Wayengubani UPontiyo Pilato?

“UNINZI lwethu xa lucinga ngoPilato luba nomfanekiso ngqondweni wendoda eyayisile neyayiliwexuwexu. Ukanti abanye bamgqala njengengcwele, bambi bamjonga njengomntu owayebuthathaka, iqothaqikili elaxolela ukuba kubulawe umntu ukuze liphumeze amabhongo alo ezopolitiko.”—Ngokutsho kwencwadi ethi Pontius Pilate, ebhalwe nguAnn Wroe.

Enoba ubona ngasonye nabo bantu okanye akunjalo, kodwa ke uPontiyo Pilato wazenzel’ igama ngenxa yendlela awaligweba ngayo ityala likaYesu Kristu. Wayengubani uPilato? Yintoni eyaziwayo ngaye? Ukusiqonda kakuhle isikhundla sakhe kuya kusinceda siqonde iziganeko ezibalulekileyo eziye zenzeka apha emhlabeni.

Isikhundla, Iimbopheleleko Negunya Lakhe

UMlawuli waseRoma uTibheriyo wabeka uPilato ukuba abe yirhuluneli yephondo lakwaYuda ngowama-26 C.E. La magosa ayethatyathwa phakathi kwezinhanha ezaziwayo kodwa ayengaphantsi kwezihandiba zamalungu ebhunga. Kuyabonakala ukuba xa uPilato waqalisa inkonzo yasemkhosini, waba ngumthetheli mkhosi okanye umthetheli ongaphantsi; waza wachankcatha emiselwa kwizikhundla ezahlukeneyo. Ekugqibeleni wathweswa njengerhuluneli ngaphambi kokuba ahlanganise iminyaka engama-30 ubudala.

Xa evathe ezasemkhosini, uPilato wayenxiba ingubo yangaphantsi eyenziwa ngesikhumba nesigcina-sifuba esenziwe ngesinyithi. Xa ekunye nabanye abantu wayenxiba ingubo yokwaleka emhlophe enomqukumbelo omfusa. Iinwele zakhe zazichetywa zibe mfutshane aze azitsheve iindevu zakhe. Nangona abanye becinga ukuba wayevela eSpeyin, igama lakhe libonisa ukuba wayeyinzalelwana yesizwe samaPontii—izihandiba zamaSamnite emazantsi eItali.

Abaphathi abakudidi lukaPilato babedla ngokuthunyelwa kumaphondo andlongondlongo. AmaRoma ayelijonga njengephondo labantu abangachubekanga iphondo lakwaYuda. Ukongezelela ekugcineni ucwangco, uPilato wayesongamela ukuqokelelwa kwerhafu. Amatyala aqhelekileyo ayexoxwa kwiinkundla zamaYuda, kodwa amatyala aphathelele isigwebo sokufa ayethethwa yirhuluneli, kuba yayiyeyona nkundla iphakamileyo.

UPilato wayehlala kwidolophu yaseKesareya kunxweme lweMeditera nomkakhe, neqaqobana lababhali, oogxa bakhe nabathunywa bakomkhulu. UPilato wayengumthetheli-mkhosi wezintlu ezintlanu zomkhosi, ngalunye kolo luhlu lunamajoni ahamba ngeenyawo amalunga nama-500 ukusa kwali-1 000 nomkhosi wamahashe mhlawumbi owawunamadoda angama-500. Amajoni akhe ayebulala izaphuli-mthetho ngokuzibethelela. Ngexesha loxolo, zazichazwa izizathu zokubulawa kwezaphuli-mthetho, ukanti  xa abantu bevukela babebulawa ngoko nangoko beyiloo nginginya. Ngokomzekelo amaRoma abulala amakhoboka angama-6 000 ukuze aphelise imvukelo eyayikhokelwa nguSpartacus. Xa kuqhambuka isidubedube kwaYuda, irhuluneli yayinokukhala kumphathi-mkhosi ongentla eSiriya owayenomkhosi omkhudlwana kunalowo wayo. Noko ke, ngexesha uPilato awayeyirhuluneli yakwaYuda umphathi-mkhosi waseSiriya wayengekho ngenxa yoko kwakufuneka azibonele xa kuvela izidubedube.

Iirhuluneli kwakufuneka zinxibelelane nomlawuli rhoqo, zithethe naye ngemibandela edl’ umzi njengendili yomlawuli okanye ukusongelwa kwegunya lamaRoma ezo ngxelo zaziphumela ekubeni umlawuli akhuphe imiyalelo ethile. Irhuluneli kwakufuneka ikhawuleze imazise umlawuli ngezinto ezenzeka kwiphondo layo ngaphambi kokuba eve ngeempukane eziluhlaza. Ekubeni kwakuqalisa inkathazo kwaYuda, wayenesizathu sokuxhalaba uPilato.

Ngaphandle kwengxelo efumaneka kwincwadi zeVangeli, umbhali-mbali uFlavius Josephus noPhilo nabo banezinto ezithile abazibhalayo ngoPilato. Umbhali-mbali ongumRoma uTacitus uthi uPilato wabulala uKristu, athiywe ngegama lakhe amaKristu.

Kuvuswa Umnyele WamaYuda

UJosephus uthi ngenxa yokuhlonela izithethe zamaYuda ezazichasene nemifanekiso eqingqiweyo xa iirhuluneli zaseRoma zingena eYerusalem zazingaziphakamisi iindwe ezinemifanekiso yomlawuli. Ekubeni uPilato engazange akuhlonele oko, amaYuda awayelugcwabevu aya egaba ukuya kukhalaza eKesareya. UPilato akazange enze nto ngaloo nto kwade kwadlula iintsuku ezintlanu. Ngosuku lwesithandathu, wayelela amajoni akhe ukuba angqinge abo baqhankqalazi aze abagrogrise ngokubacim’ igama ukuba abahambi. Xa amaYuda athi ayexolele ukufa kunokuba kophulwe uMthetho wawo, uPilato wayekelela waze wayalela ukuba isuswe loo mifanekiso.

UPilato wayengakonqeni ukusebenzisa izigalo maxa wambi. Kwesinye isiganeko abhala ngaso uJosephus, uthi uPilato wenza umjelo wokungenisa amanzi eYerusalem ngemali awayeyithabathe kwingxowa-mali yetempile. UPilato akazange asuke athabathe imali aze ayisebenzise, kuba wayesazi ukuba oko kwakuza kumqhwayela ukhwembekhwembe kwaye amaYuda ayeza kumxela kuTibheriyo aze aphulukane nesikhundla sakhe. Kuyabonakala ukuba wathetha nabo babephethe itempile. Umnikelo owawubizwa ngokuba ‘yikorbhane’ wawunokusetyenziswa ukuze uncede abantu besixeko, kodwa amawaka amaYuda aqhankqalaza.

UPilato wayalela umkhosi ukuba uhamba hambe phakathi kwabantu kodwa ungazisebenzisi izikhali kunoko ubabethe ngeentonga abantu abangevayo. Kuyabonakala ukuba wayefuna ukusilawula isihlwele ngaphandle kokuphalaz’ igazi. Le ndlela yaba nemiphumo emihle nangona bekho abafayo. Abo baxelela uYesu ukuba uPilato waxuba igazi lamaGalili nemibingelelo yawo basenokuba babebhekisela kwesi siganeko.—Luka 13:1.

“Yintoni Na Inyaniso?”

Eyona nto yenza uPilato akathandwa ngabantu, yindlela awalisingatha ngayo ityala likaYesu xa ababingeleli abaziintloko bamaYuda namadoda amakhulu bamtyhola ngokuba wayesithi unguKumkani. Esakuva ukuba uYesu wayeze kungqinela inyaniso, wabona ukuba wayengengomvukeli. Ecinga ukuba inyaniso yinto entsonkothileyo engenakuqondwa nefuna ingqalelo engakumbi, uPilato wabuza: “Yintoni na inyaniso?” Sisiphi isigqibo awafikelela kuso?  “Andifumani siphoso kuye.”—Yohane 18:37, 38; Luka 23:4.

Lalifanele liphelele apho ityala likaYesu, kodwa amaYuda ayemi ngelokuba wayelahlekisa uhlanga. Yayingumona owabangela ukuba ababingeleli abaziintloko bamse kuPilato, naye wayeyazi loo nto. Wayesazi nokuba, xa emkhulula uYesu kuza kubakho isidubedube, nto leyo awayengayifuni. Babesele bekho abantu abavalelwe entolongweni ngenxa yokuphembelela udushe nokubulala, omnye wabo yayinguBharabhas. (Marko 15:7, 10; Luka 23:2) Ukongezelela koko, iingxabano zikaPilato zangaphambili namaYuda zamenza akathandwa nguTibheriyo owayeziphatha ngqwabalala iirhuluneli ezingakwaziyo ukwenza umsebenzi wazo. Nangona kunjalo, ukwenza izinto ezifunwa ngamaYuda kwakuza kumenza abonakale elityutyusi. Ngoku uPilato wayesengxakini.

Esakuva ukuba uYesu wayevela kwisithili saseGalili, uPilato wazama ukulidlulisela kuHerode Antipas eli tyala owayengumlawuli weso sithili. Xa lapatyalakayo nelo linge, wazama ukuphembelela abantu ababengaphandle kwebhotwe ukuba bacele ukuba kukhululwe uYesu, ngokuvisisana nesiko lamaYuda lokukhululwa kwebanjwa ngomhla wePasika. Eso sihlwele sacela ukuba kukhululwe uBharabhas.—Luka 23:5-19.

Mhlawumbi uPilato wayefuna ukwenza oko kulungileyo, kodwa wayexhalabele nesikhundla sakhe, ngenxa yoko wazithandisa kweso sihlwele. Ekugqibeleni, wakhokelisa phambili umsebenzi wakhe kunokuba abambelele kokusesikweni. Wacela amanzi, waze wahlamba izandla zakhe esithi akanatyala. a Nangona wayeqonda ukuba uYesu akanatyala, uPilato wayalela ukuba abethwe evumela amajoni ukuba adlale nganye, ambethe aze amtshicele.—Mateyu 27:24-31.

UPilato wazama ilinge lokugqibela lokukhulula uYesu, kodwa isihlwele sankqangaza sisithi ukuba uyamkhulula uyakuba akanguye umhlobo kaKesare. (Yohane 19:12) Esakuva oko, uPilato wanikezela. Omnye umphengululi wathi: “Into ekwakufuneka ayenze yayikukubulala umYuda omnye ongabalulekanga; wayeza kubonakala esisidenge ukuba wayenokuvumela umntu omnye aphembelele udushe.”

Kwenzeka Ntoni KuPilato?

Isiganeko sokugqibela esibhaliweyo ngobomi bukaPilato sasiphathelele enye ingxwabangxwaba. UJosephus uthi ihlokondiba lamaSamariya elalixhobe laf’ amacala lahlanganisa kwiNtaba yeGerizim linethemba lokufumana ubutyebi obusenokuba bafihlwa nguMoses apho kulo ntaba. UPilato wangenelela kwaye umkhosi wakhe wabulala abantu abaninzi. AmaSamariya akhalaza kuLucius Vitellius irhuluneli yaseSiriya. Enoba uVitellius wavakalelwa kukuba uPilato wayesele egabadele, ayichazwanga. UPilato wathunyelwa eRoma ukuze aye kuziphendulela kumlawuli. Noko ke uTibheriyo wafa ngaphambi kokufika kwakhe.

Elinye iphephancwadi lithi: “Emva kwesi siganeko, alizange liphinde likhankanywe igama lakhe kwincwadi zembali nangona kwakumana kuthethwa ngaye.” Befunisela abanye bathi waba ngumKristu. “AmaKristu” aseTiyopiya amenza “ingcwele.” UEusebius, owabhala ngaye ekuzeni kuphela kwenkulungwane yesithathu nasekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yesine, ungomnye wabo bathi uPilato waye wazibulala njengoYudas Skariyoti. Noko ke, akakho umntu owaziyo ngokungqalileyo ukuba kwenzeka ntoni kuPilato.

Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uPilato wayenguzwilakhe ongqwabalala. Kodwa iphondo lakwaYuda walilawula iminyaka elishumi ngoxa ezinye iirhuluneli zalilawula iminyaka embalwa. Ngokwembono yamaRoma, uPilato wayewenza kakuhle umsebenzi wakhe. Abanye bathi lityutyusi legwala elabulalisa uYesu ukuze likhusele isikhundla salo. Abanye bathi umsebenzi kaPilato yayingekokukhuthaza okusesikweni kodwa yayikukudala uxolo nokuphumeza izilangazelelo zamaRoma.

Ixesha awayephila ngalo uPilato lalahluke gqitha kwixesha esiphila kulo. Nangona kunjalo akakho umgwebi onokuze amgwebele ukufa umntu omsulwa. Ukuba wayengazange achophele ityala likaYesu, uPontiyo Pilato ngefana nje nabanye abantu ekuthethwa ngabo kwiincwadi zembali.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 11]

Lo mbhalo uchaza uPontiyo Pilato njengomlawuli wephondo lakwaYuda wafunyanwa eKesareya