Ingabe Bewazi?

Zazingobani ‘izinduna zethempeli’ futhi wawuyini umsebenzi wazo?

Phakathi kwabaholi benkolo bamaJuda ababopha umphostoli uPetru noJohane ngesikhathi beshumayela kwakukhona “nenduna yethempeli.” (IzEnzo 4:1-3) IBhayibheli aliyichazi imisebenzi yenduna yethempeli, kodwa izincwadi ezithile zomlando zinokwaziswa okuthakazelisayo.

Kubonakala sengathi ngesikhathi uJesu elapha emhlabeni, leso sikhundla sasingesompristi owayengaphansi kompristi ophakeme. Induna yethempeli yayiqikelela ukuthi kuhlale kunokuhleleka ethempelini naseJerusalema yonkana. Yayengamela izindaba eziphathelene nokukhulekela ethempelini futhi iphethe abaqaphi bethempeli. Izinduna ezazingaphansi kwayo zazilawula abaqaphi ababevula amasango ethempeli ekuseni bawavale ebusuku, ziqiniseke ukuthi akekho owayengena ezindaweni ezenqatshelwe futhi zaziqapha umcebo wethempeli.

Abapristi namaLevi ababesebenza ethempelini babehlelwe baba izigaba ezingu-24 futhi bekhonza ngokushintshana. Isigaba ngasinye sasisebenza isonto elilodwa, okusho ukuthi sasisebenza kabili ngonyaka. Cishe isigaba ngasinye sasinenduna yaso.—1 IziKronike 24:1-18.

Lezi zinduna zethempeli zazinegunya. Kuthiwa nazo zazikanye nabapristi abaphakeme abenza iqhinga lokubulala uJesu futhi yizo ezathuma abantu ababengaphansi kwazo ukuba babophe uJesu.—Luka 22:4, 52.

UMathewu 3:4 uthi uJohane uMbhapathizi wayedla ‘izinkumbi noju lwezinyosi zasendle.’ Ingabe ukudla izinkumbi kwakuyinto ejwayelekile ngaleso sikhathi?

Abanye baye bakungabaza ukuthi ngempela uJohane wayedla izinambuzane, bathi uMathewu wayekhuluma ngesithelo sesihlahla esasitholakala ePalestina yonkana, noma isithelo esithile sasendle noma ngisho nohlobo oluthile lwezinhlanzi. Nokho, igama lesiGreki elasetshenziswa uMathewu lisho uhlobo oluthile lwezintethe, namuhla ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-Acridida. Izintethe ezazivame kakhulu kwa-Israyeli kwakuyilezo zasogwadule, ezazaziwa ngokuthi ziyasibhubhisa isivuno uma ziyiqulo.—Joweli 1:4, 7; Nahume 3:15.

Abantu basendulo, njengabase-Asiriya nabaseTopiya babebheka izintethe njengokudla okuyisibiliboco futhi namanje amanye amaJuda angama-Bedouin nama-Yemen asazidla. Kwa-Israyeli, izintethe zazibhekwa njengokudla kwabantu abadla imbuya ngothi. Ngemva kokuba kususwe ikhanda, izinyawo nesisu, kwakube sekudliwa isifuba siluhlaza noma siqale sosiwe noma somiswe elangeni. Ngezinye izikhathi izintethe zazifakwa usawoti noma zihlaliswe kuviniga noma ojwini. Isazi-mlando, uHenri Daniel-Rops, sithi zinambitheka njengezimbaza.

Njengoba uJohane ayeshumayela ehlane, kumelwe ukuba wayezithola kalula izintethe. (Marku 1:4) Njengoba ziqukethe amaphesenti angaba ngu-75 amaprotheni, izintethe kanye noju lwasendle kwakuwukudla okunomsoco.

[Isithombe ekhasini 28]

Abalindi base-Asiriya bephethe izintethe namahalananda

[Umthombo]

From the book Discoveries Among the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon (1853)