“Iinqanawa ZaseKitim” Zihla Zinyusa Iilwandle

IMPUMA yeMeditera ibiyeyona ndawo alwelwa kuyo amadabi aselwandle. Khawube nomfanekiso-ngqondweni welinye lala madabi elenzeka kwiinkulungwane ezintlanu ngaphambi kobukho bukaKristu. Inqanawa ezele ngamajoni ihamba ngesantya esingathethekiyo. Amadoda abhexa le nqanawa amalunga ne-170 nahleli kwimigangatho emithathu yezitulo awakhuphe aphelela amandla awo njengoko eqhuba ehleli kwimiqamelo eyenziwe ngofele, ebotshelelwe nkqi kwizihlalo zabo.

Ibaleka ngesantya esiziikhilomitha ezili-13-17 ngeyure, inqumla loo maza isinge ngqo kwinqanawa yotshaba. Nale nqanawa isinge kuyo izama ukubaleka. Kodwa kanye ngelo xesha lokusindis’ ubomi, iyaxinga, nto leyo eyenza kube lula ukuhlasela icala layo. Inxalenye engaphambili yetrireme embala ulubhedu neyenzelwe ukugqobhoza inqanawa yotshaba iyayigqobhoza loo nqanawa icekeceke. Ababhexi benqanawa yotshaba bankwantyiswa kukuqhekeka kwamaplanga nokuphokoka kwamanzi angena ngaloo mgqobho. Amajoni akwitrireme axhobe afohlela angena kanye embindini wale nqanawa. Ewe, ezinye iinqanawa zamandulo, kwakunzima ukuzihlasela!

Abafundi beBhayibhile bebenomdla kwizinto ezithethwa nekuprofetwa ngazo ‘ngeKitim’ ‘neenqanawa zaseKitim.’ (Numeri 24:24; Daniyeli 11:30; Isaya 23:1) Yayiphi kanye kanye iKitim? Yintoni esiyaziyo ngeenqanawa zayo? Yaye kutheni iimpendulo zale mibuzo zifanele zibangele umdla kuwe?

Ethetha ngeKitim, umbhali-mbali wamaYuda uJosephus wayibiza ngokuba yi-“Chethimos,” eyinxulumanisa nesiqithi saseSipro. Isixeko saseKition (okanye eCitium) sikumzantsi-mpuma wesiqithi esidibanisa iKitim neSipro. ISipro emi kummandla weendlela ezinqumlayo ezisinge kwiindawo zorhwebo zamandulo, yayenzelwe ukuba ibe kufuphi namazibuko empuma yeMeditera. Ngenxa yendawo eyayimi kuyo nemeko yezobupolitika, kwakunyanzeleka ukuba ithabath’ icala xa iintlanga zisilwa, yaye kwakhona yayiba namandla ekumanyaniseni ezo ntlanga okanye ibe ngumqobo.

Abemi BaseSipro Nolwandle

Ubungqina benzululwazi bezinto ezimbiwa phantsi kwamanzi namangcwaba, kwanemibhalo yamandulo neengqayi ezizotyiweyo businceda sibe nombono weenqanawa zaseSipro. Abemi bamandulo baseSipro babengamachule ekwenzeni iinqanawa. Isiqithi sabo sasinamahlathi ashinyeneyo, kwanamatheku akhuselekileyo awayenamazibuko aziveleleyo. Imithi yayingagawulelwa ukwenza iinqanawa nje kuphela, kodwa kwanokunyibilikisa ubhedu—ubuncwane bendalo obayenza iSipro yayindumasi kwihlabathi lamandulo.

Ukushishina kweSipro namazwe angaphandle kwatsal’ ingqalelo yabemi baseFenike, abamisela amathanga kwimimandla ekufuphi neendlela zayo zorhwebo. Omnye waloo mimandla yiKition eseSipro.—Isaya 23:10-12.

Emva kokuwa kweTire, bambi kubantu balapho baba ziimbacu eKitim. Ngokufanayo, abemi bamathanga baseFenike abanamava okushishina elwandle bafak’ isandla ngokwenene kubugcisa beenqanawa zokulwa zaseSipro. Kwakhona, ummandla waseKition owawakhiwe ngobuchule wawukwakhusela neenqanawa zaseFenike.

Ukuba Maxhaphetshu Kurhwebo Lwehlabathi

Ngesi sihlandlo iindlela zorhwebo zamandulo kwimpuma yeMeditera zazintsonkothile. Izinto zexabiso eziphuma eSipro zazihanjiswa ngenqanawa ukuya eKrete, eSardinia naseSisili, ukanti nakwezinye iziqithi zaseAegean. Kule mimandla kwafunyanwa iingqayi neevazi ezisuka eSipro yaye, eSipro kwafunyanwa nezinto ezininzi ezibunjwe ngodongwe zaseMycenae (eGrisi). Xa behlolisisa izinto ezenziwe ngobhedu ezafunyanwa eSardinia, abanye abaphengululi bathi zazivela eSipro.

Ngowe-1982 kwafunyanwa inqanawa eyaqhekeka ekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-14 B.C.E. kufuphi nonxweme olusemazantsi eTurkey. Phantsi kwamanzi kwafunyanwa ubutyebi—ubhedu ekwakucingwa ukuba luphuma eSipro, intlaka, iingqayi zaseKanan, umthi omnyama, amazinyo endlovu, ingqokelela yezacholo zegolide nezesilivere ezenziwa eKanan, izinto zokuhombisa ezifana nenkuba-bulongo nezinye izinto zaseYiputa. Xa behlalutya udongwe ezenziwe ngalo ezinye izinto ezafunyanwa apho, abanye bathi kusenokwenzeka ukuba loo nqanawa yayiyeyaseSipro.

Okubangel’ umdla kukuba, ngexesha ekuqikelelwa ukuba le nqanawa yaphuka ngalo, ‘kumzekeliso’ wakhe uBhileham wathetha ngeenqanawa zaseKitim. (Numeri 24:15, 24) Kubonakala ngathi iinqanawa zaseSipro zazidumile kuMbindi Mpuma. Zazinjani ezi nqanawa?

Iinqanawa Zabarhwebi

Kwiindawo zesixeko samandulo saseAmathus eSipro kuye kwafunyanwa iinqanawa ezininzi ezenziwe ngodongwe. Ezi nqanawa zisibonisa uhlobo lweenqanawa zaseSipro. Zimbi zazo kuhonjiswe ngazo kwiimyuziyam.

Ezi nqanawa zodongwe zibonisa ukuba iinqanawa zamandulo zazenzelwe nje ukurhweba. Iinqanawa ezincinane zazidla ngokubhexwa ngamadoda angama-20. Ezenziwe banzi yayizezokuthutha iimpahla nabantu abaya kwimimandla ekufutshane egudle unxweme lwaseSipro. UPliny Omkhulu uthi abemi baseSipro benza inqanawa encinane nengenabunzima bungako eyayibhexwa neyayinokuthwala iitoni ezingama-90.

Kwakukho neenqanawa ezinkulu zokurhweba ezifana naleyo yafunyanwa kufuphi nonxweme lwaseTurkey. Ezinye zazinokuhamba esizikithini solwandle zinomthwalo oziitoni ezingama-450. Iinqanawa ezinkulu zazibhexwa ngamadoda angama-50, kuhleli angama-25 kwicala ngalinye, yaye zazinobude obuziimitha ezingama-30 nemasti enomphakamo oziimitha ezili-10.

Iinqanawa Zokulwa ‘ZaseKitim’ Ezikwisiprofeto SeBhayibhile

Esi sigidimi saphefumlelwa ngomoya kaYehova: “Kuya kuvela iinqanawa elunxwemeni lwaseKitim, ziyixhwalekise ngokuqinisekileyo iAsiriya.” (Numeri 24:2, 24) Ngaba esi siprofeto sazaliseka? Zazibandakanyeke njani iinqanawa zaseSipro kule nzaliseko? Ezo ‘nqanawa zivela elunxwemeni lwaseKitim’ yayingezonqanawa zorhwebo ezazihamba kuLwandle lweMeditera. Zazisiza nenkathazo.

Njengoko izinto ezisetyenziswa emfazweni zazitshintsha, kwakuyilwa iinqanawa ezinamandla nesantya esithe kratya. Mhlawumbi kwiminyaka engaphambili iinqanawa zokulwa zaseSipro zazikho kumzobo owafunyanwa eAmathus. Lo mzobo ngowenqanawa ende engekho banzi enomva ogobele phezulu nangaphakathi, ufana noweenqanawa zokulwa zaseFenike. Ngaphambili wenziwe watsolo, yaye kwelinye icala, ngasemva kwinqanawa leyo, kujikeleze amakhaka.

Ngenkulungwane yesibhozo ngaphambi Kwexesha Eliqhelekileyo, eGrisi kwenziwa iinqanawa ezibhexwa ngamadoda ahleli kwimigangatho emibini yezitulo. Ezi nqanawa zazinobude obuziimitha ezingama-24 nobubanzi obuziimitha ezi-3. Ekuqaleni, zazithutha umkhosi owawusilwa emhlabeni. Kungekudala emva koko, kwacingwa ukuba kongezwe umgangatho wesithathu, kwaza kwafakelwa intloko etsolo ngaphambili enqanaweni. Loo nqanawa intsha yabizwa ngokuba yitrireme, njengoko kuchazwe ekuqaleni kweli nqaku. Le nqanawa yaba yindumasi ngoxa kwakusiliwa eSalamis (ngowama-480 B.C.E.) xa iGrisi yoyisa umkhosi wasePersi.

Enxanelwe ulawulo, kamva uAleksandire Omkhulu, wathumela umkhosi owawuhamba ngeetrireme ngasempuma. Ezo nqanawa zazenzelwe ukulwa, kungekhona ukuhamba imigama emide esizikithini solwandle, kuba zazimbalwa iindawo ezihlala kuzo. Ngenxa yoku kwakufuneka zimise kwiziqithi zaseAegean ukuze zilungiswe kuze kufakwe nezinye izinto. Injongo ka-Aleksandire yayikukutshabalalisa umkhosi weenqanawa wasePersi. Noko ke, ukuze aphumelele, kwakufuneka aqale adlule kwisiqithi esiyinqaba nesoyikekayo saseTire. Babeza kukhe bathi khebevu eSipro.

Abemi baseSipro baba ngakwicala lika-Aleksandire Omkhulu xa wayethimba iTire (ngowama-332 B.C.E.), baza bafak’ isandla ngokumnika umkhosi weenqanawa ezili-120. Ookumkani abathathu baseSipro bakhokela loo mkhosi besiya kuncedisa uAleksandire. Baba nenxaxheba ekuthinjweni kweTire okwathabatha iinyanga ezisixhenxe. ITire yaphanza, ngaloo ndlela kuzaliseka isiprofeto seBhayibhile. (Hezekile 26:3, 4; Zekariya 9:3, 4) Ngenjongo yokuthi nangamso, uAleksandire wabanika igunya ookumkani baseSipro.

Inzaliseko Ephawulekayo

Umbhali-mbali wenkulungwane yokuqala, uStrabo uthi xa wayekwiphulo lokuya eArabhiya, uAleksandire wacela uncedo lweenqanawa zaseSipro nezaseFenike. Ezi nqanawa zazicekeceke yaye ziqhaqheka lula, ngoko zaya kufika eThapsacus (eTifesa) ekumantla weSiriya kwisithuba esingangeentsuku ezisixhenxe. (1 Kumkani 4:24) Ukusuka apho kwakulula ukwehlela eBhabhiloni ugudle umlambo.

Ngenxa yoko, ingxelo yeBhayibhile ebonakala ingaqondakali kakuhle yazaliseka ngokuphawulekayo kwiinkulungwane ezilishumi kamva! Ngokuvisisana namazwi akwiNumeri 24:24, umkhosi onamandla ka-Aleksandire Omkhulu nowawungenalusini waphuma eMakedoni wasingisa empuma waza woyisa iAsiriya, waba ngaloo ndlela uyabuphanzisa uBukhosi obunamandla bamaMedi namaPersi.

Le nkcazelo incinane sinayo ‘ngeenqanawa zaseKitim’ ibonisa indlela ebangel’ umdla esazaliseka ngayo isiprofeto seBhayibhile. Obo bungqina bembali busenza siqiniseke ngakumbi ukuba simele sizithembe iziprofeto zeBhayibhile. Ezininzi zazo zibandakanya ikamva lethu, ngoko simele singazijongi njengezinto ezingenamsebenzi.

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 16, 17]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

I-ITALI

ISardinia

ISisili

ULwandle LwaseAegean

IGRISI

IKrete

ILIBYA

ITURKEY

ISIPRO

IKition

ITire

IYIPUTA

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

Umfanekiso wenqanawa yokulwa yaseGrisi, i-“trireme”

[Inkcazelo]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

Umfanekiso wenqanawa yokulwa yaseFenike yamandulo, i-“bireme”

[Inkcazelo]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

Ingqayi enomfanekiso wenqanawa yaseSipro

[Inkcazelo]

Published by permission of the Director of Antiquities and the Cyprus Museum

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]

Iinqanawa zamandulo ezazithutha iimpahla, ezifana nezo zikhankanywe kuIsaya 60:9