KUMAHEBHERU ayeseZweni Lesithembiso, unyaka wawuqala ngokulima nokuhlwanyela, okuyinkathi kaSepthemba/​Okthoba osukwini lwethu.

Ikhalenda elisebenzisa inyanga esibhakabhakeni ukuze kubalwe izinsuku, elinezinyanga ezingu-12 (inyanga ngayinye inezinsuku ezingu-29 noma ezingu-30), linonyaka omfushane kune khalenda lonyaka ovamile. Kusetshenziswe izindlela ezihlukahlukene ukuze lezi zindlela ezimbili zokubala isikhathi zihambisane. Lokhu kungenziwa ngokwenezela izinsuku ezengeziwe noma ngezikhathi ezithile, kwenezelwe inyanga mhlawumbe ngaphambi kokuba kuqale unyaka olandelayo. Le ndlela yokubala yayenza ikhalenda lihambisane nezinkathi zonyaka okwakutshalwa noma kuvunwe ngazo.

Kodwa ngesikhathi sikaMose, uNkulunkulu watshela abantu bakhe ukuthi unyaka ongcwele kufanele uqale ngenyanga ka-Abhibhi noma ngoNisani, entwasahlobo. (Eks. 12:2; 13:4) Umkhosi owawenziwa ngale nyanga wawuhilela ukuvunwa kwebhali.​—Eks. 23:15, 16.

Encwadini yaso ethi The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ, (175 B.C.–A.D. 135), isazi u-Emil Schürer uthi: “Umthetho owasetshenziswa ukuze kunqunywe ukuthi iyenezelwa yini inyanga noma cha wawulula kakhulu. IPhasika okumelwe ligujwe ngoNisani (Nisani 14), lapho inyanga igcwele khona, kumelwe lihlale lingemva kwenkathi yasentwasahlobo lapho imini nobusuku kulingana . . . Ngakho uma ngasekupheleni konyaka kwakubonakala sengathi iPhasika lizoba ngaphambi kwenkathi yasentwasahlobo, lapho imini nobusuku kulingana khona, kwakunqunywa ukuba kufakwe inyanga yesi-13 ngaphambi kukaNisani.”

OFakazi BakaJehova basebenzisa le ndlela lapho benquma usuku olufanele lweSidlo SeNkosi Sakusihlwa, esiba ngentwasahlobo futhi siqondana noNisani 14 ekhalendeni lesiHebheru. Amabandla emhlabeni wonke aziswa ngalolu suku kusengaphambili. *

Kodwa amaHebheru ayazi kanjani ukuthi izophela nini inyanga nokuthi entsha izoqala nini? Namuhla, ungavele ubheke ikhalenda elinyathelisiwe noma elisemshinini wakho wezobuchwepheshe. Nokho, ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli kwakungelula ngaleyo ndlela.

Ngesikhathi sikaZamcolo, izinyanga zaziba izinsuku ezingu-30. (Gen. 7:11, 24; 8:3, 4) Kamuva, kumaHebheru inyanga yayingabi izinsuku ezingu-30 ngaso sonke isikhathi. Ekhalendeni lesiHebheru, inyanga yayiqala lapho kubonakala ucezu lwenyanga entsha esibhakabhakeni. Lokho kwakuba izinsuku ezingu-29 noma ezingu-30 ngemva kokuqala kwenyanga eyandulele.

Kunesikhathi lapho uDavide noJonathani babekhuluma khona ngenyanga entsha bethi: “Kusasa kwethwasa inyanga.” (1 Sam. 20:5, 18) Ngakho, kubukeka sengathi ngekhulu lika-11 B.C.E., izinyanga zazibalwa kusasele isikhathi. Ama-Israyeli ayazi kanjani ukuthi inyanga entsha isiqalile? I-Mishnah, eyinhlanganisela yomthetho wamaJuda odluliselwa ngomlomo nesiko, isinikeza imininingwane ethile. Ibonisa ukuthi ezikhathini zangemva kokubuya kwamaJuda ekudingisweni, kwakunquma iSanhedrini (inkantolo ephakeme yamaJuda). Phakathi nezinyanga eziyisikhombisa zemikhosi, inkantolo yayihlangana ngosuku luka-30 enyangeni. Lawo madoda ayenomthwalo wokunquma ukuthi yayizoqala nini inyanga elandelayo. Ayenquma kanjani?

Amadoda ayebekwe emagqumeni noma ezindaweni eziphakeme ngaseJerusalema ayeqapha isibhakabhaka ebusuku ukuze abone lapho kuqala ukuvela ucezu lwenyanga entsha. Ngokushesha ayebikela iSanhedrini. Lapho iqembu lamadoda eSanhedrini selinomuzwa wokuthi kunobufakazi obanele bokuthi inyanga entsha yayibonakele esibhakabhakeni, ayememezela ukuqala kwenyanga entsha. Kodwa kwakwenziwani uma inkungu noma amafu kusitha amadoda ayesemagqumeni,  kuwenze angaluboni ucezu lwenyanga entsha esibhakabhakeni? Izinsuku zaleyo nyanga zazenziwa zibe ngu-30, ngemva kwazo inyanga entsha yayingaqala.

I-Mishnah ibonisa ukuthi isinqumo seSanhedrini sasimenyezelwa ngokuba kubaswe umlilo eNtabeni Yeminqumo, eduze kwaseJerusalema. Kwakubaswa imililo nakwezinye izindawo eziphakeme kwa-Israyeli ukuze kusakazwe umyalezo. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kwakuthunyelwa izithunywa. Ngakho amaJuda ayeseJerusalema, kulo lonke elakwa-Israyeli, nayekweminye imiphakathi eqhelile, ayetshelwa ngokuqala kwenyanga entsha. Ngenxa yalokho, wonke ayengagubha imikhosi yezikhathi ezithile zonyaka ngesikhathi esifanayo.

Ishadi elifakiwe lingase libe usizo ukuze uqonde ukuthi izinyanga zesiHebheru, imikhosi nezinkathi zonyaka kwakuhlobene kanjani.