Mataʻitohi Matatōtao Motuʻá mo e Tohi Tapú

HILI hono fakapuputuʻuʻi ʻa e lea ʻa e faʻahinga ʻo e tangatá ʻi Pēpelí, naʻe tupu hake ai ha ngaahi founga tohinima kehekehe. Ko e kakai naʻe nofo ʻi Mesopotēmiá, ʻo hangē ko e kau Sumēliá mo e kau Pāpiloné naʻa nau ngāueʻaki ʻa e mataʻitohi matatōtaó. Ko e haʻu ʻa e mataʻitohi matatōtaó mei he fakaʻilonga tapa tolu naʻe tupu mei he faʻahinga peni naʻe tohiʻaki ʻo ʻilonga ʻi he ʻumea vivikú.

Kuo maʻu ʻe he kau keli fakatotoló ha ngaahi konga tohi matatōtao ʻa ia ʻoku lāulea ai ki he kakai mo e ngaahi meʻa naʻe hoko ʻoku lave ki ai ʻi he Tohi Tapú. Ko e hā ʻoku tau ʻilo fekauʻaki mo e faʻahinga tohinima motuʻa ko ení? Pea ko e hā e fakamoʻoni ki he alafalalaʻanga ʻa e Tohi Tapú ʻoku ʻomai ʻi he ngaahi tohi ko iá?

Lēkooti Kuo Tolonga Mai

ʻOku tui ʻa e kau mataotaó ko e muʻaki faʻahinga tohinima ne ngāueʻaki ʻi Mesopotēmiá naʻe tā fakatātaaʻi ia, ʻaki ha fakaʻilonga pe ko ha fakatātā ʻokú ne fakafofongaʻi ha foʻi lea pe ko ha fakakaukau. Ko e fakatātaá, ko e fakaʻilonga ki ha pulu naʻe ʻuluaki hā ia ʻo hangē ko e ʻulu ʻo ha pulú. ʻI he fakautuutu ʻa e fiemaʻu ke tauhi ha lēkooti ʻo ha ngaahi meʻá, naʻe faʻu ai ʻa e mataʻitohi matatōtaó. “Ko e ngaahi fakaʻilongá ʻoku lava ke ne fakafofongaʻi he taimí ni ʻo ʻikai ngata pē ʻi he ngaahi foʻi leá kae pehē foki ki ha ngaahi silapa, ʻa ia ko e niʻihi ai naʻe lava ke fakatahaʻi ia ke ne fakafofongaʻi ʻa e ngaahi silapa ʻo ha foʻi lea,” ko e fakamatala ia ʻa e NIV Archaeological Study Bible. Faifai atu pē, naʻe ʻai ai ʻe he ngaahi fakaʻilonga kehekehe ʻe 200 nai ʻa e mataʻitohi matatōtaó “ke ne fakafofongaʻi moʻoni atu ʻa e leá, mo e kotoa ʻo e tuʻunga fihi ʻo e ngaahi foʻi leá mo e kalamá.”

ʻI he taimi ʻo ʻĒpalahamé, ʻi he 2,000 K.M. nai, naʻe kamata ke lahilahi hono ngāueʻaki ai ʻa e mataʻitohi matatōtaó. ʻI he senituli ʻe 20 hoko mai aí, naʻe ngāueʻaki ai ʻa e faʻahinga mataʻitohí ni ʻi ha lea nai ʻe 15. Laka hake he peseti ʻe 99 ʻo e ngaahi konga tohi mataʻitohi matatōtao kuo maʻú naʻe hiki ia ʻi he ngaahi lauʻi ʻumea. Kuo maʻu hake ʻo laka he taʻu ʻe 150 fakamuimuí ʻa e ngaahi lauʻi ʻumea lahi fau pehē ʻi ʻUa, ʻŪlaki, Pāpilone, Nimilati, Nipa, ʻAsa, Ninive, Malī, ʻEpelā, ʻIukaliti mo ʻĀmana. ʻOku fakahaaʻi ʻe he Archaeology Odyssey: “ʻOku fakafuofua ʻe he kau mataotaó kuo ʻosi keli ʻo maʻu hake ʻa e ngaahi lauʻi ʻumea mataʻitohi matatōtao ʻe taha ki he ua miliona, pea ʻoku maʻu ʻi he taʻu kotoa pē ʻa e toe lauʻi ʻumea tohi matatōtao ʻe 25,000 pe ofi ki ai.”

Ko e kau mataotao ʻi he tohi matatōtaó ʻoku nau fai ʻi māmani lahi ʻa e ngāue lahi mo faingataʻa fakaʻulia ko hono liliu lea ia. Fakatatau ki he fakafuofua ʻe taha, “ko e 1/10 pē nai ʻo e ngaahi konga tohi matatōtao kuo maʻú kuo ʻosi lau tuʻo taha ʻi onopōní.”

Ko hono maʻu hake ʻo e ngaahi konga tohi matatōtao naʻe leaʻaki ʻi ha lea ʻe ua pe tolú ʻa e kī ki hono fakaʻuhingaʻi ʻo e tohi matatōtaó. Kuo ʻiloʻi ʻe he kau mataotaó ko e ngaahi konga tohi ko ení naʻe maʻu ai ʻa e fakamatala tatau kuo tohi ʻi he ngaahi lea kehekehe ʻa ia naʻe hiki kotoa ʻi he mataʻitohi matatōtaó. Ko e meʻa naʻe tokoni ke lava ai ʻo tala hono ʻuhingá, ko e ʻiloʻi ʻa hono toutou tohi ai ʻo e ngaahi hingoa, ko e ngaahi hingoa fakalakanga, ngaahi laine hohoko ʻo ha kau pule pea naʻa mo e ngaahi fakalea ʻoku hā ai ʻa e fakahīkihikiʻi-kita.

ʻI he 1850 tupú, naʻe lava ke lau ai ʻe he kau mataotaó ʻa e lea tuifio ʻa e Hahake Lotolotó, lea faka-ʻĀkatá pe ʻAsīlia-Pāpiloné ʻi he mataʻitohi matatōtaó. ʻOku fakamatala ʻa e Encyclopædia Britannica: “ʻI he lava pē ʻo fakaʻuhingaʻi ʻa e lea faka-ʻĀkatá, naʻe mahinoʻi leva ai ʻa e tefito ʻo e faʻahinga lea ko iá pea naʻe ʻomai ai ʻa e sīpinga ki hono tala e ʻuhinga ʻo e ngaahi lea kehe ʻi he tohi matatōtaó.” ʻOku anga-fēfē ʻa e felāveʻi ʻa e ngaahi tohinimá ni mo e Tohi Tapú?

 Fakamoʻoni ʻOku Tatau mo e Tohi Tapú

ʻOku fakahaaʻi ʻe he Tohi Tapú naʻe puleʻi ʻa Selusalema ʻe ha ngaahi tuʻi Kēnani ʻo aʻu ki he taimi naʻe toki ikunaʻi ai ʻe Tēvitá, ʻi he 1070 K.M. nai. (Sios. 10:1; 2 Sam. 5:4–9) Ka naʻe veiveiua ʻi he meʻá ni ʻa e kau mataotao ʻe niʻihi. Kae kehe, ʻi he 1887 naʻe maʻu ai ʻe ha fefine tauhi ngoue ha lauʻi ʻumea ʻi ʻĀmana, ʻIsipite. Ko e ngaahi tohi ʻe 380 naʻe faifai pē ʻo maʻu aí naʻe ʻiloʻi ko e fetuʻutaki fakapuleʻanga ia ʻi he vahaʻa ʻo e ongo pule ʻo ʻIsipité (ʻAmenihotepi III mo ʻAkihenatoni) mo e ngaahi puleʻanga Kēnaní. Ko e tohi ʻe ono ai meia ʻApitī-Hepa, ko e pule ʻo Selusalemá.

ʻOku fakahaaʻi ʻe he Biblical Archaeology Review: “Ko e lave māʻalaʻala ʻa e ngaahi lauʻi ʻumea ʻĀmaná ki Selusalema ko ha kolo, ʻo ʻikai ko ha konga kelekelé, pea mo e lave ki he tuʻunga ʻo ʻApitī-Hepa ko ha . . . kōvana ʻa ia naʻe ʻi ai hono ʻapi nofoʻanga mo haʻane kau sōtia fakakautau ʻIsipite ʻe toko 50 ʻi Selusalemá, ʻoku fakahuʻunga ai ko Selusalemá ko ha kiʻi puleʻanga ia ʻi ha fonua moʻungaʻia.” Ko e tohi tatau pē naʻe pehē ai ʻi ha taimi ki mui: “ʻOku tau falala pau nai, makatuʻunga ʻi he ngaahi tohi ʻĀmaná, naʻe ʻi ai ha kolo ʻa ia naʻe ʻiloa ʻi hono taimí.”

Ngaahi Hingoa ʻi ha Ngaahi Lēkooti ʻi ʻAsīlia mo Pāpilone

Ko e kau ʻAsīliá pea ki mui ai ko e kau Pāpiloné, naʻa nau hiki honau hisitōliá ʻi ha ngaahi lauʻi ʻumea, pea pehē ki ha ngaahi silinitā, ngaahi maka fuololoa mo e ngaahi maka fakamanatu. Ko ia ʻi he taimi ne lava ai ʻo fakaʻuhingaʻi ʻe he kau mataotaó ʻa e tohi matatōtao faka-ʻĀkatá, naʻa nau ʻilo ai ʻoku lave ʻi he ngaahi tohí ki he kakai ʻoku toe ʻasi honau hingoá ʻi he Tohi Tapú.

ʻOku pehē ʻe he tohi The Bible in the British Museum: “ʻI heʻene lea ʻi he 1870 ki he Sōsaieti ʻo e Keli Fakatotolo ki he Tohi Tapú ʻa ia ne toki fokotuʻu foʻoú, naʻe malava ke fakahaaʻi ai ʻe Dr. Samuel Birch [ʻi he tohi matatōtaó ʻa e ngaahi hingoa ʻo e] tuʻi Hepelū ko ʻOmilai, ʻĒhapi, Sehu, ʻAsalaia . . . , Menahemi, Peka, Hōsea, Hesekaia mo Manase, ko e ngaahi tuʻi ʻAsīlia ko Tikilati-Pilesa . . . [III], Sākoni, Senakalipe, ʻEsahatoni mo ʻAsapanipale, . . . mo e kau Sīlia ko Penihētati, Hesaeli mo Lesini.”

Ko e tohi The Bible and Radiocarbon Dating ʻoku fakafehoanaki ai ʻa e hisitōlia ʻo ʻIsileli mo Siuta ʻi he Tohi Tapú pea mo e ngaahi tohi matatōtao motuʻá. Ko e hā ʻa e olá? “ʻOku ʻasi fakakātoa ai ʻa e ngaahi tuʻi ʻe 15 pe 16 ʻo Siuta mo ʻIsileli, ʻi he lēkooti mei he ngaahi fonua kehé, ʻo tatau kotoa ʻa ʻenau ngaahi hingoá mo e taimí mo ia ʻi he [tohi Tohi Tapu ʻo e] Ngaahi Tuʻí. ʻOku ʻikai ha tuʻi ʻe taha ʻe kehe mei ai, pea ʻoku ʻikai fakahaaʻi ʻe he ngaahi fonua kehé ha hingoa ʻoku ʻikai te tau ʻiloʻi ʻi he tohi Ngaahi Tuʻí.”

Ko e tā tongitongi mataʻitohi matatōtao ʻiloa ʻe taha ʻi he 1879, ko e Silinitā Kōlesí, ʻoku fakamatala ai ʻi he hili ʻene ikunaʻi ʻa Pāpilone ʻi he 539 K.M., naʻe ngāueʻaki ai ʻe Kōlesi ʻa ʻene lao ki hono fakafoki ʻa e kau pōpulá ki honau ngaahi fonua tupuʻangá. Naʻe kau ʻi he faʻahinga ne maʻu ʻaonga mei aí ʻa e kau Siú. (Esela 1:1-4) Kuo fehuʻia ʻe he kau mataotao tokolahi ʻi he senituli hono 19 ʻa e alafalalaʻanga ʻo e lao ko iá ʻi he lave ki ai ʻa e Tohi Tapú. Kae kehe, ko e ngaahi tohi matatōtao mei he vahaʻa taimi ʻo e pule ʻa Pēsiá, ʻo kau ai ʻa e Silinitā Kōlesí, ʻoku ʻomai ai ʻa e fakamoʻoni fakatuipau ʻoku tonu ʻa e lēkooti ʻi he Tohi Tapú.

ʻI he 1883 naʻe maʻu ai ha loki tauhiʻanga ʻo e ngaahi tohi matatōtao laka hake he 700 ʻi Nipa, ofi ki Pāpilone. ʻI he kotoa ʻo e ngaahi hingoa ʻe 2,500 naʻe ʻasi aí, ko e 70 ai ʻoku lava ke fakapapauʻi ko e ngaahi hingoa faka-Siu. ʻOku nau ʻasí, ko e lau ia ʻa e faihisitōlia ko Edwin Yamauchi, “ko e faʻahinga ne nau kau ʻi ha konituleki, kau fakafofonga, kau fakamoʻoni, kau tānaki tukuhau mo e kau ʻōfisa fakatuʻi.” Ko e fakamoʻoni naʻe hokohoko atu ʻa e kau Siú ʻi hono fai ʻo e ngaahi ngāue pehē ofi ki Pāpilone ʻi he vahaʻa taimi ko ení ʻoku mahuʻinga. ʻOkú ne poupouʻi ʻa e fakamatala fakaekikite ʻa e Tohi Tapú ʻo pehē lolotonga naʻe foki ha “toenga” ʻo e kau ʻIsilelí ki Siutea mei he nofo pōpula ʻi ʻAsīlia mo Pāpiloné, ko e tokolahi naʻe ʻikai te nau foki.—Ai. 10:21, 22.

Lolotonga ʻa e ʻuluaki mileniumé K.M., naʻe ʻi ai ʻa e tohi matatōtaó fakataha mo e tohi fakaʻalafapetí. Ka naʻe faifai atu pē ʻo liʻaki ʻe he kau ʻAsīliá mo e kau Pāpiloné ʻa e tohi matatōtaó ʻi heʻenau saiʻia ko ia ʻi he tohi fakaʻalafapetí.

Ko e laui kilu ʻo e ngaahi lauʻi ʻumea kuo tānaki ʻi he ngaahi mesiumé ʻoku kei toe pē ke fai hano ako. Ko e ngaahi tohi kuo ʻosi lava ʻo fakaʻuhingaʻi ʻe he kau mataotaó ʻoku ʻomai ai ʻa e fakamoʻoni fakatuipau ki he alafalalaʻanga ʻa e Tohi Tapú. Ko hai ʻokú ne ʻiloʻi atu ʻa e fakamoʻoni lahi ange ʻoku toe nai ke ʻomai ʻe he ngaahi tohi kuo teʻeki ke fai ha ako ki aí?

[Maʻuʻanga ʻo e Tā ʻi he peesi 21]

Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum