INineve laliyinhloko-dolobha yoMbuso wase-Asiriya. Laliwumuzi onamandla onezigodlo namathempeli amahle, futhi unezitaladi ezibanzi nezindonga ezinkulu. Umprofethi ongumHebheru uNahume wathi ngawo “umuzi wokuchithwa kwegazi.”—Nahume 3:1.

Lena kwakuyincazelo efanele ngoba imifanekiso eqoshiwe eyayisesigodlweni esiseNineve sikaSaneheribi ifakazela ukuthi abase-Asiriya babenonya. Omunye ubonisa umhlukumezi eshumpula ulimi lwesiboshwa esicindezelwe phansi. Imibhalo yakhona iqhosha ngokuthi izithunjwa zazidonswa ngezintambo ezazihhukwe emakhaleni noma ezindebeni. Ezintanyeni zezikhulu ezithunjiwe kwakulengiswa amakhanda amakhosi azo anqunyiwe abe imigexo ethusayo.

Isazi somlando wase-Asiriya, u-Archibald Henry Sayce, sichaza unya lobulwane olwalwenziwa ngemva kokuthunjwa komuzi: “Indlela yomnqobi yayibonakala ngemibhoshongo ecijile eyayenziwe ngamakhanda abantu; abafana namantombazane babeshiswa bephila noma bagcinelwe okubi nakakhulu; amadoda ayephanyekwa, ehlinzwa ephila, ekopolotwa amehlo noma enqunywa izandla nezinyawo, asikwe izindlebe namakhala.”

UNkulunkulu wayala amaJuda: “Uma kwenzeka wakha indlu entsha, kumelwe futhi wenzele uphahla lwakho uthango lokuvikela, ukuze ungabeki icala legazi phezu kwendlu yakho ngoba umuntu . . . angase awe kulo.” (Duteronomi 22:8) Njengoba imindeni engamaJuda ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli yayilusebenzisa kakhulu uphahla, lolu thango lokuvikela lwaludingeka ukuze ivikeleke.

Imizi eminingi yama-Israyeli yayinophahla oluyisicaba. Uphahla lwaluyindawo ekahle kakhulu lapho abantu babeziphumulela khona, bathamele ilanga, bashaywe umoya noma benze imisebenzi yasekhaya. Ehlobo, lwaluba indawo emnandi yokulala. (1 Samuweli 9:26) Abalimi babesebenzisa uphahla ukuze bomise okusanhlamvu ngaphambi kokuba bakugaye noma ukuze bomise amakhiwane noma amagilebhisi.—Joshuwa 2:6.

Uphahla lwalubuye lusetshenziswe ekukhulekeleni, uJehova noma izithombe. (Nehemiya 8:16-18; Jeremiya 19:13) Umphostoli uPetru waya ophahleni emini ukuze athandaze. (IzEnzo 10:9-16) Uma lwalunomthunzi wemivini noma wamacembe esihlahla sesundu, uphahla kumelwe ukuba lwaluyindawo emnandi yokuphumula.

Incwadi ethi The Land and the Book ithi imizi yama-Israyeli yayinesitebhisi esiya ophahleni, “esasingaphandle kwendlu.” Ngakho, umninikhaya wayengehla ophahleni ngaphandle kokungena endlini. Lokhu kungase kuchaze lesi sixwayiso sikaJesu sokubaleka ngokushesha emzini owawuzobhujiswa: “Umuntu ophezu kwendlu makangehli ayokhipha izimpahla endlini yakhe.”—Mathewu 24:17.