IArch of Titus inemifanekiso emikhulu emibini ekroliweyo ebonisa isiganeko esibalulekileyo embalini. Kodwa ke abantu abaninzi abazi ukuba kukho into edibanisa esi sakhiwo neBhayibhile—iArch of Titus ingqina ukuba isiprofeto seBhayibhile sasinyanisile.

Kwiminyaka emalunga neyi-2 000 eyadlulayo, uBukhosi BaseRoma babuqala eBritani, buye eGaul (ngoku eyiFransi) buze bume ngeYiputa, ibe ezo ndawo zazingenaziphazamiso kwaye zinobutyebi. Kodwa kukho indawo eyayiyisokolisa kakhulu iRoma, iphondo elalingalawuleki lakwaYuda.

IEncyclopedia of Ancient Rome ithi: “Imbalwa imimandla eyayiphantsi kwamaRoma awayeyicaphukela njengelakwaYuda, ibe namaYuda ayewacaphukela kakhulu amaRoma. AmaYuda ayengafuni nokuwabona amaRoma kuba ayengenaxesha lezithethe zawo, namaRoma ayesithi kunzima ukuphila namaYuda kuba anenkani.” AmaYuda amaninzi ayecinga ukuba kuza kubakho inkokeli yepolitiki eza kugxotha loo maRoma anezothe aze amaYuda aphinde aphile kamnandi. Kodwa ngo-33 C.E., uYesu Kristu wayibeka yacaca into yokuba iYerusalem yayiza kujongana nobunzima.

UYesu wathi: “Kuya kuza phezu kwakho imihla yaxa iintshaba zakho ziya kwakha inqaba zikujikeleze ngezibonda ezibaziweyo yaye ziya kukurhawula zize zikubandezele macala onke, yaye ziya kukuntlala emhlabeni wena nabantwana bakho abangaphakathi kuwe, kwaye aziyi kushiya litye phezu kwelitye kuwe.”—Luka 19:43, 44.

Kubonakala ngathi abafundi bakaYesu babengawaqondi amazwi akhe. Emva kweentsuku ezimbini uYesu ethethe la mazwi, xa babejonge itempile, omnye wabo wathi: “Mfundisi, khangela! olunjani lona uhlobo lwamatye yaye olunjani lona uhlobo lwezakhiwo!” Yayintle nyhani kuba amanye amatye ekwakwakhiwe ngawo itempile ayeziimitha eziyi-11 ubude, eziyi-5 ububanzi, neziyi-3 ukuphakama. Kodwa uYesu wathi: “Zona ke ezi zinto nizibonayo, kuya kufika imihla ekungayi kusala litye phezu kwelitye apha elingayi kudilizwa.”—Marko 13:1; Luka 21:6.

Waqhubeka wathi: “Xa niyibona iYerusalem ingqongwe yimikhosi emise iintente, yazini ke ukuba kusondele ukuphanziswa kwayo. Mabandule abo bakwelakwaYuda basabele ezintabeni, nabo baphakathi kuyo mabemke, nabo bakwiindawo ezisemaphandleni mabangangeni kuyo.” (Luka 21:20, 21) Ngaba yenzeka loo nto?

Nasemva kweminyaka eyi-33, amaYuda ayesakucaphukela ukulawulwa ngamaRoma. Ngo-66 C.E., uGessius Florus owayebekwe ngamaRoma ukuba aphathe imali kwaYuda, wahlutha imali eyayikubuncwane betempile engcwele. Le nto yawenza anomsindo amaYuda. Emva nje kwaloo nto, amajoni amaYuda aya eYerusalem, aza abulala onke amajoni amaRoma, emva koko athi elakwaYuda likhululekile kumaRoma.

 Emva kweenyanga ezintathu, uCestius Gallus kunye namajoni akhe angaphezu kwe-30 000, waya eYerusalem ukuze ayokuphelisa loo mvukelo. AmaRoma akhawuleza angena esixekweni aza adiliza udonga lwetempile. Ngesizathu esingaziwayo, arhoxa. Abavukeli abangamaYuda bavuya baza ngoko nangoko bawaleqa amaRoma. Kwathi kwakuba njalo, amaKristu athobela umyalelo kaYesu aza emka eYerusalem abalekela ezintabeni ngaphesheya koMlambo iYordan.—Mateyu 24:15, 16.

Kunyaka olandelayo, amaRoma aphinda aya kuhlasela elakwaYuda, ngoku ekhokelwa nguNjengele uVespasian nonyana wakhe uTitus. Emva nje kokuba uMlawuli waseRoma uNero eswelekile ngo-68 C.E., uVespasian wabuyela eRoma ukuze abe ngumlawuli, eshiya unyana wakhe uTitus namajoni ayi-60 000 ukuba agqibezele loo mlo.

NgoJuni 70 C.E., uTitus wayalela amajoni akhe ukuba agawule imithi eyayisendle kwelakwaYuda, aza ayilola, ayigxumeka erhangqa iYerusalem ngayo, esenza udonga oluziikhilomitha ezisixhenxe. Kwathi kufika uSeptemba, abe amaRoma sele erhwaphilize yonke into aza asitshisa isixeko netempile, akwashiyeka nelinye ilitye phezu kwelinye kanye njengokuba uYesu wayetshilo ngaphambidlana. (Luka 19:43, 44) Ngokutsho kolona qikelelo luphantsi, “baphakathi kwekota nesiqingatha semiliyoni abantu abatshabalalayo eYerusalem naselizweni.”

Ngo-71 C.E., uTitus wabuyela eItali waza wamkelwa ngovuyo ngabantu baseRoma. Bonke abantu beso sixeko babhiyoza, besenza owona mngcelele woloyiso mkhulu owakha wenziwa kwelo komkhulu.

Izihlwele zaziqala ukubona ubutyebi obungako obabuboniswa kwizitrato zaseRoma. Zazivuya njengoko zazibukele iinqanawa ezithinjiweyo, iinqwelo ezinkulu ezazibonisa okwakusenzeka emfazweni nezinto ezazithinjwe etempileni yaseYerusalem.

Ngo-79 C.E., uTitus waba ngumlawuli endaweni katata wakhe uVespasian. Kodwa emva kweminyaka emibini, uTitus wasweleka ngokungalindelekanga. UDomitian, umntakwabo, waba ngumlawuli waza wamakhela isakhiwo sokumkhumbula.

Namhlanje iArch of Titus ibonwa ngabantu abaninzi abandwendwela iRoma nyaka ngamnye. Abanye bayibona njengommangaliso womsebenzi wezandla, abanye bayijonga njengento ebonisa amandla negunya lamaRoma kanti abanye bayijonga njengengcwaba leYerusalem netempile yayo.

Kodwa abantu abayifunda nyhani iBhayibhile, baqonda nenye into ebaluleke ngayo iArch of Titus. Ibubungqina bokuba isiprofeto seBhayibhile sinyanisile, sinokuthenjwa nokuba siphefumlelwe nguThixo.—2 Petros 1:19-21.