Posacedwapa, akatswili ocita kafuku-fuku anacita cidwi ndi mapale a mtsuko wakale umene unaumbidwa zaka 3,000 zapitazo. Mapale amenewo anawapeza mu 2012. Koma kodi n’ciani maka-maka cimene cinawacititsa cidwi? Sikuti anacita cidwi ndi mapalewo cabe, koma ndi mau amene analembedwapo.

Akatswili ofukula zinthu zakale atalumikiza mapalewo bwino-bwino, anakwanitsa kuŵelenga mawuwo. Mau ake ni akuti: “Esibaala Beni [mwana wa] Beda’.” Aka n’koyamba akatswili ofukula zinthu zakale kupeza dzina limeneli m’zolemba zakale.

Munthu wina wochedwa Esibaala amachulidwa m’Baibo. Iye anali mmodzi wa ana a Mfumu Sauli. (1 Mbiri 8:33; 9:39) Pulofesa Yosef Garfinkel, amene anagwila nawo nchito yofukula mapalewo, anati: “N’zocititsa cidwi kuona kuti dzina lakuti Esibaala lipezeka m’Baibo ndiponso m’zolemba zakale, panthawi ya ulamulilo wa Mfumu Davide cabe.” Anthu ena amaganiza kuti dzina limeneli linali kugwilitsidwa nchito m’nthawi imeneyo cabe. Apanso zolemba zakale zinaonetsa kuti mau a m’Baibo ni oona.

Pa lemba lina m’Baibo, dzina lakuti Esibaala linalembedwa kuti Isi-boseti, kuonetsa kuti mbali yakuti “baala” inaloŵedwa m’malo na mau akuti “boseti.” (2 Sam. 2:10) Cifukwa ciani? Ofufuza amakamba kuti: “M’buku la 2 Samueli sanagwilitsile nchito dzina lakuti Esibaala cifukwa linali kukumbutsa Aisiraeli za mulungu wamvula wa Akanani wochedwa Baala. Koma dzina limeneli. . . lipezekabe m’Buku la Mbiri.”