Israelfo Ɛnyɛ Bible no Nko na Ɛka Wɔn Ho Asɛm

WƆDE abo ayɛ nkaedum asi Cairo Tete Nneɛma Akorae a ɛwɔ Egypt de kae Farao Merneptah nkonimdi. Sɛnea nhomanimfo kyerɛ no, Ramses II ba a ɔto so 13 yi dii ade fii bɛyɛ afe 1212 besii 1202 A.Y.B. mu—bere a tete Israel Atemmufo mmere reba awiei no. Asɛm a etwa to wɔ nkyerɛwee a egu Merneptah nkaedum so no ka sɛ: “Yɛako afa Kanaan kurow. Yɛadi Askalon ne Geser so nkonim, na yɛasɛe Yano‘am pasaa. Yɛama Israel adan amamfo, na yɛatɔre wɔn ase.”

Dɛn na asɛmfua “Israel” a wɔde dii dwuma wɔ asɛm yi mu no kyerɛ? Wɔ tete Misrifo nkyerɛwee mu no, na wɔde agyiraehyɛde bi hyɛ asɛmfua biara ho na ama wɔahu nea asɛm no kyerɛ. Nhoma bi kyerɛkyerɛ mu sɛ: “Agyiraehyɛde a ɛhyɛ nsɛmfua abiɛsa yi—Askalon, Geser, ne Yanoam—ho no ma yehu sɛ ɛyɛ nkurow din. . . . Nanso agyiraehyɛde a ɛhyɛ Israel ho no kyerɛ sɛ ɛyɛ nnipa ho asɛm na wɔreka.” (The Rise of Ancient Israel)—Yɛn na yɛasi ɔfã bi so dua no.

Asɛm yi kyerɛ dɛn? Hershel Shanks a ɔyɛ samufo ne nhomakyerɛwfo no ka sɛ: “Merneptah Nkaedum no kyerɛ sɛ nkurɔfo bi a na wɔfrɛ wɔn Israelfo traa ase wɔ afe 1212 A.Y.B. mu. Ɛnyɛ sɛ na Misraim Farao nim wɔn kɛkɛ, na mmom ɔde tuu ne ho sɛ wadi wɔn so nkonim.” William G. Dever, a ɔyɛ fam a wotutu hwehwɛ tetefo nneɛma mu ho ɔbenfo wɔ Near Eastern no ka sɛ: “Merneptah nkaedum no ma yehu pefee sɛ: Ná nkurɔfo bi te Kanaan a wɔfrɛ wɔn ho ‘Israel,’ ma enti Misrifo a na wonnye Bible no nni koraa no mpo frɛɛ wɔn ‘Israelfo.’ Ná wɔrentumi mmɔ wɔn tirim mfrɛ nkurɔfo pɔtẽẽ bi sɛ ‘Israel’ mfa nni wɔn ankasa atirimpɔw ho dwuma.”

Wodii kan bɔɔ Israel din wɔ Bible mu bere a wɔde too tete agya Yakob no. Wɔbɛfrɛɛ Yakob mma 12 no asefo sɛ “Israelfo.” (Genesis 32:22-28, 32; 35:9, 10) Mfe bi akyi no, odiyifo Mose ne Farao a ofi Misraim de asɛmfua “Israel” no frɛɛ Yakob asefo yi. (Exodus 5:1, 2) Bible no da nkyɛn a, Merneptah nkaedum no ne ade a akyɛ paa a ɛtwe adwene si Israel so.

[Mfonini wɔ kratafa 24]

Merneptah nkaedum

Agyiraehyɛde abiɛsa a etwa to (efi nifa kɔ benkum so), abaa a wɔtow, ɔbarima ne ɔbea a wɔte hɔ no ma wohu sɛ Israelfo yɛ ananafo

[Asɛm Fibea]

Egyptian National Museum, Cairo, Egypt/Giraudon/The Bridgeman Art Library