Bushe Kuti Mwa-asuka Ifi Fipusho?

Bushe iciipailo ico umutumwa Paulo asangile mu Atena apalembelwe ukuti “kuli Lesa Uushaishibikwa” cali ni cinshi?—Imilimo 17:23.

▪ Bakalemba abaGriki abengi balilandapo pa fiipailo fya musango yu. Ku ca kumwenako, Pausanias, kalemba wa lyashi lya kale kabili uwasoma sana pa fyalo ne mpanga uwa muli ba 100 C.E. atile mu musumba wa Olympia mwali “iciipailo ca balesa Abashaishibikwa.” Philostratus uwasambilila amano ya buntunse na o alandile ukuti mu Atena, “balikuulilemo ifiipailo ifya kucindikilapo balesa babo e lyo na bashaishibikwe.”

Kalemba wa lyashi lya kale Diogenes Laertius uwaliko mu ma 200 C.E., alilondolwele ifyo ukukuula “ifiipailo apabula amashina ya balesa” kwatendeke. Ilyashi lya kale ilya mu ma 500 nelyo 600 B.C.E., lilanda pa fyo Epimenides acitile pa kusangulula umusumba wa Atena ku cikuko. Diogenes alembele ukuti: “Epimenides asendele impaanga . . . no kushitwala ku Areopagi; lyena alishilekele ukuya uko shalefwaya, kabili aebele abaleshikonka ukuti pa ncende yonse apo impaanga yalaala bafwile ukubikapo icishibilo no kupeela ilambo kuli lesa wa iyo ncende. Kabili batila ilyo acitile ifi, ne cikuko calipwile. E ico, na muno nshiku mwine, kuti mwasanga ifiipailo apashalembwa amashina ya balesa mu ncende shalekanalekana isha mu Attica.”

Icitabo ca The Anchor Bible Dictionary calilondolola umulandu na umbi uo napamo balekuulila ifipailo fya balesa bashaishibikwa, catila: “Baletiina ukuti nga tabalecindika balesa abo bashaishibe, aba balesa tabali no kubapaala nelyo bali no kukalipa ica kuti bali no kukanda abantu.”

Mulandu nshi abaYuda abaliko mu nshita ya batumwa bapatile bakasonkesha ba misonko?

▪ Ukufuma fye na kale, abantu tabatemwa bakasonkesha ba misonko. Mu nshita ya batumwa, bakasonkesha wa misonko balebapendela pa bantu ababi icine cine kabili abapuupu.

Ubuteko bwa bena Roma bwalelipilisha abantu indalama ishingi isha musonko. Aba mu buteko bwa bena Roma balesonkesha umusonko wa mpanga kabili cila muntu alesonkela umusonko ku buteko. Lelo abalelipila umusonko uwingi ebo balepeela incito ya kusonkesha abantu pa fipe baleingisha mu calo, pa fipe baletuma ku nse ya calo ku kushitisha e lyo na pa fipe fyonse ifyalepita mu calo. Kanshi abalecita amakwebo balipokele insambu sha kusonkesha imisonko mu ncende shimo. Pa mulandu wa kutila aba bakasonkesha balebombela ubuteko bwa bena Roma ubo abaYuda bapatile, abaYuda banabo balibapatile icine cine. Encyclopedia ya kwa M’Clintock na Strong yatila, bakasonkesha ba misonko balebamona ukuti “ni bashikamfutu kabili abasangu, abali abakowela pa mulandu wa kulaumfwana na basenshi.”

Bakasonkesha ba misonko bali ni ncenjeshi sana, kabili ubucenjeshi bwabo bwalengele ukuti banonke sana icuma pa mulandu wa kuliila abaYuda banabo amasuku pa mutwe. Bamo balelumya umusonko wa fipe pa kuti balebuulapo indalama, e lyo bambi balepoka indalama ku bapiina ukubomfya ubucenjeshi. (Luka 3:13; 19:8) Ici calengele ukuti bakasonkesha ba misonko balebamona fye nga filya fine balemona abantu ababembu. Kabili icitabo ca The Jewish Encyclopedia citila bakasonkesha ba misonko “tabalingile ukuba abapingushi nelyo ukuba bakambone.”—Mateo 9:10, 11.

[Icikope pe bula 18]

Iciipailo ca kwa lesa uushaishibikwa, pa citantaala ca ku Pergamum, mu Turkey

[Icikope pe bula 18]

Icikope ca kwa kasonkesha wa musonko, ica mu 100 nelyo 200 C.E.

[Abatusuminishe]

Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY