‘Banduluka Ngesikhephe Baya Esipro’
IQALA ngolu hlobo ke incwadi yeZenzo xa isichubela ngamava abavangeli basemazweni abangamaKristu, uPawulos, uBharnabhas noYohane Marko xa batyelela iSipro malunga nowama-47 C.E. (IZenzo 13:4) Ngelo xesha njenganamhlanje, iSipro yayimi kwindawo entle kwimpuma yeMeditera.
AmaRoma ayefuna ukuba esi siqithi sibe phantsi kolawulo lwawo, yaye oko kwenzeka ngowama-58 B.C.E. Ngaphambi koko iSipro yayinembali ebangel’ umdla. Yayihlala amaFenike, amaGrike, ama-Asiriya, amaPersi namaYiputa. NgamaXesha Aphakathi kwafika amaJoni Omnqamlezo, amaFranks, namaVenetians kwaza kwalandela abemi baseTurkey. Ngowe-1914, iBritani yasithabatha eso sixeko yaza yasilawula de kwasekukhululekeni kwaso ngowe-1960.
Ngoku owona mthombo uphambili wengeniso apho zezokhenketho, kodwa ngomhla kaPawulos, iSipro yayinobuncwane obuninzi bemvelo, obarhwaphilizwa yiRoma. Ubhedu lwafunyanwa kudala kwesi siqithi, yaye kuqikelelwa ukuba ngasekupheleni kwexesha lolawulo lwamaRoma, kwakusele kufumaneke iitoni ezingama-250 000 zobhedu. Noko ke, imizi-mveliso yobhedu yagawula inxalenye enkulu yamahlathi ashinyeneyo ukuze kubaselwe amaziko okunyibilikisa. Uninzi lwamahlathi akwesi siqithi ayesele etshabalele ekufikeni kukaPawulos apho.
Ukulawulwa KweSipro NgamaRoma
Ngokutsho kwe-Encyclopædia Britannica, uJulius Caesar wanikezela ngeSipro eYiputa, yaye kamva yanikezelwa nguMark Antony. Noko ke, phantsi kuka-Agasto, yabuyela ezandleni zeRoma yaye—ngokutsho ngokuchanileyo kombhali weZenzo, uLuka—yalawulwa yirhuluneli eyayiphantsi kweRoma. YayinguSergiyo Pawulos irhuluneli ngexesha lokushumayela kukaPawulos apho.—IZenzo 13:7.
IPax Romana, uxolo lwehlabathi lonke olwaluzanywa yiRoma, yayikhuthaza ukwandiswa kwemigodi nemizi-mveliso yaseSipro, nto leyo eyabangela ukuchuma kwezoqoqosho. Kwenziwa ingeniso engakumbi ngobukho bemikhosi yamaRoma nabahambi ngezonqulo ababethontelana ukuza kunika imbeko kuAphrodite, uthixo weso siqithi. Ngenxa yoko, kwakhiwa iindlela ezintsha, amazibuko nezakhiwo zoluntu ezingayiwayo. IsiGrike saqhubeka silulwimi olusemthethweni yaye—bedibene nomlawuli waseRoma—uAphrodite, uApolo, noZeyus yayingabona thixo banqulwayo. Abantu babephila tofotofo yaye betyebile ngamasiko nezenkcubeko.
Ezi ke ziimeko awayedibana nazo uPawulos njengoko wayecanda iSipro efundisa abantu ngoKristu. Noko ke, ubuKristu bafika eSipro ngaphambi kokuya kukaPawulos apho. Ingxelo yeZenzo isixelela ukuba emva kokufa komfeli-kholo wokuqala ongumKristu uStefano, amanye amaKristu okuqala abalekela eSipro. (IZenzo 11:19) UBharnabhas, iqabane likaPawulos wayeyinzalelwane yaseSipro, yaye ngenxa yokuqhelana kwakhe neso sixeko alithandabuzeki elokuba wayeluncedo kakhulu kuPawulos ebudeni botyelelo lwakhe lokushumayela apho.—IZenzo 4:36; 13:2.
Ukuhlolisisa Uhambo LukaPawulos
Akulula ukuhlolisisa uhambo lukaPawulos eSipro. Noko ke, abembi bezinto zakudala bazazi ngokucacileyo iindlela zexesha lamaRoma. Ngenxa yokuma kweso siqithi, noohola beendlela banamhlanje bahamba kwiindlela ezazihamba abo bavangeli basemazweni bamandulo.
UPawulos, uBharnabhas, noYohane Marko bahamba ngesikhephe besuka eSelukiya ukuya kwizibuko laseSalamis. Kutheni besiya eSalamis, ekubeni ikomkhulu nezibuko eliyintloko iyiPafo? Kaloku iSalamis yayikunxweme olusempuma, ikwiikhilomitha ezingama-200 kuphela ukusuka eSelukiya, esembindini. Nakuba kwathi kwakulawula amaRoma yaba yiPafo elikomkhulu endaweni yeSalamis, iSalamis le yaqhubeka iliziko lezenkcubeko, elemfundo nelezorhwebo kwesi siqithi. ISalamis le yayinamaYuda amaninzi yaye aba bavangeli basemazweni baqalisa “ukuvakalisa ilizwi likaThixo kwizindlu zesikhungu zamaYuda.”—IZenzo 13:5.
Namhlanje, sele kusele amabhodlo nje eSalamis. Sekunjalo, izinto ezafunyanwa ngabembi bezinto zakudala zibonisa ukuba esi sixeko sakha sasezintweni ngobutyebi. Indawo yembutho, eyayisisazulu sezobupolitika nonqulo, yayidume ngokuba yeyona ndawo inkulu awayebutha kuyo amaRoma neyakha yakhiwa kummandla weMeditera. Amabhodlo ayo asusela kwixesha lika-Agasto Kesare anemigangatho engayiwayo, iindawo zomthambo, iibhafu ezingaqhelekanga, ibala lemidlalo nendawo yemidlalo yeqonga, amangcwaba eenkosi, nenye indawo yemifanekiso eshukumayo ehlala abantu abali-15 000! Kufutshane nalapho kukho amabhodlo etempile enkulu kaZeyus.
Kodwa uZeyus akazange akwazi ukusikhusela eso sixeko ekonakalisweni ziinyikima. Inyikima enkulu yowe-15 B.C.E. yatshabalalisa inxalenye enkulu yeSalamis, nangona uAgasto waphinda wayivuselela. Nakuba yaphinda yatshatyalaliswa yinyikima ngowama-77 C.E., yakhiwa kwakhona. Ngenkulungwane yesine, uthotho lweenyikima lwabetha lubuyelela eSalamis, nto leyo eyayenza ayaphinda yaba kumanqwanqwa eyayikuwo ngaphambili. Ebudeni bamaXesha Aphakathi izibuko layo lazaliswa ngumhlaba yaye lashiywa lingenamntu.
Ayichazwa indlela abantu baseSalamis abasabela ngayo kwiintshumayelo zikaPawulos. Kodwa uPawulos kwafuneka ashumayele nakwezinye iindawo. Ukusuka kwabo eSalamis, aba bavangeli basemazweni babenokukhetha ukuthabatha iindlela ezintathu: enye yayisiya ngakunxweme olusemntla, inqumla ngakwiintaba zaseKyrenia; enye engasentshona inqumla kwintili yaseMesaoria kanye embindini weso siqithi; kanti eyesithathu igudla unxweme olusemazantsi.
Kukholelwa ukuba uPawulos wayehamba ngale ndlela yesithathu. Inqumla kumhlaba weefama otyebileyo nobomvu ngokukhethekileyo. Malunga neekhilomitha ezingama-50 ngakumzantsi-ntshona le ndlela ifikelela kwisixeko saseLarnaca ngaphambi kokuba iphambukele ngasentla ukuya ngasembindini.
‘Basityhutyha Isiqithi Siphela’
Lo hola wendlela wawufikelela kwisixeko samandulo esiyiLedra. Kule ndawo sele kukho iNicosia, elikomkhulu lanamhlanje. Ayisekho nencinane into ebonisa ukuba kwakha kwakho isixeko apho. Kodwa phakathi kweendonga zaseVenetia ezakhiwa ngenkulungwane ye-16 nezijikeleze umbindi weNicosia, kukho isitrato esincinane esiphithizelayo esibizwa ngokuba siSitrato iLedra. Asazi enoba uPawulos waya eLedra okanye akunjalo. IBhayibhile iphelela nje ekuthini ‘basityhutyha isiqithi siphela.’ (IZenzo 13:6) IThe Wycliffe Historical Geography of Bible Lands ithi “mhlawumbi oku kwakuthetha ukuba baya kuwo onke amaYuda aseSipro.”
Ngokuqinisekileyo uPawulos wayefuna ukufikelela abona bantu baninzi eSipro. Ngenxa yoko, kusenokwenzeka ukuba wahamba kwindlela esemazantsi esuka eLedra ukuya kutsho eAmathus naseKourion—izixeko ezibini eziphithizelayo nezinabemi abaninzi.
IKourion yayikummandla ophakamileyo kufutshane namawa angaselwandle. Esi sixeko sihle sihlala amaGrike namaRoma sabethwa yinyikima eyatshabalalisa iSalamis ngowe-77 C.E. Kukho amabhodlo etempile eyanikelwa kuApolo neyayikho ukususela kowe-100 C.E. Ibala lalapho lemidlalo lalinokuhlala ababukeli abangama-6 000. Isibakala sokuba abaninzi eKourion babephila ubomi obutofotofo sibonakala kubumbejembeje obuhombise imigangatho yemizi yabantu.
Baya EPafo
Iindawo ezintle zaseKourion zidlula ngasentshona kummandla ovelisa iwayini, ziye zinyuka de indlela iphinde ihle ibe ligophe ukuya kutsho ngaselunxwemeni. Ngokutsho kweentsomi zamaGrike kulapho kanye uthixokazi uAphrodite waphuma khona elwandle.
UAphrodite wayengoyena thixokazi uthandwayo ngamaGrike eSipro yaye wayenqulwa ngamandla de kwayinkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo. UAphrodite wayenqulwa kakhulu ePafo. Ntwasahlobo nganye kwakusenziwa umsitho kunikwa imbeko kuye. Abahambi ngezonqulo abasuka eAsia Minor, eYiputa, eGrisi, abanye besuka ePersi babedla ngokuza kule misitho yasePafo. Yathi iSipro yakulawulwa ngooPtolemy, abantu baseSipro baqhelana nokunqula ooFaro.
IPafo yayilikomkhulu lamaRoma eSipro nebhotwe lerhuluneli yaye kwakusenziwa nemali yobhedu apho. Nayo yatshatyalaliswa yinyikima ngowe-15 B.C.E., yaye njengaseSalamis, uAgasto wakhupha imali yokuba siphinde sakhiwe eso sixeko. Ukumbiwa kwezinto zakudala kwabonisa ubomi obutofotofo obabunanditshwa zizityebi zasePafo—izitrato ezibanzi zeso sixeko, izindlu ezinkulu ezimbejembeje, izikolo zomculo, iindawo zokwenza umthambo neeholo zemidlalo yeqonga.
Yile Pafo yatyelelwa nguPawulos, uBharnabhas, noYohane Marko, yaye kulapho irhuluneli uSergiyo Pawulos—“indoda enengqiqo”—‘yakufuna ngokunyamekileyo ukuva ilizwi likaThixo’ naphezu kwayo nje inkcaso ekrakra yomkhafuli onguElimas. Le rhuluneli ‘yathi khamnqa yimfundiso kaYehova.’—IZenzo 13:6-12.
Emva kokuwugqiba ngempumelelo umsebenzi wabo wokushumayela eSipro, aba bavangeli basemazweni baqhubeka nomsebenzi wabo eAsia Minor. Olo hambo lokuqala lobuvangeli basemazweni lukaPawulos lwalubaluleke gqitha ekusasazweni kobuKristu bokwenyaniso. Incwadi ethi St. Paul’s Journeys in the Greek Orient ilubiza “njengesona siqalo sokwenene sobuKristu . . . nesomsebenzi kaPawulos.” Yongezelela ngelithi: “Njengoko ikwiindlela zaselwandle ezikhokelela eSiriya, eAsia Minor, naseGrisi, iSipro yayibonakala iyindawo yokuqala komsebenzi wobuvangeli basemazweni.” Kodwa yayisengamaqalela nje lawo. Kwiinkulungwane ezingama-20 kamva, umsebenzi wobuvangeli basemazweni bamaKristu usaqhubeka, yaye kunokutshiwo ngokwenene ukuba iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaYehova ziye ngokoqobo zafikelela “nakwezona nxalenye zikude zomhlaba.”—IZenzo 1:8.
[Iimaphu ezikwiphepha 20]
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
ISIPRO
INICOSIA (ILedra)
ISalamis
IPafo
IKourion
IAmathus
ILarnaca
IINTABA ZASEKYRENIA
INTILI YASEMESAORIA
IINTABA ZASETROODOS
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 21]
Ezaliswe ngumoya oyingcwele, uPawulos wambetha ngobumfama umkhafuli onguElimas ngoxa wayesePafo