Josephus.
N.B. Eli phepha alinayo i “Simplified IsiNgesi” inguqulelo.
Uguqulelo oluzenzekelayo lusekwe kwiteksti yokuqala yesiNgesi. Zingaquka iimpazamo ezibalulekileyo.
Uzalwe e 37 AD kwintsapho yababingeleli, wakhulela eYerusalem, UJosephus watyelela okokuqala eRoma kwiminyaka yakhe yokuqala yama-20 njengommeli wamaYuda wezobupolitika; yaye xa imvukelo yamaYuda yaqalisayo ekuqaleni walwa nxamnye namaRoma. Kodwa, xa yathinjwa nguVespasian, UJosephus wavakalisa ukuba uVespasian wayemiselwe ukuzalisekisa isiprofeto samaYuda samandulo ngokuba nguMlawuli waseRoma.. Xa oku kwenzeka ngokwenene, UVespasian wanika uJosephus inkululeko yakhe waza kamva wamamkela, esongeza kuye igama lentsapho kaFlavius.
Wachaswa njengomngcatshi ngabantu bakhe, akazange aphumelele ukucenga abakhuseli beYerusalem ukuba banikezele; waza wazibonela ngokwakhe ukuwa kwayo. La mava, kunye nokufikelela kwakhe kwimithombo yamaYuda neyamaRoma kwakusisiseko semisebenzi yakhe emibini emikhulu. ‘Imfazwe yamaYuda’, ipapashwe malunga 78 AD, yayiyimbali yovukelo, kunye ‘Nezinto Zamandulo ZamaYuda’, a 20 Umqulu wembali yabantu bamaYuda, yapapashwa malunga 93 AD. Eminye imisebenzi emibini eyenziwe nguye nayo iyasinda: 'Ngokuchasene ne-Apion', ukhuselo lobuYuda kumgxeki ongumRoma, kunye 'noBomi', ngobomi bakhe, eyapapashwa ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yesibini. Akwaziwa ukuba wafa nini kanye kanye.
UJosephus’ umsebenzi uqulathe inani leembekiselo ezibonelela ngobungqina bembali yeerekhodi zevangeli.
UYOHANE UMBUTHO
Kwizinto zamandulo, 18.5.2, UJosephus uxubusha ngobulungiseleli bukaYohane umBhaptizi.
“Ngoku amanye amaYuda ayecinga ukuba intshabalalo yomkhosi kaHerode ivela kuThixo, kwaye oko ngobulungisa kakhulu, njengesohlwayo sento awayenzayo kuYohane, loo nto yayibizwa ngokuba ngumBhaptizi: kuba uHerode wambulala, owayeyindoda elungileyo, wawamisela amaYuda ukuba enze isidima, nobulungisa omnye komnye, nokuhlonela uThixo, baze ngokunjalo beze elubhaptizweni; ngenxa yoko ukuhlamba [enamanzi] iya kwamkeleka kuye, ukuba baye bayisebenzisa, kungekhona ngenjongo yokulahlwa [okanye uxolelo] kwezinye izono [kuphela], kodwa ngenxa yokuhlanjululwa komzimba; ecinga nokuba umphefumlo wenziwe nyulu ngenxa engaphambili, ngobulungisa. Ngoku nini [abaninzi] abanye beza kuye bebaninzi, ngokuba bekhwankqiswe kunene [okanye ndonwabile] ngokuva amazwi akhe, uHerode, owayesoyikela ukuba impembelelo enkulu awayenayo uYohane phezu kwabantu inokuyibeka egunyeni lakhe nakutyekelo lokuvelisa imvukelo., (kuba babebonakala bezimisele ukwenza nantoni na abeya kuyicebisa,) ndacinga ngcono, ngokumbulala, ukuthintela nabuphi na ububi anokubenza, kwaye angazingenisi ebunzimeni, ngokuyinqanda indoda enokumenza aguquke kuyo xa sele kusemva kwexesha. Ngako oko wathunyelwa ibanjwa, ngenxa yomsindo kaHerode, ukuya eMacherus, inqaba endikhe ndayikhankanya ngaphambili, wabulawa khona. Ngoku amaYuda ayenoluvo lokuba ukutshatyalaliswa kwalo mkhosi kwathunyelwa njengesohlwayo kuHerode, kunye nophawu lokungamkholisi kukaThixo.”
Isibakala sokuba uJosephus engamnxulumanisi uYohane noYesu ayisothusi njengoko sinokubonakala; Izenzo 13:25 ikwenza kucace ukuba uYohane waqala ukuthetha ngoYesu ngasekupheleni kobulungiseleli bakhe. Ngokufanayo, nangona indlela awayeyiqonda ngayo injongo kaHerode yokumbulala yahlukile kwiingxelo zevangeli; izibakala eziphambili ziyavumelana.
Phantse bonke abaphengululi bayabuvuma ubunyaniso besi sicatshulwa.
UYakobi Olungileyo
Okubaluleke ngakumbi nangoku, le yimbekiselo elandelayo yokufa kukaYakobi, umzalwana kaYesu, ukusuka kwi-Antiquities 20.9.1:
“Kwaye ngoku uKesare, akuva ngokufa kukaFesto, wathumela uAlbinus kwelakwaYuda, njengommeli. Kodwa ukumkani wamhlutha uYosefu ububingeleli obukhulu, kwaye ulandelelwano kweso sidima wanika unyana ka-Ananus, owayebizwa nangokuthi nguHananisi. … Kodwa lo Ananus omncinci, I-WHO, njengoko besesinixelele kakade, wathabatha ububingeleli obukhulu, wayeyindoda ekhaliphileyo, kwaye ukhohlakele kakhulu; naye wayengomnye wehlelo labaSadusi, abangqongqo kakhulu ekugwebeni aboni, ngaphezu kwawo onke amanye amaYuda, njengoko sele sibonile; nini, ke ngoko, UAnanus wayekulo mbono, wayecinga ukuba ngoku wayenethuba elifanelekileyo. Ngoku uFesto wayesele efile, kwaye uAlbinus wayesendleleni; ngoko wayibizela ndawonye intlanganiso yamatyala, zaziswa phambi kwabo umzalwana kaYesu, owayebizwa ngokuba nguKristu, ogama linguYakobi, kunye nabanye; waza wabanika isityholo sokuba ngabachasi-mthetho, wabanikela ukuba baxulutywe ngamatye: kodwa ngabo babonakala bengabona bathe tye kubemi, nabangabona bangonwabanga ekwaphulwa kwemithetho, babengayithandi into eyenziwayo; nazo zathumela kukumkani, bemcela ukuba athumele kuHananiya, ukuba angabi senjenjalo, kuba oko ebeselekwenzile, bekungayi kugwetyelwa; hayi, abanye babo baya kuhlangana noAlbinus … Emva koko uAlbinus wathobela oko bakuthethayo, waza wabhala ngomsindo kuAnanus, waza wamgrogrisa ngelithi uya kumohlwaya ngenxa yento ayenzileyo; awathi ukumkani uAgripa wabuthabatha kuye ububingeleli obukhulu, ekulawuleni kwakhe iinyanga zantathu, wenza uYesu, unyana kaDamneus, umbingeleli omkhulu.”
Ngaphandle kokuqinisekisa ukuba inkokeli yebandla laseJerusalem, ‘UYakobi Olungileyo’, njengoko waye waziwa, wayehlonelwa kakhulu ngamaYuda (c.f. Izenzo 21:18-24), sinayo apha isalathiso esicacileyo kuye njengo, ‘umntakwabo Yesu, owayebizwa ngokuba nguKristu’.
Abanye abahlalutyi baye bathi ‘lowo wayebizwa ngokuba nguKristu’ yinguqulelo yobuKristu: kodwa,
- Akukho nto kwisigama, umxholo, njl, ukucebisa ukuba okubhaliweyo kuphazanyiswe ngayo nayiphi na indlela.
- Ukuba lo yayingengoYakobi umzalwana kaKristu, kuyamangalisa ukuba uJosephus akanikeli enye into ebonisa oko uAnanus wayenako nxamnye noYakobi: kanti ubutshaba kumzalwana walowo wayemgqala njengoMesiya wobuxoki buqondwa ngokulula.
- Isicatshulwa sicatshulwe ngu-Origen ekuqaleni kwe-c.200 AD. Ngeli xesha amaKristu ayeseliqaqobana elitshutshiswayo, yaye ke ngoko akazange abe nolawulo kumxholo wemithombo yamaRoma okanye yamaYuda.
- UJosephus ukhankanya abantu abangaphezu kweshumi elinesibini ekuthiwa nguYesu. Kukho enye ekupheleni kwalo mhlathi kanye, njengoko kunokubonwa, Ngokuqhelekileyo uJosephus unikela iingcaciso ezongezelelekileyo ukuze aphephe ukubhideka kwiimeko ezinjalo.
- Ibinzana, ‘owayebizwa ngokuba nguKristu’, iyahambelana nomntu, njengoJosephus, obenqwenela ukurekhoda isihloko ngaphandle kokusixhasa. Kodwa ukuba umKristu oguqulela uye wakubona kuyimfuneko ukongeza imbekiselo kuYesu, akunakwenzeka ukuba waye wasebenzisa ibinzana elinjalo lokungazibophelelanga.
- Bekunokuba yintoni intshukumisa yokongezwa okunjalo? Abathandabuzi bale mihla bacebisa ukuba yayikukudala inkohliso yembali: kodwa bonke ubungqina obukhoyo bubonisa ukuba oku kwamkelwa njengenyaniso ngamaYuda namaRoma ngokufanayo. Ukuba ubumbali bukaYesu bebungumba, kutheni le nto kungekho nasinye kwezi zicatshulwa zamaKristu okuqala esebenzisa uJosephus ngale njongo?
Abanye baye bathi yonke ireferensi yenziwe: kodwa lo ngumnqweno wokufuna – abukho ubungqina obuxhasa inkcazo enjalo. Uluvo olukhulu phakathi kwababhali-mbali bazo zonke iimpembelelo kukuba le sicatshulwa siyinyani ngokupheleleyo.
Ubungqina beFlavian
Umbhalo weTestimonium Flavianum, njengoko kubonakala kwiNcwadi 18, Isahluko 3, icandelo 3 ye zonke iinguqulelo ezikhoyo zikaJosephus’ Izinto zamandulo, inokuguqulelwa ngolu hlobo lulandelayo (ukwahluka okunokwenzeka okuboniswe kwizibiyeli):
“Ngeli xesha kukho uYesu, indoda elumkileyo, ukuba okunene kufuneka ambize ngokuthi uyindoda. Kuba nguye owayenzayo (iyamangalisa / emangalisayo) isebenza, kunye nomfundisi-ntsapho wabantu abafumene i- (inyaniso / engaqhelekanga) ngokuzonwabela. Waxhokonxa amaYuda amaninzi, kwanamaGrike amaninzi;. Yena wayenguKristu. Kwaye xa uPilato wamgwebelayo emnqamlezweni, ekubeni wayemangalelwe ngamadoda amakhulu phakathi kwethu, abo babemthanda kwasekuqalekeni abazange bayeke, kuba wabonakala kubo ngomhla wesithathu, ukuba nobomi kwakhona, njengoko abaprofeti bakaThixo babezixele kwangaphambili ezi nezinye izinto ezininzi ezimangalisayo ngaye. Kwaye ukuza kuthi ga ngoku isizwe samaKristu, igama elinjalo kuye, ayipheli.” (Izinto zamandulo, Incwadi 3, Icandelo 3.)
Oku kuhle kakhulu ukuba kube yinyaniso! Ngubani ngaphandle komKristu obenokubhala iinxalenye ezibonisiweyo? Inyaniso, esi sicatshulwa sicatshulwe okokuqala nguEusebius ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yesi-4; kanti uOrigen, 100 kwiminyaka ngaphambili, utsho ngoJosephus ukuba, ‘ngoxa engazange amamkele uYesu ngenxa kaKristu, nangona kunjalo wanikela ubungqina bokuba uYakobi wayeyindoda elilungisa.’ (Amagqabantshintshi ngoMateyu, 10.17.)
Ngokucacileyo, ke ngoko, UJosephus’ umbhalo wokuqala uye itshintshiwe. Umbuzo ngulo, kagakanani?
Lo ibingumbandela oxutyushwa kakhulu ngabaphengululi. Abanye bathi yonke le ndinyana ayiyonyani; kodwa kukho izizathu ezivakalayo zembali zokuyigatya le mbono.
- Abanye abahlalutyi bathi isicatshulwa 'asikho emxholweni'. Isahluko siqala ngokubalisa ngeengxabano ezimbini phakathi kwamaYuda noPilato, enye iphezu kwemifanekiso kaKesare ize enye isebenzise kakubi imali engcwele kwiprojekthi yamanzi. Emva koko sinoYesu, egwetywe nguPilato. Oku kulandelwa yinkcazo ende yehlazo kwitempile kaIsis eRoma, ngenxa yoko yatshatyalaliswa, babulawa ababingeleli bayo, yaye ekugqibeleni ngengxelo yelinye ihlazo elabangela ukugxothwa kwamaYuda eRoma. Ukuba nayiphi na kwezi ‘yayingekho emxholweni’, kuya kuba sisiganeko se-Isis, engenanto yakwenza ngqo nemicimbi yamaYuda; kodwa akukho mntu uthandabuzayo ukuba uJosephus wabhala oku, ngokuba ezo zinto ziqhagamshelwe ngokukhululekileyo ziqhelekile kwisimbo sakhe.
- Nangona kunjalo, Umxholo wesi sicatshulwa ubonelela ngengxoxo enamandla ngakumbi ngokuchasene ibe luphawu lobuKristu, ngayo eyandulela ingxelo kaYohane umbhaptizi, evela kwizahluko ezibini kamva, ngaphakathi 18.5.2. UJosephus akalandeli ubalo-maxesha olungqongqo, kwaye ubona uYohane kuphela njengomshumayeli wobulungisa; ngoko wanelisekile kukukhankanya uYesu’ ukufa, ngoxa bexoxa ngoPilato, kwaza kwalandela ukufa kukaYohane, kwingxoxo kamva ngoHerode. Kodwa ngokwembono yobuKristu, le yindlela engalunganga ngokupheleleyo, njengokuba uYohane wayenjalo umphambili kaYesu; umKristu ebengayi kukhetha le ngongoma ukuze afakele amagqabaza anjalo.
- UJosephus’ isalathiso kwisicatshulwa sikaYakobi, kuYesu, owayebizwa ngokuba nguKristu,’ yona ngokwayo ibonisa ukuba wayekhe wakhankanya lo Yesu ngaphambili. I<em>Testimonium Flavianum iyandulela le mbekiselo yaye iyingcaciso ecacileyo kaJosephus’ isilawuli.
- Kwakhona khawucinge ngamagqabaza kaOrigen athi uJosephus ‘akazange amamkele uYesu ngenxa kaKristu’. Wazi njani? Ukuba uJosephus’ kuphela ireferensi, 'UYesu, owayebizwa ngokuba nguKristu,’ oku kuya kubonakala kubhidekile kakhulu ekuchazeni ukuqiniseka kwengxelo kaOrigen.
- Ekubeni uJosephus ebuvuma ngokucacileyo ubukho bukaYesu ngokuchaza uYakobi othe Kanye njengomntakwabo, kwakutheni ukuze angamkhankanyi noko?
Kwelinye icala, ukuba sisusa ngokulula izahlulo ezikrokrelayo ngokucacileyo, sifumana oku:
“Ngeli xesha kukho uYesu, indoda elumkileyo. Kuba nguye owayenzayo (iyamangalisa / emangalisayo) isebenza, kunye nomfundisi-ntsapho wabantu abafumene i- (inyaniso / engaqhelekanga) ngokuzonwabela. Waxhokonxa amaYuda amaninzi, kwanamaGrike amaninzi;. Kwaye xa uPilato wamgwebelayo emnqamlezweni, ekubeni wayemangalelwe ngamadoda amakhulu phakathi kwethu, abo babemthanda kwasekuqalekeni abazange bayeke. Kwaye ukuza kuthi ga ngoku isizwe samaKristu, igama elinjalo kuye, ayipheli.”
Igama lesiGrike elithi ‘paradoxos’ inokuguqulelwa ngokuba 'kuyamangalisa', okanye 'kumnandi'. Abaguquleli abangamaKristu ngokwendalo bebeya kuyicinga le yokugqibela, ngoxa uJosephus esenokuba wayethetha ngeyokuqala. Igama eliguqulelweyo, ‘inyaniso’, yi 'talethe'; kodwa kudla ngokucetyiswa ukuba oku kufanele ukuba kufundwe, weza’ (engaqhelekanga). Ibinzana, ‘akazange ayeke’, ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo iguqulelwe ngokuthi ‘akazange ayeke (ukumthanda)', '… (ukwenza ingxaki)', njl, kuxhomekeke kwimbono yomguquleli; kodwa, kuba amagama afakwe kwizibiyeli engaveli kwisicatshulwa, Ndiye ndazivalela kwinguqulelo ethe ngqo ngakumbi.
Ke, ukuba ngoku sijonga kwakhona iingxoxo ezichasene nokunyaniseka kwesicatshulwa esiseleyo, sifumana:
- Okuseleyo kuvisisana ngakumbi nomsebenzi womYuda ongengomKristu kunokuba kunjalo nakulowo womKristu.
- Ichaza isizathu sokuba uOrigen aqiniseke ukuba uJosephus akazange amamkele uYesu. Akukho mKristu unokwaneliseka yintetho entsonkothileyo nengazibophelelanga ngolo hlobo, ayinikeli zikhalazo ngezenzo zamadoda aphambili angamaYuda (ngokungafaniyo nokuxulutywa ngamatye kukaYakobi) kwaye ubonakala emangalisiwe kukuba amaKristu akakapheli.
- Uhlalutyo lombhalo lubonisa oko, ngokungafaniyo nezahlulo ezicinyiweyo, isigama nesimbo sokubhala singqinelana ngokupheleleyo neso sikaJosephus kwenye indawo kwimibhalo yakhe. Oku kuya kuba yinto enkulu nakwisifundiswa sale mihla. Njengoko uJohn P. Meier, elinye lawona magunya aphambili ngalo mbandela ligqabaza:
“Uthelekiso lwesigama phakathi kukaJosephus ne-NT ayisicombululi esicocekileyo kwingxaki yokunyaniseka kodwa kuyasinyanzela ukuba sibuze ukuba yeyiphi imeko kwezimbini enokwenzeka.. Ngaba umKristu wenkulungwane ethile engaziwayo uye wazintywilisela kwisigama nesimbo sikaJosephus eso, ngaphandle koncedo lwazo naziphi na izichazi-magama neekhonkodensi zanamhlanje, wakwazi (1) wazihluba isigama se-NT awayeza kuthetha ngaso ngendalo ngoYesu kwaye (2) bavelise ngokugqibeleleyo isiGrike sikaJosephus kuninzi lweTestimonium – ngokungathandabuzekiyo ukudala umoya oguquguqukayo – ngelixa kwangaxeshanye etshabalalisa umoya ngeengqinisekiso ezimbalwa zobuKristu? Okanye ngaba kunokwenzeka ngakumbi ukuba ingxelo engundoqo, (1) esiqale sayikhetha ngokukhupha into enokubetha nabani na ekuqaleni njengeziqinisekiso zobuKristu, yaye (2) esathi ke safumanisa ukuba sibhalwe ngokwesiqhelo isigama sikaJosephan esaphambukayo ekusetyenzisweni kwe-NT., enyanisweni yabhalwa nguJosephus ngokwakhe? Kwiimeko ezimbini, Ndifumanisa ukuba eyesibini inokwenzeka ngakumbi.” (Meier, ‘UmYuda waselwandle: Ukucinga kwakhona ngoYesu weMbali)
Umba osisiseko wobunyaniso beTestimonium usoloko ugutyungelwa kukucaphulwa kakubi nokubhideka nezinye iindinyana zikaJosephan. (njengebali lokubethelelwa kukaMenakem), nangokuthelekelela ngezinye iimbekiselo ezinokuba zilahlekile. UJosephus usenokuba wathetha okungakumbi ngoYesu, njengoko kuchazwa ngu “Kitab al-'Unwan” uxwebhu: kwelinye icala, usenokuba wayengancomi kangako. Uhlalutyo lwakutsha nje lwekhompyuter luveze ezinye ukufana okumangalisayo phakathi kweTestimonium kunye neenxalenye ze ULuka 24, ecebisa ukuba bobabini ababhali banokuba babenokufikelela kumthombo wangaphambili onengxelo kaYesu’ ukufa nokuvuka. Kodwa kwakhona, nangona oku kusenokuyiphembelela imbono yethu ngokuchaneka kwamagama kaJosephus’ umbhalo wokuqala, ayitshintshi into yokuba ikhona.
Imbono yethu ekugqibeleni iya kusoloko ixhomekeke kuluvo lwethu koko uJosephus wayenokulindeleka ngokusengqiqweni ukuba akuthethe: kodwa okunokwenzeka kukuba uhlaziyo olukhankanyiweyo ngasentla lumele isakhelo salo esisisiseko. Yeyethu, ngokungafaniyo no-Origen, umba ophambili yimbali kaYesu Krestu; kunye nereferensi kule migca ngokubanzi (igcwele izilungiso ngabahlalutyi abacaphukileyo abangamaKristu!) kanye kanye luhlobo lwesiqinisekiso sangaphandle umbhali-mbali ebenokulindela ukukufumana.
indalo yekhasi Kevin King