“Moopsa m’Nyanja”

MU MDIMA wausiku, chombo cha pamadzi chitanyamula anthu 276 chikuyandikira chilumba china m’nyanja ya Mediterranean. Amalinyero ndi aulendo atopa chifukwa choponyedwa uku ndi uko ndi mafunde kwa masiku 14. Kutacha, akuona doko ndipo akuyesa kukocheza chombocho. Koma chikukodwa kutsogolo moti sichingayendenso, ndipo mafunde akuchiswa mbali yonse yakumbuyo. Onse amene analimo akudumpha ndipo akukafika ku gombe la Melita posambira kapena pogwirira matabwa kapenanso zinthu zina. Ali ozizidwa ndi otopa, akutulukamo m’madzi olusawo. M’modzi wa aulendowo ndi mtumwi wachikristu Paulo. Akupita naye ku Roma kukam’zenga mlandu.​—Machitidwe 27:27-44.

Kwa Paulo, kusweka kwa chombo pachilumba cha Melita siinali ngozi yoyamba kukumana nayo panyanja. Zaka za m’mbuyo, iye analemba kuti: “Katatu ndinatayika posweka chombo, ndinakhala m’kuya tsiku limodzi usiku ndi usana.” Anawonjezeranso kuti anakhalako “moopsya m’nyanja.” (2 Akorinto 11:25-27) Kuyenda panyanja kunam’thandiza Paulo kukwaniritsa ntchito imene Mulungu anam’patsa monga “mtumwi kwa anthu amitundu.”​—Aroma 11:13.

Kodi maulendo a panyanja anafala motani m’zaka za zana loyamba? Kodi anathandiza motani kufalitsa Chikristu? Kodi anali odalirika motani? Kodi ndi zombo zotani zimene zinkagwiritsidwa ntchito? Ndipo kodi okweramo ankasamalidwa bwanji?

Kufunika Koti Roma Adzichita Malonda a Panyanja.

Aroma ankatcha Mediterranean Mare Nostrum​—Nyanja Yathu. Zifukwa zimene Roma anafunikira kuteteza njira za panyanja zinali zambiri kuwonjezera pa zankhondo. Mizinda yambiri ya Ufumu wa Roma inali madoko kapena inkadalira iwo. Mwachitsanzo, doko lapanyanja lapafupi la Roma linali ku Ostia, pamene Korinto ankagwiritsa ntchito Lechaeum ndi Kenkreya, ndipo Antiokeya wa ku Suriya anali kudalira Ukeya. Mayendedwe osavuta a panyanja pakati pa madoko ameneŵa anawatheketsa kuyenderana ndi mizinda yaikulu ndipo anachititsa kukhala kosavuta kuyang’anira madera olamuliridwa ndi Roma.

Roma ankadaliranso zombo kubweretsa chakudya chake. Pokhala ndi chiŵerengero cha anthu pafupifupi miliyoni imodzi, Roma ankafuna dzinthu zochuluka​—pakati pa matani 250,000 ndi 400,000 pachaka. Dzinthu zonsezo zinkachokera kuti? Flavius Josephus anagwira mawu Herode Agripa II akunena kuti North Africa ankadyetsa Roma kwa miyezi isanu ndi itatu pachaka, pamene Igupto ankatumiza chakudya chokwanira mzindawo kwa miyezi inayi yotsalayo. Zombo za panyanja zikwizikwi zinkapititsa chakudya kumzindawo.

Pokhutiritsa chikhumbo cha Aroma chokonda zinthu zapamwamba, malonda opindula a panyanjawo ankabweretsa katundu wosiyanasiyana. Miyala ya m’migodi, miyala yomangira zinthu, ndi miyala ya nsangalabwi inkatengedwa ku Kupro, Girisi, ndi Igupto, ndipo matabwa ankachokera ku Lebano. Vinyo ankachokera ku Smurna, mtedza ku Damasiko, ndipo zipatso za kanjedza ku Palestina. Mafuta odzola ndi mphira zimatengedwa ku Kilikiya, ubweya wa nkhosa ku Mileto ndi Laodikaya, nsalu wamba ku Suriya ndi Lebano, nsalu zofiirira ku Turo ndi Sidoni. Utoto unkachokera ku Tiyatira ndipo magalasi ku Alesandriya ndi Sidoni. Silika, thonje, minyanga, ndi zokometsera chakudya zinkatengedwa ku China ndi ku Indiya.

Kodi tinganenepo chiyani pa za ngozi ya ku Melita ya chombo chimene Paulo anakwera? Chinali chombo chonyamula dzinthu, “ngalawa ya ku Alesandriya, ilikupita ku Italiya.” (Machitidwe 27:6, mawu amtsinde) Zombo zonyamula dzinthuzo zinali za Agiriki, Afoinike ndi Asuriya, amene ankaziyendetsa ndi kuzisamalira. Komabe zombozo zinkabwerekedwa ndi Boma. “Monga kukhometsa msonkho,” akutero wolemba mbiri wina William M. Ramsay, “zinali zosavuta kuti boma lipereke ntchito yaikulu imeneyi kwa anthu m’malo molimbana ndi kupeza antchito akeake ndi zida zambirimbiri zoichitira.”

Paulo anakwera chombo cholembedwa kuti “Ana Amapasa” pomaliza ulendo wake wopita ku Roma. Ichinso chinali chombo cha ku Alesandriya. Chinakocheza pa Potiyolo ku Gulf of Naples, doko limene zombo zonyamula dzinthu zimenezi zinkakonda kukochezapo. (Machitidwe 28:11-13) Kuchokera ku Potiyolo amene tsopano akutchedwa Pozzuoli​—katunduyo mwina ankayendetsedwa pamtunda kapena ankanyamulidwa m’zombo zocheperapo kuloŵera kumpoto podzera m’mphepete mwa nyanjayo ndipo n’kuloŵera kumtunda kwa Mtsinje wa Tiber n’kukafika mkati mwa Roma.

Anthu m’Zombo za Katundu?

N’chifukwa chiyani Paulo ndi asilikali omulonda anayenda pachombo chonyamula katundu? Kuti tiyankhe funso limeneli, tiyenera kudziŵa mmene kuyenda panyanja kunalili nthaŵi imeneyo.

M’zaka za zana loyamba C.E., kunalibe zombo zonyamula anthu okhaokha. Zombo zimene amakwera apaulendo zinali zombo zonyamula katundu wa malonda. Ndipo anthu osiyanasiyana​—kuphatikizapo ogwira ntchito za Boma, ophunzira kwambiri, alaliki, azamatsenga, amaluso, odziŵa masewera olimbitsa thupi, amalonda, okacheza ndi okapembedza​—n’zosayenera kuti ankakweramo.

N’zoona kuti panali timabwato timene tinkanyamula anthu ndi katundu m’madzi osaya kwenikweni. Mwina Paulo anayenda pa kabwato kotere pamene ‘anawolokera ku Makedoniya’ kuchokera ku Trowa. Timabwatoti tingakhale titam’tengapo nthaŵi zingapo akamapita ndi kuchokera ku Atene. N’zothekanso kuti Paulo anakwera kabwato paulendo wake wotsatira kuchokera ku Trowa kupita ku Patara kudzera m’zilumba zoyandikana ndi gombe la Asia Minor. (Machitidwe 16:8-11; 17:14, 15; 20:1-6, 13-15; 21:1) Kugwiritsa ntchito timabwato totere kunali kusataya nthaŵi, koma sankapita kutali ndi kumtunda. Choncho zombo zimene zinamutengera Paulo ku Kupro kenaka ku Pamfuliya ndiponso zimene anayendamo kuchokera ku Efeso kupita ku Kaisareya ndiponso kuchokera ku Patara kupita ku Turo ziyenera kuti zinali zazikulupo ndithu. (Machitidwe 13:4, 13; 18:21, 22; 21:1-3) Chombo chimene Paulo analimo chimene chinasweka ku Melita chiyenera kuti chinali chachikulu. Zombo zimenezi zingakhale kuti zinali zazikulu bwanji?

Mabuku ena anapangitsa katswiri wamaphunziro wina kunena kuti: “[Zombo] zazing’ono kwambiri zimene anthu akaleŵa ankakonda kugwiritsa ntchito zinali pafupifupi zamatani pakati pa 70 ndi 80. Mtundu umene unafala kwambiri, kwenikweni m’nthaŵi ya Ahelene, unali wamatani 130. Mtundu wamatani 250, ngakhale kuti unali wofala, mosakayikitsa unali waukulu kuposa yambiri. M’nthaŵi za Aroma zombo zogwiritsidwa ntchito ndi boma zinali zazikulupo ndithu, zinkafunika zitakhala matani 340. Zombo zazikulu kwambiri zinkafika matani 1300, mwina kuposanso pamenepo.” Malingana ndi malongosoledwe ena olembedwa m’zaka za zana lachiŵiri C.E., Isis chombo chonyamula dzinthu cha ku Alesandriya chinali chopitirira mamita 55 m’litali, pafupifupi mamita 15 m’lifupi, chinali ndi malo amkati oloŵa mamita 14 ndipo mwina chikanatha kunyamula matani opitirira chikwi a dzinthu ndipo mwinanso anthu mazana angapo.

Kodi apaulendowo ankasamalidwa bwanji m’chombo chonyamula dzinthu? Popeza kuti zombozo kwenikweni zinkanyamula katundu, anthu okweramo ankaganiziridwa pambuyo. Sankapatsidwa chakudya kapena chilichonse kupatulako madzi. Ankagona m’bwalo la chombocho, mwina m’misasa yokhala ngati mahema imene ankaimanga usiku ndi kuimasula m’maŵa uliwonse. Ngakhale kuti apaulendowo mwina ankavomerezedwa kugwiritsa ntchito khichini pophika, anayenera kukhala ndi zinthu zonse zofunika pophika, kudya, kusamba, ndi kugona​—kuyambira miphika ndi ziwaya mpaka zofunda.

Kuyenda Panyanja​—Kunali Kodalirika Bwanji?

Opanda zida​—ngakhale kampasi yeniyeniyi​—amalinyero am’zaka za zana loyamba ankayendera maso okha basi. Choncho, ulendo unkakhala wodalirika kwambiri pamene kunali kotheka kuona bwinobwino​—makamaka kuyambira chakumapeto kwa May mpaka pakati pa September. Miyezi iŵiri nyengo imeneyo isanafike komanso miyezi iŵiri pambuyo pake, amalonda akanayesera kuyenda panyanja. Koma m’nyengo yozizira, nkhungu ndi mitambo inkaphimba zizindikiro ndiponso inkaphimba dzuŵa masana ndi nyenyezi usiku. Kuyenda panyanja kunkaletsedwa (m’Chilatini mare clausum) kuchokera pa November 11 mpaka pa March 10, pokhapokha ngati pali zofunika kwambiri kapena zamsangamsanga. Amene ankayenda kumapeto kwa nyengo imeneyi ankadziika pa vuto loti akanatha kukayembekeza nyengo yozizira kutha ali kudoko lakutali.​—Machitidwe 27:12; 28:11.

Ngakhale kuti kuyenda pa nyanja kunali koopsa komanso kunali ndi nyengo yake, kodi kunali ndi ubwino uliwonse woposa kuyenda pamtunda? Inde, n’zoona! Kuyenda panyanja kunali kosatopetsa kwambiri, kotsika mtengo, ndiponso kofulumirapo. Kukakhala mphepo yabwino mwina chombo chinkayenda makilomita 150 patsiku. Ulendo wapansi wautali umene unkayendedwa patsiku unali wa pakati pa makilomita 25 ndi 30.

Liŵiro la chombo kwenikweni linali kudalira mphepo. Ulendo wonse wochokera ku Aigupto kupita ku Italiya unali wovuta chifukwa cholimbana ndi mphepo, ngakhale itakhala nyengo yabwino bwanji. Njira yaifupi kwambiri inali yodzera ku Rode kapena Mura kapenanso ku limodzi la madoko ku gombe la Lukiya ku Asia Minor. Chitakumana ndi mafunde n’kusochera, panthaŵi ina chombo chotchedwa Isis chonyamula dzinthu chinakocheza ku Piraeus patatha masiku 70 chitanyamuka ku Alesandriya. Chifukwa cha mphepo ya mpoto yopitirira imene imachitsatira, ulendo wobwerera kuchokera ku Italiya mwina unatenga pakati pa masiku 20 ndi 25. Kudzera njira ya pamtunda, ulendo womwewu ukanafunikira masiku 150 m’nyengo yabwino.

Uthenga Wabwino Ufika Kumatsidya a Nyanja

Paulo mwachionekere anali kudziŵa bwino lomwe kuopsa kwa maulendo a panyanja m’nyengo yosayenera. Mpaka analangiza kuti asayende panyanja kumapeto kwa September kapena kumayambiriro kwa October. Anati: “Amuna inu, ndiona ine kuti ulendo udzatitengera kuwonongeka ndi kutayika kwambiri, si kwa akatundu okha kapena ngalawa yokha, komatunso kwa moyo wathu.” (Machitidwe 27:9, 10) Komabe, mkulu wa asilikaliyo sanamvere mawu ameneŵa, ndipo zimenezi zinachititsa ngozi ya chomboyo ku Melita.

Mmene Paulo ankatsiriza ntchito yake ya umishonale n’kuti atachita ngozi za chombo kwa nthaŵi zosachepera zinayi. (Machitidwe 27:41-44; 2 Akorinto 11:25) Komabe, nkhaŵa yosayenera ya masoka ameneŵa siinawaletse alaliki oyambirira a uthenga wabwino kuyenda panyanja. Anagwiritsa ntchito njira iliyonse ya mayendedwe imene inalipo kuti alalikire uthenga wa Ufumu. Ndipo momvera lamulo la Yesu, umboni unachitidwa kulikonse. (Mateyu 28:19, 20; Machitidwe 1:8) Chifukwa cha changu chawo, chikhulupiriro cha amene anatsatira chitsanzo chawo, ndi chitsogozo cha mzimu woyera wa Yehova, uthenga wabwino wafika m’madera akutali kwambiri a dziko lapansi komwe kuli anthu.

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 31]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.