Bewati Yini?
Ngaphandle kwaloko lokushiwo liBhayibheli, ngubuphi lobunye bufakazi lobukhona bekutsi ema-Israyeli bekatigcili eGibhithe?
LiBhayibheli litsi ngemuva kwekutsi emaMidiyani atsatse Josefa amyise eGibhithe, Jakobe nemndeni wakhe besuka eKhenani baya eGibhithe. Bafike bahlala esifundzeni saseGibhithe lesibitwa ngekutsi yiGosheni, lebesisedvute nemfula iNayili. (Gen. 47:1, 6) Ema-Israyeli achubeka ‘andza futsi aba nemandla kakhulu.’ Ngako baseGibhithe bacala kuwesaba ema-Israyeli futsi bawaphocelela kutsi abe tigcili.—Eks. 1:7-14.
Bantfu labaphikisana neliBhayibheli lamuhla, batsi lendzaba lengenhla iyinganekwane. Nobe kunjalo, bufakazi bukhombisa kutsi ema-Semite * (emaHebheru akadzeni) bekatigcili eGibhithe yasendvulo.
Labacwaninga ngemlandvo batfole tintfo letitsite enshonalanga yeGibhithe labekuhlala khona bantfu. Dkt. John Bimson ubike kutsi kunebufakazi lobungaba ngu-20 nobe ngetulu lobukhombisa kutsi bekuhlala ema-Semite kulendzawo lesenshonalanga yeGibhithe. Ngetulu kwaloko, sati semlandvo saseGibhithe James K. Hoffmeier, utsi: “Cishe kusukela nga-1800 kuya ku-1540 B.C., iGibhithe beyiyindzawo lenhle kakhulu yekutsi bantfu bema-Semite base-Asia bahlale kuyo.” Uchubeka atsi: “Lesikhatsi siyefana nesikhatsi sebuNhloko futsi loko kucondzana kahle nesikhatsi kanye netimo letichazwe encwadzini yaGenesisi.”
Kunalobunye bufakazi lobukhona lobuseningizimu yeGibhithe. I-papyrus leyabhalwa cishe nga-c. 2000–c. 1600 B.C.E., inemagama etigcili lebetisebenta kulenye indlu leseningizimu yaseGibhithe. Emagama langetulu kwalangu-40 aletigcili, bekawema-Semites. Letigcili, nobe letisebenti betipheka, titfunga futsi tenta naleminye imisebenti yemandla. Hoffmeier watsi: “Njengobe bekangetulu kwa-40 ema-Semites lebekasebenta kulendlu leseThebaid [eningizimu yeGibhithe], kuyabonakala kutsi linani lema-Semites ikakhulukati ngasemfuleni iNayili belilikhulu kakhulu.”
David Rohl losati semlandvo wabhala kutsi lamanye emagama etigcili lakuloluhla “afanana nemagama latfolakala eBhayibhelini.” Nasi sibonelo, tincenye letitsite letitfolakele tinemagama lafana nalelitsi Isakhari, Asheri nalelitsi Shifra. (Eks. 1:3, 4, 15) Rohl utsi, “Loku kubufakazi mbamba bekutsi ema-Israyeli bekaseGibhithe futsi atigcili ngaleso sikhatsi.”
Dkt. Bimson utsi: “Loko lokuchazwe eBhayibhelini lobekwenteka eGibhithe kanye nekukhululwa kwema-Israyeli kungumlandvo loliciniso.”
^ sig. 4 Ligama lelitsi Semite lisuselwe egameni laShemi lobekangulenye yemadvodzana aNowa lamatsatfu. Kungenteka kutsi titukulwane taShemi betifaka ekhatsi sive sema-Elamu, sema-Asiriya, semaKhaledi, semaHebheru, semaSiriya kanye naletinye tive tema-Arabhu letehlukehlukene.
