OBU buncwane bafunyanwa ngoMatshi 1961, bufihlakele kwithanda eliphakathi kulo mqolomba yaye bubhijelwe ngeengcongolo, ibe babunezinto ezingaphezu kwe-400, uninzi lwazo izezobhedu. Phakathi kwazo kwakukho izithsaba, iintonga zasebukhosini, izixhobo zokusebenza, amagqudu nezinye izixhobo zokulwa. Oko kwafunyaniswa leli qela labembi kwenza umdla kakhulu kubafundi beBhayibhile kuba kudibana kakuhle noko kuthethwa yiGenesis 4:22 xa ibhekisela kuTubhali-kayin ‘njengomkhandi walo lonke uhlobo lwesixhobo sobhedu nentsimbi.’

Kusekho imibuzo emininzi ngemvelaphi yobu buncwane. Sekunjalo, ukufunyanwa kwabo kubonisa ukuba ukwembiwa, ukunyibilikiswa nokwenziwa kwezinto zobhedu kwakukho kwakudala kumazwe aseBhayibhileni.

Xa amaSirayeli ayekulungele ukungena eLizweni Lesithembiso, uMoses wathi kuwo: ‘Niya kumba ubhedu ezintabeni zalo.’ (Duteronomi 8:7-9) KwaSirayeli naseJordan abembi bezinto zakudala baye bafumana iindawo eziliqela zakudala ekwakusombiwa nekwakunyibilikiswa kuzo, njengaseFeinan, eTimna naseKhirbat en-Nahas. Zibonisa ntoni ezo ndawo?

EFeinan naseTimna kukho iindawo ezinemingxuma engekho nzulu kangako, apho abembi babesomba ubhedu ubuncinane iminyaka eyi-2 000. Nanamhlanje, ukuba uya khona uya kufika kuthe saa amatye amancinane anamabala aluhlaza obhedu. Abembi bakudala babesebenza nzima bekhupha ubhedu ngezixhobo ezenziwe ngamatye. Lwalusithi lwakunqongophala ubhedu, abembi basebenzise izixhobo ezenziwe ngentsimbi ukuze bombe nzulu, bavule imigodi namatonela. Incwadi yeBhayibhile kaYobhi isithela thsuphe ngalo msebenzi. (Yobhi 28:2-11) Lo msebenzi wawubilisa amadoda, kangangokuba abasemagunyeni eRoma bagqiba kwelokuba bagwebe izaphuli-mthetho ezincanyiweyo namanye amabanjwa ngokuwasebenzisa kumgodi wobhedu waseFeinan malunga neminyaka ye-200 ukuya kutsho kweye-400 kwixesha lethu.

EKhirbat en-Nahas (gama elo elithetha “Inkunkuma Yobhedu”) kwafunyanwa inqwaba yenkunkuma  edla ngokushiyeka xa kunyibilikiswa izimbiwa, nto leyo ebonisa ukuba kule ndawo kwakunyibilikiswa ubhedu. Abaphandi bakholelwa ukuba apha kwakuziswa amatye aqulethe izimbiwa avela kwimigodi yaseFeinan naseTimna. Xa kukhutshwa ubhedu ematyeni, umlilo wawukhwezelwa ukuze ube shushu kakhulu kangangeeyure ezisibhozo ukuya kwezilishumi. Ilitye eliziikhilogram ezintlanu lalikhupha ikhilogram yobhedu, eyayisenza izinto ezahlukeneyo.

ENtabeni yaseSinayi, uYehova uThixo wayalela ukuba xa kusakhiwa umnquba netempile yaseYerusalem kuze kusetyeziswe olu bhedu lumenyezelayo. (Eksodus, isahluko 27) Kusenokwenzeka ukuba amaSirayeli ayekwazi kwangaphambi kokuya eYiputa ukusebenza ngezimbiwa, okanye mhlawumbi akufunda apho. Oko sikubona xa ayephuma eYiputa, kuba akwazi ukwenza ithole legolide. Kwakhona akwazi nokwenza izinto ezininzi zobhedu ezazifuneka emnqubeni—njengesitya esikhulu, iimbiza, iipani, imihlakulo neefolokhwe.—Eksodus 32:4.

Kamva xa ayehamba entlango, mhlawumbi kufutshane nePunon (ekusenokwenzeka ukuba yileyo ibizwa ngokuba yiFeinan namhlanje), indawo enobhedu oluninzi, amaSirayeli akhalazela imana namanzi. UYehova wawohlwaya ngokuthumela iinyoka ezinobuhlungu, ibe kwafa abantu abaninzi. Emva kokuba amaSirayeli eguqukile, uMoses wawangxengxezela kuYehova, ibe uThixo wamyalela ukuba enze inyoka yobhedu aze ayixhome esibondeni. IBhayibhile ithi: “Bekusithi akulunywa yinyoka umntu aze ondele kwinyoka leyo yobhedu, atsho aphile.”—Numeri 21:4-10; 33:43.

UKumkani uSolomon wahombisa itempile yaseYerusalem ngobhedu oluninzi. Inxalenye eninzi yayifunyenwe nguyise, uDavide, emva kokuba oyise amaSiriya. (1 Kronike 18:6-8) ‘Ulwandle lobhedu olutyhidiweyo,’ isitya esikhulu ababehlambela kuso ababingeleli, sasinokungena iilitha eziyi-66 000 yaye ubunzima baso babumalunga neetoni eziyi-30. (1 Kumkani 7:23-26, 44-46) Kwakukho neentsika ezimbini ezinkulu zobhedu ezazimi kumnyango wetempile. Cala ngalinye lazo laliziisentimitha eziyi-7.5, ubude buziimitha eziyi-8 nobubanzi buziimitha eziyi-1.7, kuze phezu kwazo kubekho iingqukuva eziziimitha ezi-2.2. (1 Kumkani 7:15, 16; 2 Kronike 4:17) Kuyakhwankqisa ukucinga ngobuninzi bobhedu olwasetyenziswa ukwenza ezi zinto.

Ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile, abantu babesenza izinto ezininzi ngobhedu. Ngokomzekelo, sifunda ngezixhobo zemfazwe, amakhamandela, izixhobo zomculo neengcango ezenziwe ngobhedu. (1 Samuweli 17:5, 6; 2 Kumkani 25:7; 1 Kronike 15:19; INdumiso 107:16) UYesu wathetha ngemali ‘yobhedu’ eyayifakwa kwiinxili, ukanti yena umpostile uPawulos wathetha ‘ngoAleksandire umkhandi wobhedu.’—Mateyu 10:9; 2 Timoti 4:14.

Abembi bezinto zakudala basenemibuzo ngemvelaphi yobhedu elalisetyenziswa ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile kunye nobuncwane obafunyanwa eNahal Mishmar. Sekunjalo, kanye njengokuba iBhayibhile isitsho, ilizwe elafunyanwa ngamaSirayeli ‘lalilihle yaye ayeza kumba ubhedu ezintabeni zalo.’—Duteronomi 8:7-9.