Izigayo Eziyisa Ibhodwe Eziko

BESILOKHU sibizwa ngokuthi “udondolo lokuphila,” “inkosi yokudla,” “insika yomuntu kusukela kudala.” Yebo, kusukela endulo isinkwa besilokhu siwukudla okuyinhloko. Empeleni, esinye sezidingo zomuntu eziphambili besilokhu siwukuthola isinkwa nsuku zonke.

Isithako sesinkwa esiyisisekelo siwufulawa, noma impuphu, okutholakala ngokugaya okusanhlamvu. Ngakho-ke, ukugaya kuwumsebenzi wakudala. Ngaphandle kwemishini eyenza kube lula, yeka ukuthi kumelwe ukuba bekulokhu kuwumsebenzi ofukuzisa kanjani ukugaya okusanhlamvu kube yimpuqumpuqu! Ezikhathini zeBhayibheli, umsindo wetshe lokugaya wawubonisa ukuthi izinto zihamba kahle, kunokuthula, kanti ukungezwakali kwawo kwakubonisa ukuthi izwe libhuqiwe.—Jeremiya 25:10, 11.

Bekugaywa kanjani kuyo yonke le minyaka? Iziphi ezinye zezindlela nezigayo ebezisetshenziswa? Futhi hlobo luni lwezigayo ezikwenzela ukudla namuhla?

Kungani Zidingeka?

Kumbhangqwana wokuqala wabantu, u-Adamu no-Eva, uJehova wathi: “Bhekani ngininike zonke izimila eziveza imbewu ezisebusweni bawo wonke umhlaba nayo yonke imithi okukhona kuyo izithelo zomuthi eziveza imbewu. Mazibe ngukudla kini.” (Genesise 1:29) Phakathi kokudla uJehova uNkulunkulu akunika isintu kwakukhona nezinhlamvu eziphuma eziqwini zotshani. Lo mthombo wokudla wawubalulekile ekuphileni komuntu, njengoba konke okusanhlamvu—okuhlanganisa ukolweni, ibhali, i-rye, i-oats, ilayisi, unyaluthi, amabele nommbila—kunama-carbohydrate anesitashi umzimba okwazi ukuwaguqula abe umthombo oyinhloko wamandla—ushukela.

Nokho, abantu abakwazi ukudla okusanhlamvu kunjengoba kunjalo futhi kuluhlaza. Abantu bakudla kalula okusanhlamvu uma kugayiwe kwaba impuqumpuqu kwabe sekuphekwa. Izindlela ezilula zokuguqula isilinganiso esithile sokusanhlamvu kube impuqumpuqu ziwukukugqula, ukukugaya phakathi kwamatshe amabili, noma ukusebenzisa indlela ezihlanganisa zombili lezi.

Izigayo Ezazidinga Izikhwepha Zomuntu

Izithombe ezincane ezatholakala emathuneni akudala aseGibhithe zibonisa ukusetshenziswa kolunye uhlobo lokuqala lwesigayo esasimise okwesihlalo sehhashi. Lesi sigayo sasinamatshe amabili—itshe elalithé ukushona phakathi kancane futhi lithé ukutsheka, laliba ngaphansi, kuthi ngaphezulu kube itshe elincane. Isisebenzi—ngokuvamile okwakuba owesifazane—sasiguqa ngemva kwalesi sigayo bese sibamba itshe elingaphezulu ngazo zombili izandla. Sasibe sesizimelela kulo ngesingenhla bese silihambisa siliyise phambili nasemuva phezu kwaleli elingaphansi, sigaye okusanhlamvu phakathi kwala matshe amabili. Yeka isigayo esilula kodwa esisebenza kahle!

Nokho, ukuguqa isikhathi eside kwakuwukhahlameza umzimba. Ukuhambisa itshe elingaphezulu siliyisa ekugcineni kwelingaphansi sibuye silibuyise kwakusikhathaza kakhulu isisebenzi emhlane, ezingalweni, emathangeni, emadolweni nasezinzwaneni. Ukuhlolwa kwezinkinga zamathambo atholwa eSiriya lasendulo kuye kwaholela ekutheni izazi zomlando wemivubukulo ziphethe ngokuthi ukugaya ematsheni anjalo kwakuwalimaza njalo amantombazane—ukuhuzuka kwamadolo, ukuthinteka kwethambo lokugcina lomgogodla, nokudleka kabi kwethambo likabhozo. EGibhithe lasendulo, ukugaya etsheni kubonakala kuwumsebenzi owawenziwa izincekukazi. (Eksodusi 11:5)a Ezinye izazi zikholelwa ukuthi lapho ama-Israyeli eshiya iGibhithe, ahamba nesigayo esimise okwesihlalo sehhashi.

Ukuthuthukiswa kwezigayo okwalandela kwahlanganisa nokuvula umgojana kuwo womabili amatshe ukuze isigayo sisebenze kahle nakakhulu. Ukwakhiwa kwembobo emise okwesetho etsheni elingaphezulu kwakwenza ukuba umuntu akwazi ukuthela okusanhlamvu kuyo, kona okwakuzehlela phakathi kwala matshe. Ekhulwini lesine noma lesihlanu B.C.E., iGrisi yasungula umshini wokugaya ongeyona inkimbinkimbi. Wawunendukwana evundlile eyayiyisigwedlo eyayixhunywa etsheni elingaphezulu. Ukugwedla le ndukwana kwakwenza itshe elingaphezulu elalinembobo likhuhlane nelingaphansi.

Zonke lezi zigayo osekukhulunywe ngazo zazinokulinganiselwa okukhulu. Zazingenakusebenza ngezilwane. Ngakho, zazincike ezikhwepheni zomuntu. Kwabe sekufika ezobuchwepheshe—izigayo eziphendukayo. Izilwane zase zingasetshenziswa manje.

Izigayo Eziphendukayo Ziyayilamula

Kungenzeka impela ukuthi izigayo eziphendukayo zasungulwa emazweni aseMedithera cishe ngekhulu lesibili B.C.E. Ngekhulu lokuqala C.E., amaJuda asePhalestina ayesejwayelene nezigayo ezinjalo, ngoba uJesu wakhuluma ‘ngetshe lokugaya elinjengalelo eliphendulwa yimbongolo.’—Marku 9:42.

Izigayo ezaziphendulwa izilwane zazisetshenziswa eRoma nasengxenyeni enkulu yoMbuso WaseRoma. Izigayo eziningi ezinjalo zisekhona ePompeii. Zakhiwa itshe elisindayo eliba ngaphezulu elimise okwe-hourglass, elalisebenza njengesetho, bese ngaphansi kuba netshe eliyindilinga, elishone phakathi. Njengoba itshe elingaphezulu liphenduka phezu kwelingaphansi, kwakulokhu kuthelwa okusanhlamvu phakathi kwawo womabili la matshe bese kugayeka. Amatshe angaphezulu akhona manje alolu hlobo ayashiyashiyana ngobubanzi, asuka emasentimitheni angaba ngu-45 aye kwangu-90. Lezi zigayo zazingaba amasentimitha angu-180 ukuphakama.

Ukuthi izigayo ezincane zesandla zathathelwa kwezezilwane noma ezezilwane ezathathelwa kwezincane zesandla, akucacile. Kunoma ikuphi, isigayo esincane esiphendukayo sasikahle ngoba sasiphatheka futhi kulula nokusisebenzisa. Sasakhiwa amatshe amabili ayindilinga, mhlawumbe ayengamasentimitha angu-30 kuya kwangu-60 ububanzi. Itshe elingaphansi lalithi alibe ingungu, elingaphezulu lithé ukushona phakathi kancane ukuze leli elingaphansi lingene khaxa. Kwakunomphini elalizungeza kuwo leli elingaphezulu, bese liphendulwa ngesibambo sokhuni. Ngokuvamile, abesifazane ababili babehlala babhekane, bobabili babambe isibambo ngesandla esisodwa baphendule itshe elingaphezulu. (Luka 17:35) Ngesinye isandla, omunye wayethela inkeshezi yokusanhlamvu embotsheni eyayisetsheni elingaphezulu, omunye wayewola impuqumpuqu njengoba iphuma esigayweni ayifake esithebeni noma embengeni esuke ibekwe ngaphansi. Lolu hlobo lwesigayo lwalukahle kakhulu ekusetshenzisweni amasosha, amatilosi, noma imikhaya emincane ehlala kude nendawo yezigayo.

Zaziphendulwa Amanzi Noma Umoya

Cishe ngekhulu lama-27 B.C.E., unjiniyela ongumRoma uVitruvius wachaza isigayo samanzi sangesikhathi sakhe. Amanzi agelezayo ayephendula isondo elaliboshelwe emphinini ovundlile, nawo owawube usuphenduka. Ukuphenduka kwalo mphini ovundlile kwakuphendula nelinye isondo elinamazinyo nalo elaliboshelwe kuwo lo mphini. Bese kuthi ukuphenduka kwesondo elinamazinyo kwenze omunye umphini omile ukuba uphenduke, bese kuthi lo mphini omile wona ube usunyakazisa itshe lokugaya eliphezu kwawo.

Izigayo zamanzi zazenza umsebenzi ongakanani uma ziqhathaniswa nezinye izigayo? Kulinganiselwa ukuthi amatshe okugaya ayegaya okusanhlamvu okungaphansi kwamakhilogremu angu-10 ngehora, kuthi izigayo ezazisebenza kahle kunazo zonke kwezaziphendulwa izilwane, zigaye amakhilogremu angafika ku-50. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, izigayo zamanzi zikaVitruvius, zazingagaya amakhilogremu athi awabe ngu-150 kuya ku-200 ngehora. Nakuba kukuningi okwashintshwa nokwathuthukiswa, izimiso eziyisisekelo ezachazwa uVitruvius zaqhubeka zisetshenziswa abakhi bezigayo abanekhono emakhulwini eminyaka eyalandela.

Amanzi agelezayo ayengekuphela komthombo wamandla emvelo ayesetshenziselwa ukuphendula izigayo. Uma amasondo ayephendulwa amanzi ayengathathelwa indawo oseyili bemishini yokudonsa amanzi esebenza ngomoya, kwakungafezeka umsebenzi ofanayo. Izigayo eziphendulwa umoya zaqala ukusetshenziswa eYurophu cishe ngekhulu le-12 C.E. kanti futhi zazisetshenziswa kakhulu eBelgium, eJalimane, eHolland nakwezinye izindawo. Zasetshenziswa kwaze kwaba yilapho izigayo ezisebenza ngamalahle, nangezinye izindlela, kancane kancane zenza ezinye izigayo zaphelelwa isikhathi.

“Isinkwa Sethu Salolu Suku”

Naphezu kwentuthuko, izindlela zokugaya eziningi zakudala zisasetshenziswa kwezinye izindawo emhlabeni. Izigqulo zisasetshenziswa ezindaweni ezithile e-Afrika nase-Oceania. EMexico naseMelika Ephakathi izigayo ezimise okwesihlalo sehhashi zisetshenziselwa ukugaya ummbila wokwenza amaqebelengwane. Kanti izigayo eziningana eziphendulwa amanzi nomoya zisasetshenziswa lapha nalaphaya.

Nokho, namuhla ufulawa omningi wokwenza isinkwa emazweni asathuthuka ukhiqizwa ngemishini yokugaya ezishintshayo. Okusanhlamvu kugayeka kancane kancane kuze kube ufulawa njengoba kudlula phakathi kwama-cylinder ensimbi angamabili anamazenga, aphenduka ngejubane elingafani. Le ndlela yenza ukuba kukhiqizwe izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zikafulawa ngezindleko eziphansi.

Akungabazeki ukuthi ukuthola ufulawa wokubhaka akusafukuzisani njengakuqala. Nakuba kunjalo, singambonga uMdali wethu ngokusinika kokubili okusanhlamvu nokuhlakanipha kokukuguqula kube “isinkwa sethu salolu suku.”—Mathewu 6:11.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Isigayo saseGibhithe esimise okwesihlalo sehhashi

[Umthombo]

Soprintendenza Archeologica per la Toscana, Firenze

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Ezigayweni eziphendulwa izilwane kwakugaywa iminqumo ukuze kuphume amafutha

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 22]

From the Self-Pronouncing Edition of the Holy Bible, containing the King James and the Revised versions