UFlavius Josephus.
N.B. Leli khasi akusho okwamanje “Esenziwe Lula isiZulu” version.
ukuhumushwa okuzenzakalelayo zisekelwe embhalweni wokuqala IsiZulu. Bona ingafaka amaphutha abalulekile.
Uzalelwe 37 AD emndenini wabapristi, wakhulela eJerusalema, UJosephus wavakashela eRoma okokuqala lapho esanda kweva eminyakeni engu-20 njengomkhulumeli wezombangazwe wamaJuda; kwathi lapho ukuhlubuka kwamaJuda kuqala waqala ukulwa namaRoma. Kodwa, ngesikhathi ethunjwa uVespasian, UJosephus wamemezela ukuthi uVespasian wayemiselwe ukugcwalisa isiprofetho samaJuda asendulo ngokuba uMbusi WaseRoma.. Lapho lokhu kwenzeka ngempela, UVespasian wanika uJosephus inkululeko yakhe futhi kamuva wamamukela, enezela kuye isibongo sikaFlavius.
Wenqatshwa abantu bakubo njengembuka, akazange aphumelele ukuncenga abavikeli beJerusalema ukuba bazinikele; futhi wazibonela mathupha ukuwa kwawo. Lezi okuhlangenwe nakho, kanye nokufinyelela kwakhe kokubili emithonjeni yamaJuda neyamaRoma kwakuyisisekelo semisebenzi yakhe emibili emikhulu. ‘Impi YamaJuda’, eshicilelwe mayelana 78 Isikhangiso, kwakuwumlando wokuvukela, kanye ‘Nezinto Zasendulo ZamaJuda’, a 20 umlando wevolumu yabantu bamaJuda, yashicilelwa mayelana 93 Isikhangiso. Eminye imisebenzi emibili eyenziwe nguye nayo isindile: 'Against Apion', ukuzivikela kobuJuda kumgxeki ongumRoma, kanye 'Nempilo', umlando wakhe, eyanyatheliswa ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesibili leminyaka. Akwaziwa kahle ukuthi ushone nini.
Josephus’ umsebenzi uqukethe inani lezinkomba ezinikeza isiqinisekiso somlando wamarekhodi evangeli.
UJohane uMbhabhathizi
Kwasendulo, 18.5.2, UJosephus uxoxa ngenkonzo kaJohane uMbhapathizi.
“Manje amanye amaJuda ayecabanga ukuthi ukubhujiswa kwebutho likaHerode kuvela kuNkulunkulu, futhi lokho kulungile kakhulu, njengesijeziso salokho akwenza kuJohane, lokho kwakubizwa ngeBaptisti: ngoba uHerodi umbulele, obeyindoda elungile, walaya amaJuda ukuthi asebenzise ukulunga, kokubili ngokulunga omunye komunye, nokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu, njalo lize libhabhathizwe; ngalokho ukugeza [ngamanzi] angamukeleka kuye, uma beyisebenzisa, hhayi ukuze kukhishwe [noma ukuxolelwa] kwezinye izono [kuphela], kodwa ngenxa yokuhlanjululwa komzimba; besacabanga ukuthi umphefumulo wawuhlanjululwe ngaphambili ngokulunga. Manje nini [abaningi] abanye beza kuye ngezixuku, ngoba bathuthumela kakhulu [noma ujabule] ngokuzwa amazwi akhe, uHerode, owayesaba ukuthi ithonya elikhulu uJohane ayenalo phezu kwabantu lalingase likubeke emandleni akhe nasekuthambekeleni kwakhe ukuvusa ukuhlubuka., (ngoba babonakala belungele ukwenza loba yini abeluleka ngayo,) ngacabanga okungcono kakhulu, ngokumbulala, ukuze avimbele noma yikuphi okubi angase akwenze, futhi angazingenisi ebunzimeni, ngokuphephisa umuntu owayengase amenze aphenduke kukho lapho sekwephuze kakhulu. Ngokunjalo wathunyelwa isiboshwa, ngenxa yolaka lukaHerode olusolisayo, kuMacherus, inqaba engikhulume ngayo ngaphambili, wabulawa lapho. Manje amaJuda ayenombono wokuthi ukubhujiswa kwalelibutho kwakuthunyelwe njengesijeziso kuHerode, kanye nophawu lokucasuka kukaNkulunkulu kuye.”
Iqiniso lokuthi uJosephus akamhlanganisi uJohane noJesu alimangalisi njengoba kungase kubonakale; IzEnzo 13:25 kwenza kucace ukuthi uJohane waqala ukukhuluma ngoJesu kuphela ngasekupheleni kwenkonzo yakhe. Ngokunjalo, nakuba ukuqonda kwakhe isisusa sikaHerode sokumbulala kuhluke ekulandiseni kwevangeli; amaqiniso ayinhloko ayavumelana.
Cishe zonke izazi ziyakwamukela ukuba yiqiniso kwalesi siqephu.
James the Just
Okubalulekile namanje, lokhu okulandelayo kubhekisela ekufeni kukaJakobe, umfowabo kaJesu, kusukela ku-Antiquities 20.9.1:
“Futhi manje uKhesari, ngemva kokuzwa ngokufa kukaFestu, wathumela u-Albinus eJudiya, njengombusi. Kodwa inkosi yamphuca uJosefa ubupristi obukhulu, futhi ukulandelana kwaleso sithunzi endodaneni ka-Ananus, laye owayebizwa ngokuthi nguAnanu. … Kodwa lo Ananus omncane, I-WHO, njengoba sesike salitshela, wathatha ubupristi obukhulu, wayeyindoda enesibindi, futhi edelela kakhulu; futhi wayengowehlelo labaSadusi, abaqine kakhulu ekwahluleleni izephula-mthetho, phezu kwawo wonke amanye amaJuda, njengoba sesibonile; nini, ngakhoke, U-Ananus wayekulesi simo, wacabanga ukuthi manje usenethuba elifanelekile. UFestu wayesefile, futhi u-Albinus wayesendleleni; ngakho wabutha iSanhedrim yabahluleli, futhi balethwa phambi kwabo umfowabo kaJesu, othiwa uKristu, ogama lakhe lalinguJakobe, nabanye; kwathi esebamangalele njengabaweqi bomthetho, wabanikela ukuba bakhandwe ngamatshe: kodwa mayelana nalabo ababebonakala belingana kakhulu ezakhamuzini, nababengakhululeki kakhulu ngokwephulwa kwemithetho, abakuthandanga okwenziwayo; nazo zathumela enkosini, emfisa ukuba athumele ku-Ananus ukuthi angabe esaba ukwenza kanjalo, ngoba lokho ayesekwenzile kwakungalungisiswa; cha, abanye babo baya futhi ukuyohlangana no-Albinus … Khona-ke u-Albinus wahambisana nabakusho, futhi wabhala ngokuthukuthela ku-Ananus, futhi wamesabisa ngokuthi uzomletha esijezisweni ngalokho ayekwenzile; lapho inkosi u-Agripha yathatha kuye ubupristi obukhulu, esebuse izinyanga ezintathu kuphela, futhi wenza uJesu, indodana kaDamnewu, umpristi omkhulu.”
Ngaphandle kokuqinisekisa lokho umholi webandla laseJerusalema, 'UJames the Just', njengoba waziwa, wayehlonishwa kakhulu kumaJuda (c.f. IzEnzo 21:18-24), lapha sinenkomba ecacile kuye ngokuthi, ‘umfowabo kaJesu, owayebizwa ngokuthi uKristu’.
Abanye abagxeki baye basikisela ukuthi ‘owayebizwa ngokuthi uKristu’ inguqulo yobuKristu: kepha,
- Akukho lutho ku-vocabulary, okuqukethwe, njll., ukuphakamisa ukuthi umbhalo wonaniwe nganoma iyiphi indlela.
- Uma lo kwakungeyena uJakobe umfowabo kaKristu, kuyamangaza ukuthi uJosephus akanikezi enye inkomba yalokho u-Ananus ayenakho ngokumelene noJakobe: kanti ubutha ngomfowabo walowo ayembheka njengoMesiya wamanga buqondakala kalula.
- Isiqephu sicashunwe ngu-Origen ekuqaleni kuka-c.200 AD. Ngalesi sikhathi amaKristu ayeseyidlanzana elishushiswayo, ngakho-ke yayingenawo amandla okulawula okuqukethwe yimithombo yamaRoma noma yamaJuda.
- UJosephus ukhuluma ngabanye abantu abangaphezu kweshumi nambili okuthiwa uJesu. Kukhona enye ekugcineni kwalesi sigaba futhi, njengoba kubonakala, UJosephus ngokuvamile unikeza izincazelo ezengeziwe ukuze agweme ukudideka ezimweni ezinjalo.
- Isisho, ‘owayebizwa ngoKristu’, iyahambisana nomuntu, njengoJosephus, obefisa ukuqopha isihloko ngaphandle kokusigunyaza. Kodwa uma umhumushi ongumKristu ebone kudingekile ukuba anezele inkomba kuJesu, kungenzeka kakhulu ukuthi ubengasebenzisa umusho onjalo wokungazibophezeli.
- Bekungaba yini isisusa sokwengezwa okunjalo? Abagxeki besimanje basikisela ukuthi kwakuwukudala umbono ongewona womlando: kodwa bonke ubufakazi obukhona bubonisa ukuthi lokhu kwakwamukelwa njengeqiniso amaJuda namaRoma ngokufanayo. Ukube ubumlando bukaJesu bekuyinkinga, kungani kungekho neyodwa yalezi zingcaphuno zamaKristu okuqala esebenzisa uJosephus ngalenjongo?
Abanye baze bathi yonke inkomba ingumgunyathi: kodwa lokhu isifiso – abukho ubufakazi obusekela ukugomela okunjalo. Umbono omkhulu phakathi kosomlando bazo zonke izinkolelo ukuthi leli vesi liyiqiniso ngokuphelele.
Ubufakazi beFlavian
Umbhalo we-Testimonium Flavianum, njengoba kuvela eNcwadini 18, isahluko 3, ingxenye 3 kwe zonke izinguqulo ezisekhona zikaJosephus’ Izinto Zasendulo, ingahunyushwa kanje (ukuhlukahluka okungenzeka kukhonjiswe kubakaki):
“Ngalesi sikhathi kwakukhona uJesu, indoda ehlakaniphileyo, uma ngempela umuntu kufanele ambize ngendoda. Ngoba wayengomunye owenza (emangazayo / emangalisayo) isebenza, kanye nothisha wabantu abathole i (iqiniso / okungajwayelekile) ngenjabulo. Wavusa amaJuda amaningi namaGreki amaningi. WayenguKristu. Futhi lapho uPilatu emgwebela esiphambanweni, njengoba emangalelwe ngamadoda aphambili phakathi kwethu, labo ababemthanda kwasekuqaleni abazange bayeke, ngoba wabonakala kubo ngosuku lwesithathu, ukuba nokuphila futhi, njengoba abaprofethi bakaNkulunkulu babezibikezele lezi kanye nezinye izinto ezingenakubalwa ezimangalisayo ngaye. Futhi kuze kube manje isizwe samaKristu, eqanjwe kanjalo kuye, ayinyamalisiwe.” (Izinto Zasendulo, Bhukha 3, Ingxenye 3.)
Lokhu kuhle kakhulu ukuba kube yiqiniso! Ubani ngaphandle komKristu obengabhala izingxenye eziqokonyiswe? Empeleni, le ngcaphuno yacashunwa okokuqala ngu-Eusebius ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesi-4; kanti u-Origen, 100 iminyaka ngaphambili, usho lokho ngoJosephus, ‘ngenkathi engazange amamukele uJesu ngenxa kaKristu, wafakaza nokho ukuthi uJakobe wayeyindoda elunge kangaka.’ (Ukuphawula ngoMathewu, 10.17.)
Ngokusobala, ngakhoke, Josephus’ umbhalo wasekuqaleni unayo ishintshiwe. Umbuzo uthi, malini?
Lokhu kube yinkulumompikiswano enkulu yezazi. Abanye bathi lonke leli vesi lingamanga; kodwa kunezizathu ezizwakalayo zomlando zokwenqaba lo mbono.
- Abanye abagxeki bathi lesi siqephu ‘asisebenzi’. Isahluko siqala ngokulandisa ngezingxabano ezimbili phakathi kwamaJuda noPilatu, enye phezu kwezithombe zikaKhesari kanti enye ngokusebenzisa kabi imali engcwele ngomsebenzi wamanzi. Bese sinoJesu, elahlwe nguPilatu. Lokhu kulandelwa incazelo ende yehlazo ethempelini lika-Isis eRoma, elachithwa ngenxa yalo, nabapristi balo babulawa, futhi ekugcineni ngokulandisa kwelinye ihlazo elabangela ukudingiswa kwamaJuda eRoma. Uma okunye kwalokhu ‘bekungaphandle komongo’, kungaba isigameko se-Isis, elingenalo ithonya eliqondile ezindabeni zamaJuda; kodwa akekho ongabazayo ukuthi uJosephus wabhala lokhu, ngalokho izinto ezinjalo ezixhumene ngokuxekethile zifana nesitayela sakhe.
- Nokho, umongo wesiqephu unikeza impikiswano enamandla kakhulu ngokumelene kungukushumeka kobuKristu, ngoba eyandulela indaba kaJohane uMbhapathizi, okuvela izahluko ezimbili kamuva, e 18.5.2. UJosephus akalandeli ukulandelana kwezikhathi okuqinile, futhi ubona uJohane kuphela njengomshumayeli wokulunga; ngakho wenelisa kakhulu ukukhuluma ngoJesu’ ukufa, besaxoxa ngoPilatu, bese kuba nokufa kukaJohane, engxoxweni yakamuva ngoHerode. Kodwa ngokombono wobuKristu, lena indlela engalungile ngokuphelele, njengoba uJohane ayenguye i-foreuntner kaJesu; umKristu wayengeke nje akhethe leli phuzu ukuze afake ukuphawula okunjalo.
- Josephus’ okukhulunywa ngakho endimeni kaJakobe, kuJesu, othiwa uKristu,’ ngokwako kusikisela ukuthi uke wakhuluma ngalo Jesu. I- Testimonium Flavianum iyayandulela le nkomba futhi iyincazelo esobala kaJosephus’ ukukhulumela.
- Cabangela namazwi ka-Origen okuthi uJosephus ‘akazange amamukele uJesu ngenxa kaKristu’. Wazi kanjani? Uma uJosephus’ inkomba kuphela, ‘Jesu, othiwa uKristu,’ lokhu kungase kubonakale kuyinkomba elula kakhulu ukuchaza isiqiniseko sesitatimende sika-Origen.
- Njengoba uJosephus ekuvuma ngokucacile ukuba khona kukaJesu ngokuchaza uJakobe Onjengomfowabo, kungani engazange akhulume ngaye?
Ngokwesinye isandla, uma sivele sisuse izingxenye ezisolwa ngokusobala, sithola lokhu:
“Ngalesi sikhathi kwakukhona uJesu, indoda ehlakaniphileyo. Ngoba wayengomunye owenza (emangazayo / emangalisayo) isebenza, kanye nothisha wabantu abathole i (iqiniso / okungajwayelekile) ngenjabulo. Wavusa amaJuda amaningi namaGreki amaningi. Futhi lapho uPilatu emgwebela esiphambanweni, njengoba emangalelwe ngamadoda aphambili phakathi kwethu, labo ababemthanda kwasekuqaleni abazange bayeke. Futhi kuze kube manje isizwe samaKristu, eqanjwe kanjalo kuye, ayinyamalisiwe.”
Igama lesiGreki elithi ‘paradoxos’ ingahunyushwa ngokuthi 'okumangalisayo', noma 'okumangalisayo'. Abahumushi abangamaKristu ngokwemvelo bebengacabanga lokhu kwakamuva, kanti uJosephus kungenzeka wayesho eyokuqala. Igama elihunyushiwe, 'iqiniso', is 'talethe'; kodwa kuvame ukuphakanyiswa ukuthi lokhu bekumele kufundwe, weza’ (okungajwayelekile). Isisho, ‘akazange avume’, ihunyushwa ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene ngokuthi ‘ayizange iphele (ukumthanda)', '… (ukudala inkinga)', njll., kuye ngombono womhumushi; kepha, njengoba amagama akubakaki engaveli embhalweni, Ngizigcinele ekuhunyushweni ngokwezwi nezwi.
Ngakho, uma manje sibuyekeza ama-agumenti futhi ngokumelene nobuqiniso bombhalo osele, sithola:
- Okusele kuvumelana kakhulu nomsebenzi womJuda ongeyena umKristu kunomKristu.
- Ichaza ukuthi kungani u-Origen ayeqiniseka ngempela ukuthi uJosephus akazange amamukele uJesu. Akekho umKristu onganeliseka ngesitatimende esinjalo esingacacile nesingazibophezeli, lokho akukugxeki izenzo zamadoda aholayo angamaJuda (ngokungafani lokukhandwa ngamatshe kukaJakobe) futhi ubonakala emangala kancane ukuthi amaKristu akakashabalali.
- Ukuhlaziywa kombhalo kubonisa lokho, ngokungafani neze nezingxenye ezisusiwe, amagama nesitayela sokubhala kuvumelana ngokuphelele nesikaJosephus kwenye indawo emibhalweni yakhe. Lokhu kungaba umsebenzi omkhulu ngisho nakusazi sesimanje. Njengoba uJohn P. Meier, esinye seziphathimandla eziqavile ngale ndaba siyaphawula:
“Ukuqhathaniswa kwamagama phakathi kukaJosephus ne-NT akunikezi ikhambi elihlanzekile enkingeni yobuqiniso kodwa kusiphoqa ukuba sibuze ukuthi yisiphi isimo kwezimbili esingaba okungenzeka. Ingabe umKristu wekhulu leminyaka elithile elingaziwa wagxila kakhulu kumagama nesitayela sikaJosephus lokho, ngaphandle kosizo lwanoma yiziphi izichazamazwi namakhonkodensi esimanje, wakwazi (1) zihlubule isilulumagama se-NT ayezokhuluma ngaso ngokwemvelo ngoJesu futhi (2) akhiqize ngokuphelele isiGreki sikaJosephus engxenyeni enkulu ye-Testimonium – ngokungangabazeki ukudala ngokujulile umoya wokuhlukahluka – kuyilapho ngesikhathi esifanayo ebhubhisa umoya ngeziqinisekiso ezimbalwa zobuKristu ezinobungane? Noma kungenzeka ukuthi isitatimende esiwumongo, (1) esiqale sakuhlukanisa ngokumane sikhiphe lokho okungathinta noma ubani ekuqaleni njengeziqinisekiso zobuKristu, futhi (2) esabe sesithola ukuthi ibhalwe ngamagama ajwayelekile kaJosephan asuka ekusetshenzisweni kwe-NT., eqinisweni yabhalwa uJosephus ngokwakhe? Kulezi zimo ezimbili, Ngithola okwesibili kungenzeka kakhulu.” (Meier, ‘UmJuda Wasemakhaya: Ukucabanga kabusha ngoJesu Womlando)
Udaba oluyisisekelo lobuqiniso be-Testimonium luvame ukufiphazwa ukucashunwa nokudideka nezinye iziqephu zikaJosephan. (njengendaba yokubethelwa kukaMenakhemu), kanye nokuqagela mayelana nezinye izikhombo okungenzeka zilahlekile. Kungenzeka ukuthi uJosephus washo okwengeziwe ngoJesu, njengoba kushiwo ngu “Kitab al-'Unwan” idokhumenti: Ngokwesinye isandla, kungenzeka ukuthi wayengancomi kangako. Ukuhlaziywa kwekhompyutha kwakamuva kwembule okunye ukufana okuthakazelisayo phakathi kwe-Testimonium nezingxenye ze Luka 24, okusikisela ukuthi bobabili ababhali kungenzeka babekwazi ukuthola umthombo wangaphambili oqukethe i-akhawunti kaJesu’ Ukufa nokuvuka kukaJesu kwenza. Kodwa futhi, nakuba lokhu kungase kuthonye umbono wethu mayelana namazwi anembile kaJosephus’ umbhalo wasekuqaleni, akushintshi iqiniso lokuthi kukhona.
Umbono wethu ekugcineni uyohlale ungaphansi kombono wethu ngalokho uJosephus obekungalindeleka ukuba akusho ngokunengqondo: kodwa ithuba liwukuthi ukuhlehlisa okukhulunywe ngakho ngenhla kumele uhlaka lwakho oluyisisekelo. Okwethu, ngokungafani no-Origen, Indaba eyinhloko umlando kaJesu Kristu; kanye nereferensi kule migqa evamile (ephelele nezichibiyelo zabahlaziyi abangamaKristu abathukuthele!) iwuhlobo ngokuqondile lokuqinisekisa kwangaphandle isazi-mlando esingalindela ukukuthola.
kwadalwa Ikhasi by Kevin King