KANGANGEMINYAKA, abantu abagxeka iBhayibhile bebesithi uKumkani uBheleshatsare ekuthethwa ngaye kwincwadi kaDaniyeli akazange abekho. (Dan. 5:1) Babesitsho kuba abembi bezinto zakudala abazange bafumane nto ebonisa ukuba wakhe waphila. Kodwa loo nto yatshintsha ngo-1854. Yatshintshiswa yintoni?

Ngaloo nyaka, ummeli weBritani uJ. G. Taylor wafumana amabhodlo esixeko sakudala iUre, ngoku ebizwa ngokuba ngumzantsi weIraq. Wafumana amatye kwinqaba enkulu. La matye aziisentimitha ezilishumi ayebhalwe ngoonobumba abatsolo. Kwelinye ilitye kwakubhalwe umthandazo wokuba uKumkani uNabhonidas waseBhabhiloni nonyana wakhe omdala uBheleshatsare baphile ixesha elide. Nabantu abagxeka iBhayibhile bavuma ukuba la matye abonisa ukuba wakhe waphila nyhani uBheleshatsare.

NeBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba uBheleshatsare wakhe waphila, ide ithi wayengukumkani. Naleyo abantu abagxeka iBhayibhile abazange bayikholelwe. Ngokomzekelo, kwiminyaka emalunga no-1875 isazinzulu esiliNgesi, uWilliam Talbot, sabhala ukuba abanye abantu bathi “uBheleshatsare wayelawula ngexesha elinye notata wakhe uNabhonidas. Kodwa akukho nto ibonisa ukuba yenzeka nyhani loo nto.”

Yonke loo nto yalunga xa amanye amatye abonisa ukuba utata kaBheleshatsare, uKumkani uNabhonidas, wayekhe akabikho eBhabhiloni kangangeminyaka ngexesha awayengukumkani ngalo. Kwenzeka ntoni ngelo xesha? IEncyclopaedia Britannica ithi: “Xa uNabhonidas wayekwelinye ilizwe, washiya uBheleshatsare kwisihlalo sakhe waza wamphathisa nomsebenzi omninzi kumkhosi wakhe.” Ngoko uBheleshatsare wayelawula notata wakhe ngelo xesha. UAlan Millard ongumembi wezinto zakudala nonguprofesa uthi ifanele “incwadi kaDaniyeli ukuthi uBheleshatsare ‘wayengukumkani.’”

Kodwa bona abakhonzi bakaThixo bayibona kwaseBhayibhileni into yokuba incwadi kaDaniyeli inokuthenjwa ibe iphefumlelwe nguThixo.—2 Tim. 3:16.