Ingabe Bewazi?

Njengoba kwa-Israyeli wasendulo kwakuba nenkathi yonyaka ende eyomisile, yiziphi izindlela ezazisetshenziswa izakhamuzi ukuze ziqiniseke ukuthi zinamanzi anele?

▪ Phakathi kuka-October no-April, izwe lakwa-Israyeli libusiswa ngezihlambi zemvula futhi ngezinye izikhathi amanzi aze agelezele ezigodini zezifufula. Kodwa ehlobo, lezi zigodi zezifufula ziyoma futhi lingase lomise izinyanga eziningi. Abantu bangezikhathi zeBhayibheli babeqiniseka kanjani ukuthi bahlale benamanzi anele?

Le nkinga babeyixazulula ngokugubha imisele emithambekeni yamagquma ukuze amanzi agelezele emithonjeni. Uphahla lwalwakhiwa luthi ukutsheka ukuze amanzi emvula agelezele emithonjeni. Imindeni eminingi yayinemithombo yayo eyayikha kuyo amanzi okuphuza.—2 AmaKhosi 18:31; Jeremiya 6:7.

Ama-Israyeli ayesebenzisa neziphethu zemvelo. Ezinkangala, imvula yasebusika ingena emhlabathini ize ibambeke emadwaleni angangeni manzi futhi lawo manzi akha iziphethu. Amagama amadolobha asendulo aqala ngegama lesiHebheru elithi en, asikisela ukuthi ayeba seduze kweziphethu. Amanye alawo magama i-Eni-shemeshi, i-Eni-rogeli ne-Eni-gedi. (Joshuwa 15:7, 62) EJerusalema, kwakuqoshwa umsele edwaleni ukuze amanzi aye emithonjeni yemvelo emzini.—2 AmaKhosi 20:20.

Ezindaweni ezingenazo iziphethu abantu babezimbela imithombo (ngesiHebheru, beʼerʹ), njengalowo oseBheri-sheba. (Genesise 26:32, 33) Umbhali u-André Chouraqui uthi “izindlela eziwukuhlakanipha ezazisetshenziswa [ama-Israyeli] kumelwe zinconywe.”

Cishe yayinjani indlu u-Abrama (u-Abrahama) ayehlala kuyo?

▪ U-Abrama nomkakhe babehlala emzini wamaKhaledi, i-Uri, owawuchumile. Kodwa lapho uNkulunkulu ethi baphume kuwo, bahamba bayohlala ematendeni. (Genesise 11:31; 13:12) Cabanga nje ukuthi lolu shintsho lwasho ukuzidela okungakanani.

I-Uri, ese-Iraq yanamuhla, yavubukulwa uLeonard Woolley phakathi kuka-1922 no-1934. Phakathi kwezakhiwo azithola, kwakukhona izindlu ezingu-73 ezakhiwe ngezitini. Amakamelo amaningi alezi zindlu ayekake igceke elikhulu eligandayiwe. Igceke lalakhiwe ngendlela yokuba ligelezise amanzi, futhi kwakuba nomsele ohambisa lawo manzi. Emizini emikhulu kwakuba namagumbi ezivakashi ayeba nezindlu zangasese. Esitezi esiphansi kwakuba khona amakhishi anezindawo zokubasa kanye namagumbi okulala ezisebenzi. Umndeni wawuhlala esitezi esiphezulu esasinezitebhisi ezikhuphukela kuso. Izitebhisi zaziholela kuvulanda owakhiwe ngokhuni owawuzungeza yonke indlu futhi uma ukuwo wawukwazi ukungena emagumbini aphezulu.

UWoolley wabhala: “Indlu . . . , enegceke eligandayiwe, izindonga ezicakiwe nesimiso sokuhambisa amanzi, . . . namagumbi amaningi, ibonisa isilinganiso sokuphila okusezingeni eliphezulu. Lezi yizindlu . . . zabantu abasesigabeni esiphakathi, abanini bezitolo, abathengisi abaphansi, ababhali njalo njalo.”

[Isithombe ekhasini 19]

Umthombo, EHorvot Mezada, Kwa-Israyeli

[Umthombo]

© Masada National Park, Israel Nature and Parks Authority

[Isithombe ekhasini 19]

Umdwebo wendlu yangesikhathi sika-Abrahama

[Umthombo]

© Drawing: A. S. Whitburn