Imifanekiso Evela EZweni Lesithembiso

IBeri-Sheba—Lapho Umthombo Wawusho Ukuphila

“KUSUKELA kwaDani kuze kube-seBeri-Sheba.” Lawa ngamazwi ajwayelekile kubafundi beBhayibheli. Achaza wonke u-Israyeli, kusukela kwaDani, eduze nomngcele osenyakatho, kuya eBeri-Sheba, eningizimu. Ukuthula kokubusa kukaSolomoni kwachazwa ngalendlela: “OJuda no-Israyeli bahlala belondekile, kwaba-yilowo nalowo phansi komvini wakhe nomkhiwane wakhe, kusukela kwaDani kuze kube-seBeri-Sheba, zonke izinsuku zikaSolomoni.”—1 AmaKhosi 4:25; AbAhluleli 20:1.

Nokho, umehluko phakathi kwendawo yakwaDani neyase-Beri-Sheba uhilela okungaphezu kwebanga eliphakathi kwazo. Ngokwesibonelo, kwaDani babejabulela imvula eningi; amanzi ayephuma phansi emhlabathini enza esinye seziphethu zoMfula iJordani, njengoba kuboniswe emfanekisweni ongakwesokudla. Yeka indlela iBeri-Sheba eyayihluke ngayo, ngoba yayakhiwe esifundeni esiwugwadule, phakathi kogu lolwandle nasemaphethelweni oLwandle Olufile ngaseningizimu.

Endaweni yaseBeri-Sheba, isilinganiso semvula minyaka yonke sasingamamilimitha asukela kwangu-150 kuya kwangu-200 kuphela. Unalokho kwaziswa, phawula lesithombe esingenhla segquma, noma indunduma, yaseBeri-Sheba. * Uhlaza olubonayo lubonisa ukuthi lesithombe sathathwa ngemva kwezihlambi zemvula zasebusika, lapho amasimu angaseBeri-Sheba eba luhlaza okwesikhashana. Amathafa aseduze ayezivuma izitshalo zokusanhlamvu—ngisho namanje asenjalo.

Ngenxa yokuthi lendawo yayomile, ukulandisa kweBhayibheli ngeBeri-Sheba kugxile emithonjeni nasemalungelweni okusetshenziswa kwamanzi. Lomuzi wawuseduze nemigwaqo noma izindlela zabahambi bamazwe ezazinqamula ihlane eliwugwadule ngaphambidlana eningizimu. Njengoba ungase ucabange, izihambi ezazidlula noma ziphumula lapha zaziyodinga amanzi azo kanye nawezilwane zazo. Amanzi anjalo ayengaphuphumi emhlabathini, njengakwaDani, kodwa ayengatholakala emithonjeni. Eqinisweni, igama lesiHeberu elithi beʼerʹ lalibhekisela emgodini ombiwe wokudonsa amanzi ngaphansi komhlaba. Igama elithi Beri-Sheba lisho “Umthombo Wesifungo” noma, “Umthombo Wesikhombisa.”

U-Abrahama nomkhaya wakhe bahlala isikhathi eside eBeri-Sheba nasezindaweni zangakhona, futhi babekwazi ukubaluleka kwemithombo. Lapho incekukazi kaSara uHagari ibalekela ehlane, kungenzeka ukuthi yahlela ukuba ithole amanzi emithonjeni noma kumaBedouin ayeyisebenzisa—njengalona wesifazane ongumBedouin oboniswe ekhasini elilandelayo, ngenhla, ekha amanzi emthonjeni oseNhlonhlweni yeSinayi. Lapho  kamuva kudingeka ukuba u-Abrahama axoshe uHagari nendodana yakhe edelelayo, ngomusa wabanikeza amanzi. Kwenzekani lapho lawomanzi ephela? “UNkulunkulu wavula amehlo akhe, wabona umthombo wamanzi; waya, wagcwalisa imvaba ngamanzi, wamphuzisa umfana.”—Genesise 21:19.

U-Abrahama wawatholaphi amanzi awagcwalisa emvabeni yamanzi kaHagari? Mhlawumbe emthonjeni ayewumbile, lowo ayetshale eduze nawo isihlahla somtamariske. (Genesise 21:25-33) Kungashiwo ukuthi ososayensi manje bayakubona ukufaneleka kokukhetha kuka-Abrahama isihlahla somtamariske, ngoba lesihlahla sinamaqabunga amancane lawo alahlekelwa ngumswakama oyingcosana, ngakho singakhula naphezu kokoma kwalendawo.—Bheka umfanekiso ongezansi.

Ukumba kuka-Abrahama umthombo kwaphawulwa endabeni ehilela impikiswano eyaba khona phakathi kwakhe nenkosi yamaFilisti. Umthombo wawuyimpahla eyigugu ngenxa yokuntuleka kwamanzi okwakuvamile kanye nomsebenzi onzima owawudingeka ukuze kumbiwe umthombo ojulile. Eqinisweni, emuva ngalesosikhathi kwakuwukuhlasela amalungelo empahla ukusebenzisa umthombo ngaphandle kwemvume.—Qhathanisa noNumeri 20:17, 19.

Uma uvakashela iGquma laseBeri-Sheba, ungalunguza ubone umthombo ojulile osemthambekweni oseningizimu-mpumalanga. Akekho owaziyo ukuthi wambiwa nini kulelidwala eliqinile nengxenye yawo engaphezulu (ebonakala ngezansi) eyayiqiniswe ngamatshe. Abavubukuli banamuhla baye bawuvubukula amamitha angu-30 ukuya phansi kodwa abazange bafinyelele lapho ugcina khona. Omunye wabo waphawula: “Kuyathakazelisa ukuphetha ngokuthi lomthombo . . . ‘wawunguMthombo Wesifungo’ lapho u-Abrahama no-Abimeleki benza khona isivumelwano.”—Biblical Archaeology Review.

Ngokusobala esikhathini seBhayibheli iBeri-Sheba kamuva yanda ngobukhulu, iba umuzi oqinile onesango elikhulu. Kodwa okubaluleke kakhulu ekubeni khona kwayo nempumelelo yayo kwakungamanzi aphilisayo ayephuma emthonjeni wayo ojulile.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 24]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 25]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.