Ulwandle Olumangalisayo—Kodwa Olufile!

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! KWA-ISRAEL

LUWULWANDLE olunosawoti kunazo zonke, oluphansi, olufile, futhi kwabanye, olunamanzi anempilo kunawo wonke emhlabeni. Emakhulwini eminyaka adlule luye lwabizwa ngokuthi uLwandle Olunukayo, uLwandle LukaDeveli neChibi Letiyela. IBhayibheli lilubiza ngokuthi uLwandle Lukasawoti nangokuthi ulwandle lwase-Araba. (Genesise 14:3; Joshuwa 3:16) Umlando ofakazelwa izazi eziningi uthi amanxiwa aseSodoma naseGomora asekujuleni ngaphansi kwala manzi. Ngakho luphinde lwaziwe ngokuthi uLwandle LwaseSodoma noma uLwandle LukaLoti, owayengumuntu waseBhayibhelini owayehilelekile ezenzakalweni eziphawulekayo zasendulo zakuleyo mizi.—2 Petru 2:6, 7.

Amanye alawo magama awakwenzi ngempela ucabange ngendawo okujabulisayo ukuyivakashela. Kodwa, unyaka ngamunye izinkulungwane zabantu zithuthelekela kuleli chibi elingavamile, namuhla elaziwa ngokuthi uLwandle Olufile noma uLwandle Lukasawoti. Kungani lunosawoti kangaka? Ingabe lufile ngempela, futhi ingabe amanzi alo anempilo ngesikhathi esifanayo?

Ulwandle Oluphansi Nolunosawoti Kakhulu

ULwandle Olufile lusengxenyeni esenyakatho yomfantu iGreat Rift Valley, owehla ushone eningizimu eMpumalanga Afrika. UMfula iJordani uzombeleza ubheke ezansi usuka enyakatho uze ufike endaweni ephansi kunazo zonke emhlabeni—engaba ngamamitha angu-418 ngaphansi kogu lolwandle. Kule ndawo ulwandle luphahlwe yizindonga zomfantu—amagquma aseJudiya ngasentshonalanga nezintaba zakwaMowabi eJordani ngasempumalanga.

Kodwa yini eyenza uLwandle Olufile lube nosawoti kangaka? Izinhlobo zikasawoti—i-magnesium, i-sodium ne-calcium chloride—zikhukhulekela oLwandle Olufile emanzini ageleza evela eMfuleni iJordani nakweminye imifudlana, imihosha neziphethu. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi amanzi oMfula iJordani ewodwa nje athela amathani angu-850 000 kasawoti unyaka ngamunye. Ngenxa yokuthi ulwandle luphansi ngale ndlela, amanzi awakwazi ukugeleza aphume; okuwukuphela kwendlela yokuba aphume ukuhwamuka. Ngosuku olushisayo ehlobo, kuhwamuka amanzi angamathani ayizigidi ezingu-7, okuchaza ukuthi kungani engandi amanzi kuleli chibi. Nakuba amanzi ehwamuka, usawoti namaminerali kuyasala. Umphumela walokhu ulwandle olunosawoti kakhulu emhlabeni, onezinga likasawoti elingaba ngamaphesenti angu-30, okuliphinda izikhathi eziningana izinga likasawoti osolwandle.

Kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo, abantu baye bakhangwa izici eziyingqayizivele zoLwandle Olufile. Isazi sefilosofi esingumGreki u-Aristotle sezwa ukuthi lolu Lwandle “lwalubaba futhi lunosawoti kangangokuthi akukho nhlanzi [ephila] kulo.” Ubuningi obungavamile bukasawoti benza amanzi ashube kangangokuba izinto ziyantanta, okwenza kube lula ngisho nangabantu abangakwazi ukubhukuda ukuba bantante. Isazi-mlando esingumJuda uFlavius Josephus silandisa ngendlela uJenene wamaRoma uVespasian ahlola ngayo la manzi ngokuphonsa iziboshwa zempi kulolu lwandle.

Kungenzeka manje usuyazibuza ukuthi kungenzeka kanjani ukuba leli kube ichibi elifile kodwa futhi libe nempilo.

Ingabe Liwulwandle Olunempilo Kakhulu?

Izivakashi zangenkathi ephakathi zazibuyela emakhaya zifike zilandise ngolwandle olufile olungenazo izinyoni, izinhlanzi kanye nohlaza. Kwakucatshangwa nokuthi iphunga laleli chibi lalibulala. Lokhu kwasakaza umbono wokuthi lolu lwandle olunukayo lwalufile. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi ngenxa yokuthi lolu lwandle lunosawoti kakhulu, yizilwanyana ezincane kuphela njengezinhlobo ezithile zama-bacterium, ezingaphila kula manzi, kanti noma yiziphi izinhlanzi ezikhukhulekela kulolu lwandle zifa ngokushesha.

Lolu lwandle alukwazi ukusekela ukuphila, kodwa akunakushiwo okufanayo ngendawo ezungezile. Nakuba indawo enkulu ezungezile ingamili lutho, kuneziqeshana zendawo ezivundile, ezinezimpophoma nezimila eziluhlaza. Le ndawo iphinde yaziwe ngokwanda kwezilwane zasendle. Kunezinhlobo ezingu-24 zezilwane ezincelisayo ezihlala eduze nalolu lwandle, kuhlanganise nekati okuthiwa i-sand cat, impisi kanye nembuzi yasendle i-ibex evame ukubonakala. Imithombo yamanzi angenasawoti iyikhaya lezilwane eziningi ezihlala ezweni nasemanzini, ezihuquzelayo nezinhlanzi. Njengoba uLwandle Olufile lusemzileni omkhulu wezilwane ezifudukayo, kuye kwatholakala izinhlobo zezinyoni ezingaphezu kwezingu-90 kule ndawo, njengonogolantethe omnyama nomhlophe. Kule ndawo ungabona nenqe elibizwa ngokuthi i-griffon nenqe laseGibhithe.

Kodwa uLwandle Olufile luyichibi elinempilo kakhulu ngayiphi indlela? Ezikhathini zasendulo kuthiwa abantu babewaphuza la manzi, bekholelwa ukuthi ayelapha—okuyinto engatuswa neze namuhla! Ngokunengqondo, kuthiwa la manzi anosawoti ahlanza umzimba. Izinzuzo ezelaphayo zayo yonke le ndawo nazo zaziswa kakhulu. Ukuba phansi kwaleli chibi kubangela isimo esinomoya-mpilo ngokwengeziwe. Ubuningi be-bromide emoyeni kuthiwa benza umzimba uzole, futhi udaka olumnyama olunothe ngamaminerali neziphethu ezishisayo zesibabule ngasosebeni lusetshenziselwa ukwelapha izifo eziningi zesikhumba nezamathambo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, sekuyisikhathi eside ibhalisamu, isihlahla esasikhula kule ndawo, saziswa futhi sisetshenziswa ekwenzeni izinto zokugcoba nemithi.

Itiyela Eliphuma Olwandle

Into eyisimanga kakhulu ngoLwandle Olufile ukuthi lukhipha itiyela, eselike labonakala lintanta liyizigaxa ngezikhathi ezithile.a Ngo-1905 iphephabhuku i-Biblical World labika ukuthi isigaxa setiyela esinesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-2 700 santantela osebeni ngo-1834. Itiyela lichazwa ngokuthi “umkhiqizo wokuqala kawoyela owake wasetshenziswa uhlanga lwesintu.” (Saudi Aramco World, November/December 1984) Abanye abantu babevame ukucabanga ukuthi ukuzamazama komhlaba kwakubangela ukuba lezi zigaxa ziqhephuke ekujuleni koLwandle Olufile bese zintanta phezulu. Kungenzeka ukuthi leli tiyela likhuphuka ngemifantu engaphansi komhlaba lize liyofinyelela ekujuleni kolwandle kanye nezinguzunga zikasawoti. Ngemva kwalokho, lapho izinguzunga zincibilika, kuvela izigaxa zetiyela.

Sekungamakhulu eminyaka itiyela lisetshenziswa ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene—njengengcina yokwenza izikebhe zingangenwa ngamanzi, ekwakheni ngisho nanjengomuthi wokuxosha izinambuzane. Kucatshangwa ukuthi maphakathi nekhulu lesine B.C.E., abantu baseGibhithe baqala ukusebenzisa kakhulu itiyela ekugqumiseni izidumbu, nakuba izazi ezithile ziyiphikisa le nkolelo. Ngaleso sikhathi amaNabataea, abantu basendulo ababeyimihambima abahlala ngasoLwandle Olufile, yiwona kuphela ayehweba ngetiyela kule ndawo. Ayeletha itiyela ogwini, alisike, bese eliyisa eGibhithe.

ULwandle Olufile luyamangalisa ngempela. Akulona ihaba ukuchaza lolu lwandle ngokuthi lunosawoti kakhulu, luphansi, lufile futhi lunempilo kakhulu. Ngokuqinisekile lungolunye lwezilwandle ezithakazelisa kakhulu emhlabeni wethu!

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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AYELONDOLOZWE EMANZINI ANOSAWOTI

Izazi-mlando zibika ukuthi uLwandle Olufile lwake lwaba umzila ochumayo wezohwebo—okuyinto eye yasekelwa ukutholakala kwamahange amabili okhuni muva nje.

La mahange atholakala osebeni loLwandle Olufile, eduze nalapho ichweba lase-Eni-gedi lalikhona. Elinye kucatshangwa ukuthi lineminyaka engaba ngu-2 500, okulenza libe elidala kunawo wonke ake atholakala endaweni yoLwandle Olufile. Elesibili kucatshangwa ukuthi lineminyaka engaba ngu-2 000 futhi kukholelwa ukuthi lwaklanywa ngobuchwepheshe obuphambili bamaRoma bangaleso sikhathi.

Ngokuvamile amahange okhuni ayabola emanzini avamile asolwandle, kodwa awensimbi ahlala isikhathi eside. Kodwa, ukungabi khona komoya-mpilo oLwandle Olufile kanye nezinga likasawoti kuye kwalondoloza lolu khuni nezindophi, okumangalisayo ukuthi zisesesimweni esihle.

[Isithombe]

Ihange lokhuni elihlehlela emuva phakathi kwekhulu lesi-7 nelesihlanu B.C.E.

[Umthombo]

Photograph © Israel Museum, Courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority

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Izimpophoma zeziphethu ezishisayo

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Imbuzi yasendle eyiduna

[Isithombe ekhasini 26]

Bafunda amaphephandaba njengoba bentanta