ISiriya—Lisitshela Umlando Othakazelisayo

YAYIKWENYE yezimpambano zemigwaqo yasendulo—indawo okwake kwahlangana kuyo imizila yezindwendwe esuka eMedithera iya eChina nesuka eGibhithe iya e-Anatolia. Amabutho ase-Akkad, eBhabhiloni, eGibhithe, ePheresiya, eGrisi naseRoma ake adlula khona. Emakhulwini eminyaka kamuva, abantu baseTurkey namaButho eMpi Yenkolo badlula khona. Ezikhathini zanamuhla, amabutho aseFrance nawaseBrithani abelwa ebanga yona.

Namuhla ingxenye ethile yaleyo ndawo isabizwa ngegama eyayaziwa ngalo ezinkulungwaneni zeminyaka ezidlule—iSiriya. Yize isishintshe kakhulu le ndawo, isasitshela umlando othile. ISiriya ibathakazelisa ngokukhethekile abafundi beBhayibheli ngoba umlando weBhayibheli uyakhuluma ngayo.

IDamaseku—Idolobha Lasendulo

Ngokwesibonelo, ake ubheke iDamaseku, inhloko-dolobha yaseSiriya. Kuthiwa ingenye yamadolobha amadala kakhulu emhlabeni abelokhu enabantu abahlala kuwo selokhu aba khona. Njengoba isezansi ne-Amana futhi kunomfula iBarada odlula kuyo, sekungamakhulu eminyaka iDamaseku iyindawo evundile ethandwayo emaphethelweni oGwadule LwaseSiriya olukhulu. Kungenzeka ukuthi inzalamizi u-Abrahama yadlula kuleli dolobha lapho ibheke eningizimu ilibangise eKhanani. Yathatha u-Eliyezeri, ‘umuntu waseDamaseku,’ yamletha emzini wayo waba inceku.—Genesise 15:2.

Eminyakeni ecela kweyinkulungwane kamuva, amakhosi aseZoba angamaSiriya alwa nenkosi yokuqala yakwa-Israyeli, uSawulu. (1 Samuweli 14:47) Inkosi yesibili yakwa-Israyeli, uDavide, nayo yalwa namakhosi ase-Aramu (okuyiSiriya ngesiHebheru), yawanqoba, ‘yabeka izikaniso zamabutho eSiriya laseDamaseku.’ (2 Samuweli 8:3-8) Ngakho u-Israyeli neSiriya baba izitha isikhathi eside.—1 AmaKhosi 11:23-25.

Ekhulwini lokuqala C.E., kubonakala sengathi amaSiriya namaJuda ayesethelelene amanzi. Kwase kukhona namasinagoge amaningana amaJuda eDamaseku ngaleso sikhathi. Uzokhumbula ukuthi uSawulu (kamuva owaba nguPawulu) waseTarsu wayesuka eJerusalema eya eDamaseku ngesikhathi eguqulelwa ebuKristwini.—IzEnzo 9:1-8.

EDamaseku yanamuhla abukho ubufakazi bokuthi u-Abrahama wadlula khona noma bokuthi uDavide walinqoba. Kodwa akhona amanxiwa edolobha elidala laseRoma nendlela enkulu enqamula kuleli dolobha elidala elandela iRoman Via Recta (uMgwaqo oQondile) yasendulo. U-Ananiya wamthola endlini eyayikulo mgwaqo uSawulu ngemva kokuguqulelwa kwakhe ebuKristwini ngokuyisimangaliso ngaphandle kwaseDamaseku. (IzEnzo 9:10-19) Nakuba lo mgwaqo wanamuhla ungasafani nakancane nowangezikhathi zamaRoma, yikhona lapha lapho umphostoli uPawulu aqala khona inkonzo yakhe evelele. UMgwaqo oQondile uphela esangweni iBab-Sharqi eliseRoma. Izindonga zedolobha ezinezindlu phezulu, zenza sibone ukuthi uPawulu wasinda kanjani ngokwehliswa ngobhasikidi ngembobo esodongeni.—IzEnzo 9:23-25; 2 Korinte 11:32, 33.

IPalmyra—Indawo Evundile Esemlandweni

Uma uhamba ngemoto amahora angaba mathathu uya enyakatho-mpumalanga yeDamaseku kunendawo yemivubukulo engavamile: IPalmyra, ebizwa ngokuthi iTadimori eBhayibhelini. (2 IziKronike 8:4) Njengoba iphakathi koLwandle LwaseMedithera noMfula i-Ewufrathe, le ndawo evundile iniselwa iziphethu eziqhuma lapha ezintabeni ezingasenyakatho. Umzila wezohwebo wasendulo owawuphakathi kweMesophothamiya namazwe asentshonalanga wawulandela iGquma Elivundile futhi ngenxa yalokho wawuhamba kude le enyakatho yePalmyra. Kodwa ekhulwini lokuqala B.C.E., ukushintshashintsha kwesimo sezombusazwe enyakatho kwenza kwadingeka indlela emfushane eseningizimu. Yaqala kanjalo-ke ukuchuma iPalmyra.

Njengoba yayiwusizo ekuvikeleni umngcele ongasempumalanga yombuso weRoma, iPalmyra yaba ingxenye yesifundazwe saseRoma iSiriya, kodwa ekugcineni yaba idolobha elizimele. Amathempeli amakhulu, amakhothamo amakhulu, obhavu, nenkundla yemidlalo kwakwakhiwe emgwaqweni omkhulu onezinsika. Indawo yabahamba ngezinyawo esohlangothini ngalunye yakhonkwa, kodwa umgwaqo omkhulu ophakathi wayekelwa abahamba namakamela. Izindwendwe ezazihamba emzileni wezohwebo ophakathi kweChina nelaseNdiya eMpumalanga, nezwe lamaGreki namaRoma eNtshonalanga, zaziphumula ePalmyra. Zilapho, zaziphoqeleka ukuba zikhokhe intela kasilika, yezinongo neyezinye izinto ezaziziphethe.

Ngesikhathi isichume kakhulu, ekhulwini lesithathu C.E., iPalmyra yayinabantu ababalelwa ku-200-000. Yilesi sikhathi-ke iNdlovukazi yakhona eyayinomoya wokuvelela, uZenobia, eyalwa ngaso neRoma futhi yagcina ihluliwe ngo-272 C.E. Ngale ndlela, uZenobia engazi wagcwalisa ingxenye yesiprofetho esabhalwa umprofethi uDaniyeli eminyakeni engaba ngu-800 ngaphambili.a (Daniyeli, isahluko 11) Ngemva kokunqotshwa kukaZenobia, iPalmyra yathi ukuqhubeka isikhashana iyikamu lamabutho oMbuso WaseRoma elibalulekile kodwa ayiphindanga yaba namandla futhi yachuma njengakuqala.

Siqhubekela E-Ewufrathe

Uma uya ngasenyakatho-mpumalanga unqamula ogwadule, ngemva kokuhamba ngemoto amahora amathathu ufika edolobheni iDayr az Zawr, lapho ungabona khona umfula omkhulu i-Ewufrathe. Lo mzila wamanzi oyingqopha-mlando usuka ezintabeni ezisempumalanga ye-Anatolia (iTurkey yase-Asia), ungene eSiriya ngasenyakatho yeKharikemishi, bese ugelezela eningizimu-mpumalanga unqamule eSiriya uye e-Iraq. Ebangeni elikude buduze nomngcele wase-Iraq, kukhona amanxiwa amadolobha amabili aseSiriya lasendulo.

Uma uhamba ibanga elingamakhilomitha ayikhulu ushona eningizimu-mpumalanga, ejikeni le-Ewufrathe, uthola amanxiwa edolobha elaliyinqaba yasendulo iDura-Europos. Uma uphinda uqhubeka amanye amakhilomitha angu-25 uya eningizimu-mpumalanga uthola amanxiwa edolobha laseMari. Leli dolobha elake lachuma kwezentengiselwano, lachithwa iNkosi yaseBhabhiloni uHammurabi ngekhulu le-18 B.C.E. Endaweni egcina imivubukulo yasesigodlweni salo kwatholakala okungenani izibhebhe zobumba eziqoshiwe ezingaba ngu-15 000—eziye zafeza lukhulu ekwambuleni umlando.

Lapho amabutho kaHammurabi echitha leli dolobha, abhidliza izindonga eziphezulu, kwagcwala izitini nenhlabathi emakamelweni angezansi. Lokhu kwavikela imidwebo eyayisezindongeni, izithombe, izitsha zobumba, nenqwaba yezinto zobungcweti kwaze kwaba yilapho iqembu labavubukuli baseFrance lithola le ndawo ngo-1933. Umuntu angakwazi ukuzibona lezi zinto eminyuziyamu yaseDamaseku nase-Aleppo kanye naseLouvre, eParis.

Amadolobha Asendulo Asenyakatho-ntshonalanga YeSiriya

Uma ulandela i-Ewufrathe ushona enyakatho-ntshonalanga ufika e-Aleppo (eHaleb). I-Aleppo, njengeDamaseku, ingenye yamadolobha amadala oselokhu kwathi nhlo ehlala abantu. Izimakethe zase-Aleppo, noma izitolo ezinompheme, zingezinye zezinto ezinhle kakhulu eMpumalanga Ephakathi.

Eningizimu ye-Aleppo kukhona iTell Mardikh, okwakukhona kuyo i-Ebla, idolobha elaliyisifundazwe sasendulo esasizimele. I-Ebla yayiyidolobha lezohwebo elinamandla elalingumakhonya enyakatho yeSiriya ngasengxenyeni yokugcina yenkulungwane yesithathu B.C.E. Imivubukulo yalapho yavubukula izinsalela zethempeli elalinikezelwe kunkulunkulukazi waseBhabhiloni u-Ishtar. Kwatholakala nesigodlo esasinezibhebhe zobumba ezingaphezu kuka-17 000. Umuntu angakwazi ukubona izinto zobungcweti zase-Ebla emnyuziyamu wase-Idlib, idolobha elincane eliqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-25.

Eningizimu yomgwaqo waseDamaseku kukhona iHama, okuthiwa iHamati eBhayibhelini. (Numeri 13:21) UMfula i-Orontes ugwingciza eHama, okwenza ibe elinye lamadolobha athakazelisa kakhulu eSiriya. Bese kuba iRas Shamra, inxiwa ledolobha lasendulo i-Ugarit. Enkulungwaneni yesithathu neyesibili B.C.E., i-Ugarit yayiyitheku lezohwebo elichumayo elalingene shí ekukhulekeleni uBhali noDagoni. Kusukela ngo-1929, abavubukuli baseFrance baye bavubukula izibhebhe eziningi zobumba nezinto zethusi eziqoshiwe, okuye kwembula okuningi ngesimo esonakalisayo sokukhulekela uBhali. Lokhu kuyasisiza siqonde kangcono ukuthi kungani uNkulunkulu awalahla amaKhanani ayekhulekela uBhali, aqothulwa aphela nyá.—Duteronomi 7:1-4.

Yebo, eSiriya lanamuhla umuntu angabona ubufakazi bomlando othakazelisayo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 28, 29]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

ULWANDLE LWASEMEDITHERA

‐‐ Imingcele ebangwayo

IGIBHITHE

KWA-ISRAYELI

IJORDANI

ILEBHANONI

ISIRIYA

IDAMASEKU

IBarada

I-Orontes

I-Ugarit (iRas Shamra)

IHama (iHamati)

I-Ebla (iTell Mardikh)

I-Aleppo (iHaleb)

IKharikemishi (iJerablus)

I-Ewufrathe

UZenobia

IDayr az Zawr

IDura-Europos

IMari

IPalmyra (iTadimori)

I-IRAQ

ITURKEY

[Izithombe ekhasini 28]

IDamaseku (ngezansi) noMgwaqo oQondile (ngenhla)

[Isithombe ekhasini 28]

Izindlu ezinjengezidleke zezinyosi

[Isithombe ekhasini 29]

I-Ugarit

[Isithombe ekhasini 29]

IHama

[Isithombe ekhasini 30]

IMari

[Isithombe ekhasini 30]

I-Aleppo

[Umthombo]

© Jean-Leo Dugast/Panos Pictures

[Isithombe ekhasini 30]

Isigodlo sase-Ebla

[Isithombe ekhasini 30]

Abelusi eZenobia

[Isithombe ekhasini 30]

IPalmyra

[Isithombe ekhasini 30]

I-Ewufrathe eDura Europos

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 29]

Children: © Jean-Leo Dugast/Panos Pictures; beehive homes: © Nik Wheeler