UMNYAKA wamaHebheru eLizweni Lesithembiso wawuqala ngesikhathi sokulima lokuhlanyela. Khathesi isikhathi leso siqondana loSeptember lo-October.

Abantu babebona ukuthi inyanga ilensuku ezingaki ngokubala amalanga aphakathi kokuthwasa kwenyanga kokuqala kusiya kokulandelayo. Lokhu kwakuthatha amalanga angu-29 loba angu-30. Babebala ubude bomnyaka besebenzisa ilanga. Kodwa umnyaka obalwa kusetshenziswa inyanga mfitshane kulalowo obalwa kusetshenziswa ilanga. Yikho kwakumele abantu laba badinge izindlela zokwenza iminyaka le ihambelane. Lokhu babekwenza ngokwengezelela amalanga umnyaka omutsha ungakaqalisi kumbe ngokwengezelela inyanga eyodwa eminyakeni ethile. Nxa babekwenza lokhu, ikhalenda yabo yayiqondana lezikhathi zokulima lezokuvuna.

Kodwa ngesikhathi sikaMosi uJehova watshela abantu bakhe ukuthi endabeni zokukhonza umnyaka wabo kwakumele uqale ngenyanga ka-Abhibhi eyayibizwa langokuthi nguNisani. Khathesi inyanga le iqondana loMarch lo-April. (Eks. 12:2; 13:4) Ngenyanga leyo kwakusiba lomkhosi wesivuno sebhali.—Eks. 23:15, 16.

Isikhwicamfundo okuthiwa ngu-Emil Schürer sithi kwakulula ukwazi ukuthi kwengezelelwe nini eyinye inyanga kukhalenda. Siqhubeka sisithi: ‘Umkhosi wePhasika kwakumele uhlale usenziwa sekwedlule ilanga elilamahora emini lebusuku alinganayo ngenyanga kaNisani (mhlaka 14) ngesikhathi inyanga igcwele. Nxa kwakungananzelelwa umnyaka ususiyaphela ukuthi iPhasika yayizakuba khona ilanga elilamahora alinganayo emini lebusuku lingakafiki, kwakusengezelelwa inyanga [yesi-13] uNisani engakaqalisi.”

OFakazi bakaJehova basebenzisa indlela le ukuze babone ukuthi iSidlo SeNkosi Sakusihlwa sizabe sikhona ngaliphi ilanga. Ilanga lelo liba khona ngoMarch kumbe ngo-April futhi liqondana loNisani 14 kukhalenda yamaHebheru. Amabandla emhlabeni jikelele atshelwa kuseselesikhathi ukuthi ilanga lelo linini. *

Kodwa amaHebheru ayesibakwazi njani ukuthi inyanga iphela nini lokuthi enye iqalisa nini? Khathesi ungazikhangelela nje ikhalenda ephrintiweyo kumbe esefonini. Kodwa kudala kwakungalula kangako.

Ngezinsuku zikaNowa inyanga yayilamalanga angu-30. (Gen. 7:11, 24; 8:3, 4) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi inyanga yamaHebheru yayingahlali isiba lamalanga angu-30. Inyanga yamaHebheru yayiqalisa nxa inyanga ithwasa nje, isaseluzipho. Lokhu kwakusenzakala ngemva kwamalanga angu-29 kumbe angu-30 kuqale inyanga esiphelile.

Ngelinye ilanga, uDavida loJonathani bakhuluma ngokuqalisa kwenyanga entsha, bathi: “Kusasa kulomkhosi wokuthwasa kwenyanga.” (1 Sam. 20:5, 18) Yikho kukhanya ngalesosikhathi kwakusaziwa kuseselesikhathi ukuthi inyanga yayizaphela nini futhi elandelayo iqale nini. Kodwa ama-Israyeli ayesibakwazi njani lokhu? Ibhuku okuthiwa yiMishnah elilemithetho lamasiko amaJuda likhuluma ngalokho okwakusenziwa yiSanihedrini (umthethwandaba omkhulu wamaJuda) amaJuda esephendukile ekuthunjweni. Umthethwandaba lo wawuhlangana ngelanga lesi-30 ngenyanga eziyisikhombisa okwakusenziwa ngazo imikhosi. Amadoda la yiwo ayelomsebenzi wokubona ukuthi inyanga entsha iqala nini. Ayekwenza njani lokho?

Kwakusiba lamadoda ayetshelwa ukuthi ame endaweni eziphakemeyo eJerusalema ukuze abone nxa inyanga isithwasa. Kwakusithi ingathwasa ahle atshele iSanihedrini. Nxa iSanihedrini yayisilobufakazi obeneleyo bokuthi inyanga isithwasile, yayitshela abantu ukuthi inyanga entsha isiqalile. Kodwa kwakusenziwani nxa kulamayezi kumbe kulenkungu eyayisenza kube nzima ukuthi amadoda ayesima endaweni eziphakemeyo abone ukuthi inyanga isithwasile? Babesithi kungedlula amalanga angu-30  enyangeni abayabe bekuyo baqalise entsha ngelanga elilandelayo.

IMishnah ithi nxa iSanihedrini yayisitshilo ukuthi inyanga entsha isiqalisile kwakubaswa umlilo phezu kweNtaba Yama-Oliva eyayiseduze kweJerusalema. Lakwezinye indawo eziphakemeyo kulo lonke elako-Israyeli kwakubaswa umlilo ukuze abantu bazi ukuthi sekuqale inyanga entsha. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi izithunywa yizo ezasezitshela abantu ngalokho. Yikho amaJuda ayehlala eJerusalema lakulo lonke elako-Israyeli lakwezinye indawo ayetshelwa nxa inyanga entsha isiqalisile. Lokhu kwakubanceda bonke ukuthi bananze imikhosi ngamalanga afananayo.

Itshathi esesihlokweni lesi izakunceda uzwisise inyanga lemikhosi lezikhathi zomnyaka zamaHebheru.