Zamcolo waba khona mbamba. Nkulunkulu wawuletsa ngobe bekafuna kubhubhisa bantfu lababi, kodvwa watjela Nowa kutsi akhe umkhumbi kute asindzise bantfu labalungile netilwane. (Genesisi 6:11-20) Singetsemba kutsi Zamcolo waba khona mbamba ngobe kubhalwe ngawo eBhayibhelini, ‘leliphefumulelwe nguNkulunkulu.’—2 Thimothi 3:16.

•  Liciniso noma inganekwane?

•  Nkulunkulu wawuletselani Zamcolo?

•  Bebati yini bantfu kutsi kuta Zamcolo?

•  Bewunjani umkhumbi waNowa?

•  Kwamtsatsa sikhatsi lesingakanani Nowa kwakha lomkhumbi?

•  Tinganekwane netindzaba letimayelana naZamcolo

 LiBhayibheli liveta kutsi Nowa abengumuntfu sibili nekutsi Zamcolo wabakhona mbamba, akusiyo inganekwane.

•   Babhali beliBhayibheli bebakholelwa kutsi Nowa bekangumuntfu mbamba. Ngekwesibonelo, babhali beliBhayibheli, bo-Ezra naLukha lebebatati temlandvo letinelikhono, babhala ngaNowa eluhlwini lwelutalo lwesive sema-Israyeli. (1 Tikhronike 1:4; Lukha 3:36) Babhali beliVangeli boMatewu naLukha babhala emavi Jesu lawasho ngaNowa nangaZamcolo.—Matewu 24:37-39; Lukha 17:26, 27.

   Umphrofethi Hezekeli kanye nemphostoli Pawula, nabo babhala ngesibonelo sekukholwa nekulunga kwaNowa. (Hezekeli 14:14, 20; Hebheru 11:7) Bekungaba nengcondvo yini kutsi lababhali bebangabhala ngemuntfu longazange sekabekhona kutsi usibonelo sekulingiswa? Kusebaleni kutsi Nowa kanye nalamanye emadvodza nebafati labebanekukholwa batibonelo lesingatilingisa ngobe bebabantfu mbamba.—Hebheru 12:1; Jakobe 5:17

•   LiBhayibheli liniketa imininingwane lecacile ngaZamcolo. Kulandzisa kweliBhayibheli ngaZamcolo akucali ngekutsi, “kwesukasukela,” kungatsi yinganekwane. Kunaloko, liBhayibheli lisho umnyaka, inyanga nelilanga tentakalo letimayelana naZamcolo letenteka ngalo. (Genesisi 7:11; 8:4, 13, 14) Liphindze linikete bukhulu, budze, bubanti, kanye nekuphakama kwemkhumbi waNowa. (Genesisi 6:15) Lemininingwane ikhombisa kutsi liBhayibheli lichaza Zamcolo njengentfo leyenteka mbamba, hhayi inganekwane.

 Ngekusho kweliBhayibheli, ngaphambi kwaZamcolo ‘kona kwemuntfu bekukukhulu emhlabeni.’ (Genesisi 6:5) Liyachubeka litsi, “Umhlaba wawonakele emehlweni aNkulunkulu” ngobe umhlaba wawugcwele budlova kanye nekutiphatsa lokubi kwelicansi.—Genesisi 6:11; Juda 6, 7.

 LiBhayibheli litsi lobubi babangelwa nakakhulu tingelosi letimbi letashiya lizulu kute tilale netintfombi letibantfu emhlabeni. Letingelosi taba nebantfwana lababitwa ngekutsi Tichwaga, letabangela bantfu labebaphila ngaleso sikhatsi lusizi nekuhlupheka. (Genesisi 6:1, 2, 4) Nkulunkulu wancuma kuhlanta umhlaba ngekutsi asuse bonkhe bubi kute bantfu labalungile bacale imphilo lensha.—Genesisi 6:6, 7, 17.

 Yebo. Nkulunkulu watjela Nowa ngaloko bekutawukwenteka waphindze wamyala kutsi akhe umkhumbi kute asindzise umndeni wakhe netilwane. (Genesisi 6:13, 14; 7:1-4) Nowa wecwayisa bantfu ngembubhiso lebeyita, kodvwa abazange bamlalele. (2 Phetro 2:5) LiBhayibheli litsi: “Abazange banake kwate kwefika Zamcolo wabakhukhula bonkhe.”—Matewu 24:37-39.

 Lomkhumbi bewumise kwelibhokisi, lelingemamitha langu-133 (437 ft) budze, emamitha langu-22 (73 ft) bubanti, kanye nemamitha langu-13 (44 ft) kuphakama. a Bewakhiwe ngemapulangwe egofari, upendwe ngelitiyela ngekhatsi nangephandle. Bewunetitezi letintsatfu, kanye nemakamelo lamanyentana. Bekunemnyango eluhlangotsini lunye lwalomkhumbi kanye nelifasitelo etulu. Kubonakala shengatsi luphahla lwalomkhumbi beluphakeme emkhatsisini kute emanti angemi.—Genesisi 6:14-16.

 LiBhayibheli alisho kutsi kwamtsatsa sikhatsi lesingakanani Nowa kakha lomkhumbi, kodvwa kubonakala shengatsi kwamtsatsa iminyaka leminyenti. Nowa bekaneminyaka lengu-500 nakutalwa umtfwana wakhe wekucala, futsi bekaneminyaka lengu-600 nakufika Zamcolo. b—Genesisi 5:32; 7:6.

 Ngesikhatsi Nkulunkulu atjela Nowa kutsi akhe umkhumbi, emadvodzana akhe bese akhulile futsi asashadile, lokungenteka kwatsatsa iminyaka lengu-50 noma 60. (Genesisi 6:14, 18) Nangabe loko kuliciniso, kunengcondvo kuphetsa ngekutsi kwakha umkhumbi kwatsatsa iminyaka lengu-40 noma lengu-50.