9. IHlabathi leTestamente eNdala

Ntaba iArarati Isiza sesithethe apho umkhombe kaNowa wafika khona (Gen. 8:4). Indawo echanekileyo ayaziwa.

Ure Indawo yokuhlala yokuqala ka-Abraham, kufutshane nomlomo womEfrati, apho wayephantse ukuba lixhoba ledini elenziwa ngomntu, wabona ingelosi kaYehova, kwaye wafumana iYurim neTumim (Gen. 11:28–12:1; Abr. 1; 3:1). (Qaphela kanjalo isiza esisesinye esinokuba yiUre kumntla weMesopotamiya.)

Bhabhilon, Bhabheli (Shinare) Yaqala ukuhlalwa nguKushe, unyana kaHam, nanguNimrod. Ummandla wokuqala wamaYeredayithi ngexesha leNkcochoyi yaseBhabheli emathafeni aseShinare. Kamva ikomkhulu lephondo laseBhabhilon nendawo yokuhlala yookumkani baseBhabhilon, kubandakanya uNebhukadenetsare owathabathela amaYuda amaninzi ekuthinjweni ewasa kwesi sixeko silandela intshabalalo yaseYerusalem (587 P.K.). AmaYuda asala ekuthinjweni eBhabhilon iminyaka engama-70 kwada kwalixesha likaKumkani uKoreshi, owavumela amaYuda abuyele eYerusalem ukuze akhe itempile. UDaniyeli umprofeti kanjalo wayehlala apha phantsi koNebhukadenetsare, Bheleshatsare, noDariyo Ⅰ (Gen. 10:10; 11:1–9; Ⅱ OoKum. 24–25; Yer. 27:1–29:10; Hez. 1:1; Dan. 1–12; Omn. 1:22; Etere 1:33–43).

Shushan (Susa) Ikomkhulu lesixeko soBukumkani bamaPersi phantsi kolawulo lukaDariyo Ⅰ (uDariyo oMkhulu), uXerxes (uAhaswerosi), noArtashasta. Indawo yokuhlala kaKumkanikazi uEstere, onkalipho yakhe nokholo ezasindisa amaYuda. UDaniyeli noNehemiya kamva bakhonza apha (Neh. 1:1; 2:1; Est. 1:1; Dan. 8:2).

Thafa laseDura UShadraki, uMeshaki, noAbhede-nego baphoswa kwiziko elivuthayo xa balayo ukunqula umfanekiso wegolide owenziwa nguNebhukadenetsare; uNyana kaThixo wabalondoloza, baza baphuma ezikweni bengonzakalanga (Dan. 3).

Asiriya IAshure yayilikomkhulu lokuqala laseAsiriya, yalandelwa yiNineve. Abalawuli baseAsiriya uShalmanezere Ⅴ noSargoni Ⅱ boyisa uBukumkani baseNtla bukaSirayeli baza bathwalela kude izizwe ezilishumi ekuthinjweni ngowa-721 P.K. (Ⅱ OoKum. 14–15; 17–19). Ama-Asiriya ayesisoyikiso kuYuda kwada kwangowama-612 P.K., xa iAsiriya yoyiswa yiBhabhilon.

Nineve Likomkhulu laseAsiriya. IAsiriya yahlasela ilizwe lakwaYuda ngethuba lolawulo lukaHezekiya nobufundisi bomprofeti uIsaya. IYerusalem, sisixeko esilikomkhulu lakwaYuda, yasindiswa ngokumangalisayo xa ingelosi yabetha amadoda okulwa aseSiriya anga-185,000 (Ⅱ OoKum. 19:32–37). INkosi yaxelela umprofeti uYona abizele esi sixeko enguqukweni (Yona 1:2; 3:1–4).

Haran UAbraham wahlala apha ixeshana phambi kokuya eKanan. Uyise ka-Abraham nomntakwabo bashiyeka apha. URebheka (umfazi kaIsake), noRakheli, uLeya, uBhiliha, noZilipa (abafazi bakaYakobi), beza bevela kulo mmandla (Gen. 11:31–32; 24:10; 29:4–6; Abr. 2:4–5).

Karkemishe uFaro Neko woyiswa apha nguNebhukadenetsare, okwaphelisa amandla amaYiputa eKanan (Ⅱ IziKr. 35:20–36:6).

Tsidon Esi sixeko safunyanwa nguTsidon, umzukulwana kaHam, kwaye sisixeko samaKanan esisentla kakhulu (Gen. 10:15–20). Yayilikhaya likaIzebhele, owazisa unqulo lukaBahali kwaSirayeli (Ⅰ OoKum. 16:30–33).

Tire Esi yayisisixeko esibalulekileyo sorhwebo nezibuko eSiriya. UHiram waseTire wathumela imisedare negolide namadoda okusebenza ukuba ancede uSolomon ekwakheni itempile (Ⅰ OoKum. 5:1–10, 18; 9:11).

Damasko UAbraham wahlangula uLote kufutshane nalapha. Yayisisixeko esiyintloko saseSiriya. Ngethuba lolawulo lukaKumkani uDavide, amaSirayeli asithimba isixeko. UEliya wathambisa uHazayeli ukuba abe ngukumkani phezu kweDamasko (Gen. 14:14–15; Ⅱ Sam. 8:5–6; Ⅰ OoKum. 19:15).

Kanan UAbraham, uIsake, noYakobi, neenzala zabo babenikwe eli lizwe ukuba libe yinto yabo ngonaphakade (Gen. 17:8; 28).

Ntaba iSinayi (iHorebhe) INkosi yathetha kuMoses etyholweni elivuthayo (Eks. 3:1–2). UMoses wayenikwe uMthetho neMithetho eLishumi (Eks. 19–20). INkosi yathetha kuEliya ngelizwi elindilileyo (Ⅰ OoKum. 19:8–12).

Etsiyon-gebhere UKumkani uSolomon wakha “iinqanawa zomkhosi waselwandle” eEtsiyon-gebhere (Ⅰ OoKum. 9:26). Mhlawumbi kweli zibuko ukumkanikazi waseShebha, emva kokuva ngodumo lukaSolomon, wafika eze kumbona (Ⅰ OoKum. 10:1–13).

Yiputa UAbraham weza apha ngenxa yendlala enkulu eUre (Abr. 2:1, 21). INkosi yaxelela uAbraham afundise amaYiputa oko wathi wakutyhila kuye (Abr. 3:15). Emva kokuba abanta kwaboYosefu bamthengisa ebukhobokeni (Gen. 37:28), uYosefu waba ngumlawuli wendlu kaPotifare apha. Waphoselwa entolongweni. Watolika iphupha likaFaro waza wanikwa isikhundla segunya eYiputa. UYosefu nabakhuluwa bakhe bahlanganiswa kunye. UYakobi nosapho lwakhe bafudukela apha (Gen. 39–46). Abantwana bakaSirayeli bahlala eGoshen ngethuba lokuphambukela kwabo eYiputa (Gen. 47:6).

AmaSirayeli aphindaphindana “aza aya ebanamandlakazi ngokugqithisileyo”; ngoko ayebekwe ebukhobokeni ngamaYiputa (Eks. 1:7–14). Emva kothotho lwezibetho uFaro wawavumela amaSirayeli ukuba emke eYiputa (Eks. 12:31–41). UYeremiya wayethatyathelwe eYiputa (Yer. 43:4–7).

Kafatore (eKrete) Ilizwe lamandulo lamaMinowa.