Iintlanga ezininzi mandulo zazibulala izaphuli-mthetho ezithile ngokuzixhoma esibondeni okanye epalini. AmaRoma ayeziqamangela okanye azibethelele ngezikhonkwane esibondeni, apho zaziza kungcungcutheka iintsuku ngaphambi kokuba zonganyelwe ziintlungu, unxano, indlala nokutyabuka. AmaRoma ayegqala ukuxhonywa njengesohlwayo esilihlazo esifanele ezona zaphuli-mthetho ziqaqadekileyo.

Ayesenza njani wona amaSirayeli mandulo? Ngaba wona ayezibulala ngokuzixhoma esibondeni? UMthetho kaMoses wawusithi: “Xa athe umntu waba nesono esifanelwe sisigwebo sokufa, wabulawa, waxhonywa esibondeni, isidumbu sakhe masingahlali ubusuku bonke esibondeni; wosingcwaba kwangaloo mini.” (Dut. 21:22, 23) Ngoko ke, ebudeni bexesha leZibhalo zesiHebhere, kuyacaca ukuba umntu wayeqala abulawe aze emva koko axhonywe esibondeni okanye emthini.

Kule nkalo, iLevitikus 20:2 ithi: “Nawuphi na umntu koonyana bakaSirayeli, naye nawuphi na umphambukeli ophambukele kwaSirayeli, othe wanikela nayiphi na yenzala yakhe kuMoleki, makabulawe afe. Abantu belizwe eli bafanele bamgibisele ngamatye afe.” Abo kufunyaniswe ukuba ‘baneshologu okanye umoya wokuxela kwangaphambili’ nabo babefanele babulawe. Babulawe njani? ‘Ngokugityiselwa ngamatye.’—Lev. 20:27.

KwiDuteronomi 22:23, 24, sifunda oku: “Xa kuthe kwakho intombazana enyulu eganelwe indoda, yaza enye indoda yayifumana phakathi kwesixeko, yayilala, nize nibakhuphele bobabini esangweni leso sixeko, nibagibisele ngamatye, bafe, intombazana leyo kuba ingamemezanga esixekweni, nendoda leyo kuba imthobile umfazi wedlelane layo. Ubususe ke ububi bungabikho phakathi kwakho.” Ngoko ke, eyona ndlela yokubulala eyayisetyenziswa ngamaSirayeli amandulo, kukuzixuluba ngamatye izaphuli-mthetho ezifanelwe kukufa. *

IDuteronomi 21:23 ithi “oxhonyiweyo usisiqalekiso kuThixo.” Ukuxhonywa esidlangalaleni kwesidumbu somoni ‘osisiqalekiso kuThixo’ esibondeni okanye emthini kwakuya kuba sisilumkiso nakanjani na kumaSirayeli.