[pm_isihloko]

Umbhali-mbali waseRoma kunye nesithethi uTacitus (c.55-120 AD) ubhala ukuba, emva koMlilo waseRoma 64 AD, kwavakala ukuba umlilo uqalwe ngokomyalelo kaNero:

“Ngenxa yoko, ukususa ingxelo, UNero walibethelela ityala waza walithuthumbisa ngokuqatha iqela elalithiyiwe ngenxa yamasikizi alo., ebizwa ngokuba ngamaKristu luluntu. UKrestu, ekuvela kuye igama, wafumana isohlwayo esiqatha ebudeni bolawulo lukaTibheriyo esandleni somnye wamabamba ethu, uPontiyo Pilato, kunye neyona nkolelo ikhohlakeleyo, kukhangelwe ixesha, kwaphinda kwaqhambuka kwelakwaYuda kuphela, umthombo wokuqala wobubi, kodwa naseRoma, apho zonke izinto ezoyikekayo nezilihlazo kuzo zonke iindawo zehlabathi zifumana indawo yazo kwaye zidume. Ngokufanelekileyo, kwabanjwa kuqala bonke ababelivuma ityala; ngoko, ngolwazi lwabo, kwagwetywa inkitha enkulu, hayi kakhulu ubugebenga bokudubula umzi, njengentiyo eluntwini. Ugculelo lwalo lonke uhlobo longezwa ekufeni kwabo. Zigqunywe ngofele lwezilwanyana, baqwengwa zizinja, babhubha, okanye babethelelwa eminqamlezweni, okanye bagwetyelwe emlilweni baze batshiswe, ukusebenza njengesikhanyiso sasebusuku, xa ukukhanya kwemini kuphelile. UNero wanikela ngezitiya zakhe ukuze enze lo mboniso, kwaye wayebonisa umboniso kwisekisi, ngoxa wayezidibanisa nabantu abanxibe ilokhwe yomqhubi wenqwelo yokulwa okanye eme phezulu emotweni. Yiyo loo nto, kwanakwizaphuli-mthetho ezazifanelwe sisohlwayo esiqatha nesingumzekelo, kwavela uvelwano; ngokuba bekungenjalo, njengoko kwakubonakala, ukuze kulungelwe uluntu, kodwa ukuphelisa ubugwenxa bomntu omnye, ukuba babetshatyalaliswa.” (Annals 15.44.)

Abaphengululi bamgqala uTacitus njengoyena babhali-mbali babalaseleyo bexesha lakhe. Ukuba ngumchasi ocacileyo wobuKristu, isibakala sokuba ekhankanya uYesu’ ukubethelelwa ngale ndlela kuthathwa njengobungqina obunamandla ngokugqithisileyo ngayo nayiphi na imigangatho yesiqhelo yembali. Enye, ngokuphikisanayo mkhulu, Okubalulekileyo kukuqinisekisa ukutshutshisa kukaNero amaKristu eRoma emva komlilo we 64 AD. Njengoko kubonisiwe kwenye indawo, esi siganeko sinceda ukungqina umhla wokuqala amaxwebhu eTestamente Entsha ngokwabo.

Abanye bacebisa ukuba uTacitus wathabatha nje ingxelo yakhe kwimithombo yobuKristu: kodwa isibakala sokuba akanalwazi ngemfundiso yobuKristu, ewajonga njengehlelo elenyanyekayo, yenza ukuba oku kungenzeki. Ngapha koko, ngokwesiqhelo ulumke kakhulu kwii-Annals zakhe ukwahlula phakathi kweenyaniso ezixeliweyo kunye nezo azijonga njengezisekelwe ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo afanelekileyo, usebenzisa amabinzana afana nala, ‘Kuthiwa,’ ‘Abanye baye bayibhala phantsi,’ etc. ngenxa yokuva, kwaye nkqu, ‘Ndilandele uninzi lwababhali-mbali,’ okanye ‘awona magunya maninzi nathembekileyo,’ kwiindawo apho avumayo ukuba kukho impikiswano. Ukanti ubhala ngoYesu’ ukubethelelwa njengento ecacileyo, ngaphandle kwesiqinisekiso.

Ukwabiza ubuKristu njengenkolelo ebulalayo, kwaye uthi amaKristu ayenetyala lolwaphulo-mthetho olucekisekayo!

Ukuba kwakukho amathandabuzo ngokuphathelele izibakala eziphathelele uYesu’ ukufa, UTacitus wayengenakuphoswa nethuba lokuthetha njalo; yaye, njengombhali-mbali waseRoma, ngewayesele ekulungele ukufikelela koovimba boBukhosi.

Kodwa oovimba baseBukhosini abanakuze bambize uYesu, ‘UKristu’, waye ke uPilato eyirhuluneli, hayi ummeli.

Yonke iTacitus’ iincwadi ezithetha ngexesha lasemva kongqingo ziye zanyamalala ngendlela engaqondakaliyo. Ngoba?

Buyela isihloko main.