IBhayibheli lithi inhlaba yayisetshenziselwa ukwenza amakha ezingubo nemibhede. (IHubo 45:8; IzAga 7:17; IsiHlabelelo SeziHlabelelo 4:14) Cishe inhlaba eyayisetshenziswa ezikhathini zeBhayibheli yayivela esihlahleni okuthiwa i-Agarwood (uhlobo lwezitshalo ezaziwa ngokuthi i-Aquilaria). Njengoba ukhuni lwesihlahla lubola, lukhipha amafutha anephunga elimnandi nenomfi. Lolu khuni lwalugaywa lube impuphu, eyayithengiswa “isiyinhlaba.”

IBhayibheli lihlobanisa amatende akwa-Israyeli ‘nezitshalo zenhlaba ezitshalwe uJehova.’ (Numeri 24:5, 6) Lokhu kungase kubhekisele endleleni isihlahla i-Agarwood esimi ngayo—singakhula sibe amamitha angu-30 ubude futhi sibe namagatsha asabalele. Nakuba lesi sihlahla singasekho e-Israel namuhla, incwadi ethi Dictionary of the Bible ithi “akunakuphikwa ukuthi lesi sihlahla nezinye ezingasaziwa manje [kule ndawo], zazitshalwa eSigodini SaseJordani esasicebile ngaleso sikhathi futhi sinabantu abaningi.”

UMthetho kaNkulunkulu wawuthi yonke imihlatshelo enikelwa ethempelini kwakumelwe ibe engcono kunayo yonke. UNkulunkulu wayengeke ayamukele imihlatshelo enesici. (Eksodusi 23:19; Levitikusi 22:21-24) Ngokomlobi ongumJuda wangekhulu lokuqala C.E. uPhilo, ngaleso sikhathi abapristi babehlolisisa izilwane “kusukela enhloko kuya onyaweni” ukuze baqinisekise ukuthi zifaneleka ngazo zonke izindlela futhi “azinalo ibala noma isici sanoma yiluphi uhlobo.”

Isazi u-E. P. Sanders sithi kungenzeka izikhulu zasethempelini “zazigunyaza abathengisi bemihlatshelo abanokwethenjelwa ukuba bathengise kuphela izilwane nezinyoni eseziye zahlolwa abapristi. Kulokhu, umthengisi kwakufanele anikeze umthengi uhlobo oluthile lwerisidi olubonisa ukuthi isilwane esithengiwe sasingenasici.”

Ngo-2011, endaweni okwakunethempeli kuyo, abavubukuli bathola irisidi enjalo—uhlamvu lobumba olwalusetshenziswa phakathi nekhulu lokuqala B.C.E. no-70 C.E. Umbhalo wesi-Aramu ongamagama amabili oqoshwe kulo, uye wahunyushwa ngokuthi “Asinasici Ngenxa KaNkulunkulu.” Kucatshangwa ukuthi izikhulu zethempeli zazifaka lezi zinhlamvu zobumba ezilwaneni ezazisetshenziswa emikhosini noma okwakwenziwa ngazo imihlatshelo.