IWEBUSAYITHI yeMnyuziyamu YaseBrithani yaphawula ukuthi ngekhulu lesikhombisa B.C.E., i-Asiriya lase liwumbuso omkhulu kunayo yonke emhlabeni, “lisuka eKhupro entshonalanga liya e-Iran empumalanga, kunesikhathi lapho lalihlanganisa ngisho neGibhithe.” Inhloko-dolobha yalo, iNineve, yayiyidolobha elikhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni. Yayinezakhiwo eziyisikhumbuzo ezikhangayo, izingadi ezinhle, izigodlo zikanokusho nemitapo yezincwadi emikhulu. Imibhalo esodongeni lwaseNineve lasendulo ibonisa ukuthi iNkosi u-Ashurbanipal yayizibiza ngokuthi “iyinkosi yomhlaba,” njengamanye amakhosi ase-Asiriya. Ngaleso sikhathi, kwakubonakala sengathi i-Asiriya neNineve kwakungasoze kwanqotshwa.

Noma kunjalo, lapho i-Asiriya selinamandla kakhulu, umprofethi kaJehova uZefaniya wabikezela: ‘[UJehova] uyobhubhisa i-Asiriya, uyokwenza iNineve libe yincithakalo, lome njengogwadule.’ Ngaphezu kwalokho, umprofethi kaJehova uNahume wabikezela: “Phangani isiliva, phangani igolide! . . . Idolobha alinamuntu, liyincithakalo, libhujisiwe! . . . Wonke umuntu okubonayo uyokubalekela athi, ‘INineve lenziwe incithakalo!’” (Zef. 2:13; Nah. 2:9, 10; 3:7) Lapho bezwa lezo ziprofetho, kungenzeka abantu bazibuza: ‘Ingabe kuyoke kwenzeke lokho? Ingabe i-Asiriya elinamandla liyoke linqotshwe?’ Cishe kwakungakholeki.

Nakuba kunjalo, kwenzeka into ababengacabangi ukuthi iyokwenzeka! Ekupheleni kwekhulu lesikhombisa B.C.E., i-Asiriya lase linqotshwe abaseBhabhiloni namaMede. Kwagcina kungasahlali muntu eNineve futhi alibange lisakhunjulwa! Ngokwencwadi ye-Metropolitan Museum of Art yaseNew York, “ngeNkathi Ephakathi indawo yayingasenalutho futhi igqibekile, iNineve kwase kukhulunywa ngalo eBhayibhelini kuphela.” Ngokwe-Biblical Archaeology Society Online Archive, ngawo-1800 “akekho owayazi ukuthi inhloko-dolobha enkulu yase-Asiriya yake yabakhona ngempela yini.” Kodwa ngo-1845, umvubukuli u-Austen Henry Layard waqala ukumba endaweni okwakwakhiwe kuyo iNineve. Izinto ezatholakala khona zafakazela ubukhazikhazi beNineve bangesikhathi esidlule.

Ukugcwaliseka okunembile kweziprofetho ezimayelana neNineve, kusenza siqiniseke nakakhulu ukuthi ziyogcwaliseka neziprofetho zeBhayibheli ezikhuluma ngokuphela kwamandla ezombusazwe namuhla.—Dan. 2:44; IsAm. 19:15, 19-21.