Ingabe kukhona okuye kwatholwa abacwaningi okufakazela lokho okushiwo yiBhayibheli? Ngo-2014, umagazini i-Biblical Archaeology Review wawunesihloko esinalo mbuzo: “Bangaki abantu okukhulunywa ngabo emiBhalweni yesiHebheru okunobufakazi bokuthi babekhona ngempela?” Impendulo yathi: “Cishe bangu-50!” UThathenayi wayengabaliwe kulabo bantu. Wayengubani uThathenayi? Ake sixoxe ngokuthi iBhayibheli lisitshelani ngaye.

IJerusalema lake laba yingxenye yoMbuso omkhulu wasePheresiya. Lisendaweni esentshonalanga yomfula i-Ewufrathe, abasePheresiya ababeyibiza ngokuthi Ingaphesheya-Komfula. Ngemva kokunqoba iBhabhiloni, abasePheresiya bakhulula amaJuda, bawagunyaza ukuba akhe kabusha ithempeli likaJehova eJerusalema. (Ezra 1:1-4) Nokho, izitha zamaJuda zamelana nalo msebenzi zaze zawamangalela ngokuvukela umbuso. (Ezra 4:4-16) Ngesikhathi kubusa uDariyu I (522-486 B.C.E.), isikhulu sasePheresiya uThathenayi, saluphenya lolu daba. IBhayibheli lithi uThathenayi ‘wayengumbusi wangaphesheya koMfula.’—Ezra 5:3-7.

Kunemibhalo eminingi yakudala ebhalwe ematsheni enegama elithi Thathenayi etholakele, okungenzeka yayingeyomndeni othile. Omunye wale mibhalo yesandla uyisivumelwano sokukhokha imali esenziwa ngonyaka wamashumi amabili okubusa kukaDariyu I, ngo-502 B.C.E., esikhuluma ngelungu elithile lomndeni elalazana noThathenayi okukhulunywa ngaye eBhayibhelini. Lo mbhalo uthi umuntu owayengufakazi lapho kwenziwa lesi sivumelwano kwakuyisisebenzi ‘sikaTattannu umbusi wendawo Engaphesheya Komfula,’ okuyilo Thathenayi okukhulunywa ngaye encwadini yeBhayibheli ka-Ezra.

Wawuyini umsebenzi kaThathenayi? Ngo-535 B.C.E., uKoresi Omkhulu wahlela umbuso wakhe waba nezifundazwe, esinye salezo zifundazwe sasibizwa ngokuthi iBhabhiloni Nendawo Engaphesheya Komfula. Kamuva, lesi sifundazwe sahlukaniswa kabili, enye ingxenye yaso yabizwa ngokuthi iNdawo Engaphesheya Komfula. Le ndawo yayihlanganisa iCoele-Syria, iFenike, iSamariya noJuda futhi ababusi bayo babehlala eDamaseku. UThathenayi wayephethe kule ndawo kusukela ngo-520 kuya ku-502 B.C.E.

UThathenayi waya eJerusalema eyophenya ngecala lokuvukela umbuso amaJuda ayemangalelwe ngalo. Ngemva kwalokho wabikela uDariyu ukuthi amaJuda athi ayeyithole kuKoresi imvume yokwakha kabusha ithempeli. Kwahlolwa imibhalo egciniwe eyayisesigodlweni kwatholakala ukuthi amaJuda ayeqinisile. (Ezra 5:6, 7, 11-13; 6:1-3) Ngakho, kwathiwa uThathenayi angawaphazamisi, wenza kanjalo ngempela.—Ezra 6:6, 7, 13.

‘UThathenayi umbusi wangaphesheya koMfula,’ akabalulekile kangako emlandweni. Nokho, lapho iBhayibheli likhuluma ngaye lisho ngokuqondile ukuthi wawuyini umsebenzi wakhe. Lobu ubufakazi bokuthi okutholwe abacwaningi kuyahambisana neBhayibheli.