I-altare Likankulunkulu Ongashiwongo

UMPHOSTOLI UPAWULU wavakashela e-Athene, eGrisi, cishe ngo-50 C.E. Lapho, wabona i-altare elalinikezelwe kunkulunkulu ongaziwa, kamuva wakhuluma ngalo lapho enikeza ubufakazi obuhle ngoJehova.

Enkulumweni yakhe yokuqala eseMars’ Hill, noma e-Areyophagu, uPawulu wathi: “Madoda ase-Athene, ngiyabona ukuthi kukho konke nibonakala nithambekele ngokwengeziwe kunabanye ekwesabeni onkulunkulu. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho ngidlula futhi ngibhekisisa ngokucophelela izinto zenu ezihlonishwayo ngithole ne-altare obekuqoshwe kulo ukuthi ‘Kunkulunkulu Ongaziwa.’ Ngakho-ke lokho enikunika ukuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu ngokungazi, yikho engikumemezela kini.”—IzEnzo 17:22-31.

Nakuba lelo altare lase-Athene lingakaze litholakale, kwezinye izingxenye zeGrisi ayekhona ama-altare anjalo. Ngokwesibonelo, isazi sesayensi yokuma komhlaba esingumGreki uPausanias sakhuluma ngama-altare “onkulunkulu Okuthiwa Abangaziwa” ayesePhaleron, budebuduze ne-Athene. (Description of Greece, Attica I, 4) Ngokwale ncwadi, e-Olympia kwakukhona “i-altare lonkulunkulu Abangaziwa.”—Eleia I, XIV, 8.

Encwadini yakhe ethi The Life of Apollonius of Tyana (VI, III), umlobi ongumGreki uPhilostratus (wango-170 kuya ku-245 C.E.) wathi e-Athene “kwakhiwa ama-altare okuhlonipha ngisho nonkulunkulu abangaziwa.” Futhi kwethi Lives of Philosophers (1.110), uDiogenes Laertius (wango-200 kuya ku-250 C.E.) wabhala ukuthi ezingxenyeni ezihlukahlukene ze-Athene kwakukhona “ama-altare angenagama.”

NamaRoma eyewakha ama-altare onkulunkulu ababengashiwo. Lapha kuboniswe elangekhulu lokuqala noma lesibili B.C.E. eligcinwe ePalatine Antiquarium eseRome, e-Italy. Umbhalo walo wesiLatini ubonisa ukuthi leli altare lanikezelwa “kunkulunkulu noma kunkulunkulukazi”—inkulumo “evame ukutholakala emithandazweni noma emazwini okunikezela aqoshiwe nasezincwadini.”

Basebaningi abangamazi “uNkulunkulu owenza izwe nakho konke okukulo.” Kodwa njengoba uPawulu atshela abase-Athene, lo Nkulunkulu—uJehova—‘akakude kulowo nalowo kithi.’—IzEnzo 17:24, 27.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 32]

Altar: Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma