9. UMhlaba waseTestamenteni eliDala

INtaba i-Ararati Yindawo ejwayelekile lapho umkhumbi kaNowa wahlala khona (Gen. 8:4). Lendawo lapho ikhona impela ayaziwa.

Uri Yilapho kwahlala khona u-Abrahama okokuqala, maduze nomlomo we-Ewufrathe, lapho acishe waba khona ngumhlatshelo wokunikelwa kwabantu, wabona ingelosi kaJehova, futhi wathola i-Urimi neThumimi (Gen. 11:28–12:1; Abr. 1; 3:1). (Qaphela futhi enye indawo okungase kube yiyo i-Uri eMesopotamiya engasenyakatho.)

Babiloni, Babele (Shineyari) Yilapho kwahlala khona okokuqala uKhushe, indodana kaHamu, futhi nalapho kwahlala khona uNimrode. Yindawo lapho abakwaJarede ababesuka khona ngesikhathi somBhoshongo waseBabele emathafeni aseShineyari. Kamuva yaba yikomkhulu lesifunda laseBabiloni futhi nalapho kwakuhlala khona amakhosi aseBabiloni, kuhlanganisa noNebukadinesari owathumbela kulelidolobha abaJuda abaningi kulandela ukubhujiswa kweJerusalema (ngonyaka wama 587 ngaphambi kukaKristu). AbaJuda bahlala ekuthunjweni eBabiloni iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa kwaze kwaba yisikhathi seNkosi uKoresi, owavumela abaJuda ukuba babuyele eJerusalema ukuze bakhe kabusha ithempeli. UDaniyeli umphrofethi naye wayehlala lapha ngaphansi kukaNebukadinesari, noBelishasari, kanye noDariyu wokuqala (Gen. 10:10; 11:1–9; Ⅱ AmaKh. 24–25; Jer. 27:1–29:10; Hez. 1:1; Dan. 1–12; Omini 1:22; Etere 1:33–43).

Shushani (Susa) Yisiqongo soMbuso wasePheresiya ngaphansi kokubusa kukaDariyu wokuqala (uDariyu oMkhulu), noHishashita (u-Ahashiveroshi), kanye no-Aritahishashita. Yilapho kwakuhlala khona iNdlovukazi u-Esteri, owasindisa abaJuda ngesibindi kanye nangokholo lwakhe. UDaniyeli futhi kamuva noNehemiya babesebenza lapha (Neh. 1:1; 2:1; Esteri 1:1; Dan. 8:2).

IThafa laseDura UShadiraki, uMeshaki, kanye no-Abedi-Nego baphonswa esithandweni somlilo ngesikhathi benqaba ukukhonza isithombe segolide esenziwa nguNebukadinesari; iNdodana kaNkulunkulu yabasindisa, futhi baphuma esithandweni bengalimele (Dan. 3).

Asiriya I-Ashuri kwakuyisiqongo sokuqala sase-Asiriya, yayilandelwa yiNineve. Ababusi base-Asiriya uShalimaneseri wesihlanu kanye noSarigoni wesibili banqoba uMbuso wakwa-Israyeli oseNyakatho futhi bathumba izizwana ezilishumi ngo 721 ngaphambi kukaKristu (Ⅱ AmaKh. 14–15; 17–19). I-Asiriya yayiyingozi kuJuda kwaze kwaba ngu 612, ngesikhathi i-Asiriya inqotshwa yiBabiloni.

Nineve Yisiqongo sase-Asiriya. I-Asiriya yahlasela izwe lakwaJuda ngesikhathi sokubusa kukaHezekiya kanye nobufundisi bomprofethi u-Isaya. IJerusalema, isiqongo sakwaJuda, yasindiswa ngesimangaliso ngesikhathi ingelosi ishaya amabutho ase-Asiriya ayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili nanhlanu (Ⅱ AmaKh. 19:32–37). INkosi yatshela umphrofethi uJona ukuba abizele lelidolobha empendukweni (Jona 1:2; 3:1–4).

Harana U-Abrahama wahlala lapha okwesikhashana ngaphambi kokuba aye eKhanani. Uyise ka-Abrahama kanye nomfowabo bahlala lapha. URebeka (umfazi ka-Isaka), uRaheli, uLeya, uBiliha, kanye noZilipa (abafazi baJakobe), babevela kulendawo (Gen. 11:31–32; 24:10; 29:4–6; Abr. 2:4–5).

Kharikemishi UFaro uNekho wehlulwa lapha nguNebukadinesari, okwaqeda amandla aseGibithe eKhanani (Ⅱ IziKr. 35:20–36:6).

Sidoni Lelidolobha lakhiwa nguSidoni, umzukulu kaHamu, futhi liyidolobha lamaKhanani elisenyakatho impela (Gen. 10:15–20). Kwakuyikhaya lika-Jezebeli, owaletha ukukhonzwa kukaBali kwa-Israyeli (Ⅰ AmaKh. 16:30–33).

Tire Lelidolobha elincane kwakungelentengiso kanye netheku elibalulekile eSiriya. UHiramu waseTire wathumela umsida kanye negolide kanye nezisebenzi ukuba zisize uSolomoni ekwakheni ithempeli lakhe (Ⅰ AmaKh. 5:1–10, 18; 9:11).

Damaseku U-Abrahama wasindisa uLoti maduze nalapha. Kwakuyidolobha elikhulu laseSiriya. Ngesikhathi sokubusa kweNkosi uDavide, abakwa-Israyeli balinqoba lelidolobha. U-Eliya wagcoba uHazayeli ukuba abe yinkosi eDamaseku (Gen. 14:14–15; Ⅱ Sam. 8:5–6; Ⅰ AmaKh. 19:15).

Khanani U-Abrahama, u-Isaka, uJakobe kanye nabezi zukulwane zabo banikwa lelizwe ukuba libe ngelabo ingunaphakade (Gen. 17:8; 28).

INtaba yaseSinayi (Horebe) INkosi yakhuluma kuMose esihlahleni esivuthayo (Eks. 3:1–2). UMose wanikwa umThetho kanye nemiYalelo eliShumi (Eks. 19–20). INkosi yakhuluma ku-Eliya ngezwi elincane, elihashazayo (Ⅰ AmaKh. 19:8–12).

Esiyoni-Geberi INkosi uSolomoni yakha “imikhumbi” e-Esiyoni-Geberi (Ⅰ AmaKh. 9:26). Mhlawumbe kulelitheku indlovukazi yaseSheba, emuva kokuzwa ngodumo lukaSolomoni, yeza ukuzombona (Ⅰ AmaKh. 10:1–13).

Gibithe U-Abrahama wahamba weza lapha ngenxa yendlala enkulu e-Uri (Abr. 2:1, 21). INkosi yatshela u-Abrahama ukuba afundise amaGibithe lokho eyayimambulele kona. (Abr. 3:15). Emva kokuthi abafowabo baJosefa bemthengisele ebugqilini (Gen. 37:28), uJosefa waba ngumbusi wendlu kaPotifari lapha. Waphonswa etilongweni. Wachaza iphupho likaFaro futhi wanikwa isikhundla sokuphatha eGibithe. UJosefa kanye nabafowabo balethwa lapha. UJakobe kanye nomndeni wakhe bathuthela lapha (Gen. 39–46). Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babehlala eGosheni ngesikhathi sokungenisa kwabo eGibithe (Gen. 47:6).

Abakwa-Israyeli bazala “bachuma, banda”; babe sebefakwa ebugqilini ngamaGibithe (Eks. 1:7–14). Emuva kwezinhlupho ezilandelanayo uFaro wabavumela abakwa-Israyeli ukuba bahambe eGibithe (Eks. 12:31–41). UJeremiya wayiswa eGibithe (Jer. 43:4–7).

Katifori (Krethe) Izwe lasemandulo labantu bakwaMinosi.