IMari—Indlovukazi Yasendulo Esogwadule

“NGANGINESIYEZI esincane ngesikhathi ngifika ekamelweni lami lokulala ngalobo busuku ngemva kokuzijabulisa nabangane bami ngenhlanhla yethu,” kukhumbula isazi semivubukulo esingumFulentshi u-André Parrot. Ngo-January 1934, beseTell Hariri, eduze kwedolobhana i-Abu Kemal elise-Ewufrathe eSiriya, uParrot neqembu lakhe babevumbulule isithombe setshe esibhalwe ukuthi: “Lamgi-Mari, inkosi yaseMari, umpristi ophakeme ka-Enlil.” Kwabavusa amadlingozi lokho abakuthola.

Ekugcineni, wawusutholakele umuzi okuthiwa iMari! Ukutholakala kwalo muzi kuthakazelisa ngani kubafundi beBhayibheli?

Kungani Usithakazelisa?

Nakuba ngokwemibhalo yasendulo kwaziwa ukuthi iMari yayikhona, ukuthi yayikuphi ngempela kwahlala isikhathi eside kungaziwa. Ngokwababhali baseSumer, iMari kwakuyisigodlo samakhosi ohlanga okungenzeka ukuthi ngesinye isikhathi ayebusa lonke elaseMesophothamiya. Njengoba yayakhiwe osebeni lomfula i-Ewufrathe, iMari yayisendaweni ekahle lapho kwakuphambana khona imigwaqo ehlanganisa iPersian Gulf ne-Asiriya, iMesophothamiya, i-Anatolia kanye noGu LwaseMedithera. Izinto ezinjengokhuni, okusansimbi, namatshe—ezazintuleka kakhulu eMesophothamiya—zazidlula kuwo lo muzi. Izintela ezazikhokhwa ngalezi zinto zayicebisa kakhulu iMari, zaqinisa negunya layo lokubusa sonke isifunda. Nokho, ukubusa kwayo kwaphela lapho uSargon wase-Akkad enqoba iSiriya.

Ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-300 uSargon enqobile, iMari yabuswa uchungechunge lwabaphathi bezempi. Ngesikhathi ubuswa yibo, lo muzi waphinde wasimama ngokusesilinganisweni. Nokho, ngesikhathi sekubusa umbusi wokugcina uZimri-Lim, iMari yayisiqala ukuwa. UZimri-Lim wazama ukuqinisa umbuso wakhe ngokunqoba ochungechungeni lwezimpi, ngezivumelwano nangokuganiselana nezinye izizwe. Kodwa ngawo-1760 B.C.E., inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, uHammurabi, yawunqoba futhi yawubhubhisa lo muzi, iqeda lokho uParrot akubiza ngokuthi “enye yezimpucuko ezazithuthuke kakhulu ezweni lasendulo.”

Ngesikhathi amabutho kaHammurabi ebhubhisa iMari, engaqondile enza umsebenzi omkhulu owasiza abavubukuli kanye nezazi-mlando zanamuhla. Ngesikhathi ebhidliza izindonga zomuzi ezazenziwe ngodaka olungashisiwe, kwezinye izindawo agqiba izakhiwo ezithile ngamamitha ayisihlanu, kanjalo ezilondoloza. Abavubukuli baye bavumbulula amanxiwa amathempeli nawezigodlo, kanye nezinye izinto eziningi ezenziwe ngobungcweti nezinkulungwane zemibhalo ezikhuluma ngempucuko yasendulo.

Kungani esithakazelisa amanxiwa aseMari? Cabanga ngesikhathi inzalamizi u-Abrahama isaphila. U-Abrahama wazalwa ngo-2018 B.C.E., eminyakeni engu-352 ngemva kukaZamcolo omkhulu. Wayengowesizukulwane seshumi ukusuka kuNowa. Elalela umyalo kaNkulunkulu, u-Abrahama washiya umuzi wakubo, i-Uri, waya eHarana. Ngo-1943 B.C.E., lapho u-Abrahama eneminyaka engu-75 ubudala, wasuka eHarana waya ezweni laseKhanani. Isazi semivubukulo esingumNtaliyane uPaolo Matthiae sithi: “Uhambo luka-Abrahama olusuka e-Uri luya eJerusalema [eKhanani] lwenzeka ngesikhathi iMari isekhona.” Ngakho, ukutholakala kweMari kunenzuzo ngoba kungasisiza ukuba silibone ngeso lengqondo izwe elalihlala inceku kaNkulunkulu ethembekile u-Abrahama.a—Genesise 11:10–12:4.

Yini Embulwa Yila Manxiwa?

Inkolo yayichuma eMari njengoba kwakunjalo kuzo zonke izindawo zaseMesophothamiya. Kwakucatshangwa ukuthi kuyisibopho somuntu ukuba akhonze onkulunkulu. Ngaphambi kokuba umuntu enze noma isiphi isinqumo esibalulekile, njalo kwakudingeka afune ukuthi iyini intando yonkulunkulu. Izazi zemivubukulo ziye zathola izinsalela zamathempeli ayisithupha. Elinye lawo yiThempeli Lamabhubesi (elibhekwa abanye njengethempeli likaDagan, uDagoni waseBhayibhelini) nezindawo ezingcwele zika-Ishtar, unkulunkulukazi wenzalo kanye nezikankulunkulu welanga, uShamash. Ekuqaleni kulelo nalelo thempeli kwakunesithombe sikankulunkulu okwakunikelwa futhi kuthandazwe kuye. Emabhentshini asendaweni engcwele, abakhulekeli abashisekayo babebeka izithombe ezimomothekayo zabo bethandaza, bekholelwa ukuthi ziyaqhubeka nokukhulekela. UParrot waphawula: “Njengekhandlela elisetshenziswa enkonzweni yamaKatolika namuhla, isithombe somkhulekeli empeleni sasimelele lelo kholwa, kodwa ngezinga elikhulu nakakhulu.”

Into emangalisa kakhulu eyatholakala emanxiweni aseTell Hariri kwakuyizinsalela zesigodlo esikhulu futhi esiyinkimbinkimbi, esaziwa ngegama lomuntu wokugcina owahlala kuso, iNkosi uZimri-Lim. Isazi semivubukulo esingumFulentshi uLouis-Hugues Vincent sasichaza ngokuthi “ubungcweti bokwakhiwa kwezindlu zasendulo eMpumalanga.” Njengoba sasingaphezu kwamahektare angu-2,5, sasinamakamelo namagceke angaba ngu-300. Ngisho nasendulo, lesi sigodlo sasibhekwa njengesinye sezimangaliso zomhlaba. Encwadini yakhe ethi Ancient Iraq, uGeorges Roux uthi: “Sasidume kangangokuthi iNkosi yase-Ugarit, ogwini lwaseSiriya, ayizange inqikaze ukuthumela indodana yayo ukuba ihambe amakhilomitha angu-600 ukuze nje ivakashele ‘indlu kaZimri-Lim.’”

Ngaphambi kokuba zifike egcekeni elikhulu, izivakashi zazingena esigodlweni esinezivikelo eziqinile ngesango eliphahlwe imibhoshongo. Isesihlalweni sobukhosi esiphakeme, inkosi yokugcina yaseMari, uZimri-Lim, yayilawula ezempi, ezentengiselwano, izindaba zamanxusa; yahlulela; futhi yamukela izivakashi namanxusa amanye amazwe. Sasinamakamelo ezivakashi, ezazivame ukudla izibiliboco nokuphuza iwayini emadilini asezingeni eliphezulu ayenziwa inkosi. Phakathi kokudla okwakudliwa kwakuba nenyama yenkomo ethosiwe, eyosiwe noma ephekiwe, inyama yemvu, yenyamazane, inhlanzi nezinkukhu—konke okwakuhambisana nososo wesweli onezinongo nezinhlobonhlobo zemifino kanye noshizi. Ukudla okugcinwa ngakho kwakuba izithelo ezintsha, ezomisiwe noma ezivuvuzelwe ngoshukela noma amakhekhe ayebhakwe emapanini ayinkimbinkimbi. Ukuze ziqede ukoma, izivakashi zazinikezwa ubhiya noma iwayini.

Kulesi sigodlo kwakunezindlu zangasese. Kwatholakala nezindlu zokugeza ezazinobhavu abenziwe ngobumba olushisiwe nezindlu zangasese ezingenazo izihlalo. Iphansi nezingxenye eziphansi zezindonga zala makamelo zazigcotshwe ngetiyela ukuze zivikeleke. Amanzi angcolile ayephuma ngemisele eyayenziwe ngezitini, futhi amapayipi obumba ayegcotshwe ngetiyela ukuze angangeni amanzi asasetshenziswa noma sekuphele cishe iminyaka engu-3 500. Lapho abesifazane abathathu abayisithembu sasebukhosini bephethwe isifo esibulalayo, kwashaywa imithetho eqinile. Owesifazane onesifo esinjalo kwakumelwe angahlangani nabantu futhi wayegcinwa ehlezi yedwa. “Akekho okwakufanele aphuze ngenkomishi yakhe, adle naye etafuleni futhi ahlale esihlalweni sakhe.”

Yini Esingayifunda Ezinqolobaneni Zokugcina Imilando?

UParrot neqembu lakhe bathola izibhebhe zemibhalo yesandla ezingaba ngu-20 000 ezazibhalwe ngesi-Akkad. Lezi zibhebhe zazinezincwadi nemibhalo yokuphatha kanye neyomnotho. Kuye kwasakazwa ingxenye eyodwa kuphela kwezintathu yalezi zinqolobane zokugcina imilando. Nakuba kunjalo, ziyimiqulu engu-28. Zinayiphi inzuzo? Umqondisi we-Mari Archaeological Mission, uJean-Claude Margueron uthi: “Ngaphambi kokuba kutholakale izinqolobane zokugcina imilando zaseMari, sasingazi lutho ngomlando, ngenqubo nangokuphila kwansuku zonke kwabantu baseMesophothamiya nabaseSiriya ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yesibili yeminyaka. Ngenxa yalezo zibhebhe, kuye kwalotshwa izigigaba ezigcwele zomlando.” Njengoba kwasho uParrot, izinqolobane zokugcina umlando “zembula ukufana okumangalisayo phakathi kwabantu okukhulunywa ngabo kanye nalokho iThestamente Elidala elisitshela khona ngalokho okwakwenzeka ngesikhathi seziNzalamizi.”

Izibhebhe ezatholakala eMari zicacisa nezindima ezithile eziseBhayibhelini. Ngokwesibonelo, lezi zibhebhe zibonisa ukuthi ukuthatha abafazi nezancinza zesitha kwakuyinto “eyinhloko eyayenziwa amakhosi angaleso sikhathi.” Iseluleko sembuka elingu-Ahithofeli ku-Absalomu indodana yeNkosi uDavide sokulala nezancinza zikayise sasingeyona into entsha.—2 Samuweli 16:21, 22.

Kusukela ngo-1933 kuye kwaba nemikhankaso engu-41 yokuvubukula iTell Hariri. Nokho, kuze kube manje, kumahektare angu-110 endawo yaseMari kuye kwahlolwa amahektare angu-8 kuphela. Mhlawumbe kusazovubukulwa izinto eziningi ezimangalisayo eMari, indlovukazi yasendulo esogwadule.

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(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

ULwandle IMedithera (ULwandle Olukhulu)

I-ANATOLIA

IHarana

IKHANANI

IJerusalema

IMARI

IMESOPHOTHAMIYA

I-Uri

I-ASIRIYA

I-Ewufrathe

IPersian Gulf

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Kulo mbhalo inkosi yaseMari u-Iahdun-Lim yayiqhosha ngomsebenzi wayo wokwakha

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Ukuvubukulwa kwalesi sithombe sikaLamgi-Mari kwenza ukuba kutholakale ukuthi yayikuphi ngempela iMari

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Indawo ephakeme esigodlweni, okungenzeka ukuthi kwakumi kuyo unkulunkulukazi othile

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Umphathi waseMari u-Ebih-Il, ethandaza

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Amanxiwa aseMari, abonisa izakhiwo ezazenziwe ngezitini zodaka ezingashiswanga

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Indawo yokugeza esigodlweni

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Itshe eliyisikhumbuzo sikaNaram-Sin, umnqobi weMari

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Kwatholakala izibhebhe zemibhalo yesandla ezingaba ngu-20 000 emanxiweni asesigodlweni

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© Mission archéologique française de Tell Hariri - Mari (Syrie)

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Document: Musée du Louvre, Paris; statue: © Mission archéologique française de Tell Hariri - Mari (Syrie)

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Statue: Musée du Louvre, Paris; podium and bathroom: © Mission archéologique française de Tell Hariri - Mari (Syrie)

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Victory stele: Musée du Louvre, Paris; palace ruins: © Mission archéologique française de Tell Hariri - Mari (Syrie)