, emaKhristu lalalela secwayiso saJesu, esuka eJerusalema abalekela etintsabeni letingaseMfuleni iJordane.​—Matewu 24:15, 16.

Emnyakeni lowalandzela, emaRoma aphindze abuyela eJudiya kute ayohlasela, aholwa nguJenene Vespasian anendvodzana yakhe Titus. Ngekushesha nje nasekafile uMbusi Nero nga-68 C.E., Vespasian wabuyela eRoma kute atsatse bukhosi, futsi washiya indvodzana yakhe Titus eJudiya kuze ihole libutfo lemasotja lebelingaba ngu-60 000 kulokuhlasela.

Nga-June 70 C.E., Titus wagunyata libutfo lakhe kutsi lijube tihlahla lebetisemaphandleni aseJudiya, letasetjentiselwa kwakha lubondza lobelutungelete iJerusalema lobelungu-7 km. Nga-September, emaRoma atsatsa umcebo waseJerusalema futsi alishisa lelidolobha kanye nelithempeli, futsi awazange ashiye litje etikwalelinye, njengobe Jesu abeshito. (Lukha 19:43, 44) Luhlolo lutsi kungenteka “kwafa bantfu labayincenye yesigidzi nehhafu eJerusalema nakulo lonkhe live.”

Nga-71 C.E., Titus wabuyela e-Italy lapho emukelwa khona ngenjabulo lenkhulu. Bonkhe bantfu lebebakulelidolobha bajabulela kuncoba futsi bebacala kujabula ngalendlela.

Lesicumbi sebantfu besijabula nasihamba sibuka umcebo walelive laseRoma. Besibuka titfombe temikhumbi kanye nemihlobiso lebeyikhombisa loko lebekwenteka emphini kanye netintfo letatsatfwa ethempelini laseJerusalema.

Titus waba ngumbusi ngemuva kwababe wakhe Vespasian nga-79 C.E. Kodvwa ngemuva kweminyaka lemibili, Titus wafa ngekutumeka lokukhulu. Kwase kutsi Domitian longumnakabo, waba ngumbusi futsi wakha lesakhiwo sekuncoba egameni la-Titus.

Lamuhla lesakhiwo sa-Titus sitsandvwa bantfu labanyenti futsi njalo ngemnyaka bavakashela eRoma kute bayosibuka. Labanye batsatsa lesakhiwo njengemdvwebo wasebukhosini, labanye basitsatsa njengesikhumbuto semandla embuso waseRoma kantsi labanye basitsatsa njengesikhumbuto sekubhujiswa kweJerusalema kanye nelithempeli.

Labo labafundza liBhayibheli ngekucophelela batsatsa lesakhiwo sa-Titus njengalesibaluleke kakhulu. Sibufakazi lobusenta siletsembe liBhayibheli kanye netiphrofetho letikulo letishaya emhlolweni futsi kwenta siciniseke kutsi tiphrofetho letiseBhayibhelini tiphefumulelwe nguNkulunkulu.​—2 Phetro 1:19-21.