Ingabe Bewazi?

Laliyini isango lomuzi okukhulunywa ngalo kaningi ekulandiseni kweBhayibheli?

▪ Ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli imizi eminingi, noma amadolobha, yayibiyelwa ngezindonga. Ngaphakathi kwakunezindawo ezivulekile lapho abantu babehlangana khona, bahwebe futhi bazidlele ingevu. Zazikhishwa lapha izaziso zomphakathi futhi abaprofethi babengase bazimemezele lapha izigijimi zabo. (Jeremiya 17:19, 20) Incwadi ethi The Land and the Book ithi “cishe konke okuthengiswayo kwakuthengiselwa emasangweni omuzi noma eduze kwawo.” Kwa-Israyeli wasendulo, amasango omuzi ayefana nezikhungo zomphakathi emadolobheni anamuhla.

Ngokwesibonelo, u-Abrahama wathenga indawo yokungcwabela umndeni wakhe ku-Efroni “phambi kwamehlo amadodana kaHeti phakathi kwabo bonke ababengena ngesango lomuzi wakubo.” (Genesise 23:7-18) UBhowazi naye wacela amadoda amadala ayishumi aseBhetlehema ukuba ahlale esangweni lomuzi. Ephambi kwawo wenza amalungiselelo ngokuqondene noRuthe nefa lomyeni wakhe owayeseshonile ngokuvumelana nenqubo yomshado wokungenwa. (Ruthe 4:1, 2) Amadoda amadala omuzi ayehlala esangweni lomuzi ukuze athethe amacala, akhiphe izinqumo nezahlulelo.—Duteronomi 21:19.

Yayikuphi i-Ofiri, iBhayibheli elithi yayinegolide lezinga eliphezulu?

▪ Incwadi kaJobe ingeyokuqala ukukhuluma “ngegolide lase-Ofiri” futhi ithi ‘liyigolide elimsulwa.’ (Jobe 28:15, 16) Cishe ngemva kweminyaka engu-600 ngemva kokufa kukaJobe, iNkosi uDavide yaqongelela ‘igolide lase-Ofiri’ ukuze yakhe ithempeli likaJehova eJerusalema. Indodana yakhe uSolomoni nayo yalilanda e-Ofiri.—1 IziKronike 29:3, 4; 1 AmaKhosi 9:28.

ImiBhalo ithi uSolomoni wayenoxhaxha lwemikhumbi eyayakhiwe e-Eziyoni-gebheri, ogwini loLwandle Olubomvu, eyayilanda igolide e-Ofiri. (1 AmaKhosi 9:26) Izazi zithi i-Eziyoni-gebheri yayingenhla kweGulf of Aqaba eduze kwendawo namuhla ebizwa ngokuthi i-Elat ne-Aqaba. Imikhumbi yayisukela lapha futhi ihambe cishe ingxenye enkulu yoLwandle Olubomvu noma iye nasezindaweni zokuhweba ezikude ogwini lwase-Afrika noma lwaseNdiya. Kungenzeka ukuthi i-Ofiri yayikulezo zindawo. Nokho, ezinye izazi zikholelwa ukuthi i-Ofiri yayise-Arabhiya, lapho kuye kwatholakala khona izimayini zasendulo zegolide futhi igolide lisambiwa nanamuhla.

Lapho isazi sezinto ezindala zaseGibhithe, uKenneth A. Kitchen, sikhuluma ngezimayini zikaSolomoni zegolide abanye abakholelwa ukuthi ziyinganekwane, sathi: “I-Ofiri aliyona inganekwane. Isibhebhe setshe esibhalwe ngesiHebheru cishe sangekhulu lesi-8 [B.C.E.], sibhalwe ngokucacile lokhu kwaziswa okufushane: ‘Igolide lase-Ofiri eliya eBheti-horoni—amashekeli angu-30.’ Lapha, i-Ofiri lichazwa njengendawo yangempela yegolide, njengoba nje imibhalo yaseGibhithe ikhuluma ‘ngeGolide lase-‛Amau,’ noma ‘iGolide lasePunt’ noma ‘iGolide laseKush’—igama elithi igolide kulezi zibonelo cishe lithathelwe egameni lezwe noma ohlotsheni lwegolide noma ezingeni lalo.”

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

U-Abrahama Esesangweni Lomuzi Ezothenga Indawo Yokungcwaba

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

Isibhebhe Setshe Esinegama LesiHebheru Elithi Ofiri

[Umthombo]

Collection of Israel Antiquities Authority, Photo © The Israel Museum, Jerusalem