Mu mwaka wa 2012, abahanga mu byataburuwe mu matongo babonye ibimene by’ikibindi bimaze imyaka 3.000. None se ni iki cyabashishikaje? Ntibashishikajwe n’ibyo bimene ubwabyo, ahubwo bashishikajwe n’amagambo yari abyanditseho.

Igihe abo bashakashatsi baterateranyaga ibyo bimene, bashoboye gusoma amagambo yari yanditseho mu nyuguti za kera z’Abanyakanani. Hari handitseho ngo “Eshba’al Ben Beda’,” bisobanurwa ngo “Eshibali mwene Beda.” Bwari ubwa mbere abahanga babona iryo zina mu nyandiko za kera.

Hari undi muntu witwa Eshibali uvugwa muri Bibiliya, akaba yari umuhungu w’Umwami Sawuli (1 Ngoma 8:33; 9:39). Umwarimu wo muri kaminuza witwa Yosef Garfinkel wari mu bataburuye ibyo bimene, yagize ati “izina Eshibali ryabonekaga muri Bibiliya ku ngoma y’Umwami Dawidi gusa, none ribonetse no mu byataburuwe mu matongo.” Hari abumva ko iryo zina ryakoreshwaga muri icyo gihe gusa. Iki ni ikindi kimenyetso kivuye mu byataburuwe mu matongo cyemeza ko ibyo Bibiliya ivuga ari ukuri.

Ahandi hantu Eshibali avugwa muri Bibiliya, yitwa Ishibosheti, “bali” bakaba barayisimbuje “bosheti” (2 Sam 2:10). Kubera iki? Abashakashatsi babisobanura bagira bati “mu gitabo cya Kabiri cya Samweli, birashoboka ko banze gukoresha izina Eshibali kuko ryari rifitanye isano n’imana y’imvura y’Abanyakanani yitwaga Bayali. Icyakora izina ry’umwimerere . . . ryagumye mu Gitabo cy’Ibyo ku Ngoma.”