Izithunywa Zevangeli Zafinyelela Kude Kangakanani EMpumalanga?

EMINYAKENI engaphansi kwengu-30 ngemva kokufa kukaJesu, umphostoli uPawulu wabhala ukuthi izindaba ezinhle zazishunyayelwa “kuyo yonke indalo” engaphansi kwezulu. (Kolose 1:23) Amazwi akhe akufanele athathwe njengoba enjalo, njengokungathi asho ukuthi wonke umuntu owayephila ngaleso sikhathi wayesezizwile izindaba ezinhle. Noma kunjalo, iphuzu likaPawulu lisobala: Izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu zazishumayela kabanzi ezweni elalaziwa ngaleso sikhathi.

Zafinyelela kude kangakanani? ImiBhalo ilandisa ukuthi ukuthuthwa kwezinto zezentengiselwano kwasiza uPawulu ukuba andise umsebenzi wakhe wokushumayela emazweni asentshonalanga njenge-Italiya. Lesi sithunywa sevangeli esinesibindi sasifuna ukushumayela naseSpaniya.—IzEnzo 27:1; 28:30, 31; Roma 15:28.

Kodwa kuthiwani ngamazwe asempumalanga? Abashumayeli bokuqala abangamaKristu bafinyelela kude kangakanani? Asinakusho ngokuqinisekile, ngoba iBhayibheli alisho lutho ngalolu daba. Kodwa, ungase umangale ukuzwa ukuthi imizila yezohwebo phakathi kweMedithera namazwe aseMpumalanga yayifinyelela kude kangakanani ekhulwini lokuqala C.E. Ukuba khona kwale mizila kubonisa ukuthi kwakunamathuba amahle okuhambela emazweni asempumalanga.

Ifa Lika-Alexander

Ukunqoba kuka-Alexander Omkhulu kwafinyelela empumalanga eBhabhiloniya nasePheresiya kwaze kwadlulela ngisho nasePunjab, enyakatho yeNdiya. Leyo mikhankaso yenza amaGreki azi ugu olusuka esizalweni se-Ewufrathe, ePersian Gulf kuya esizalweni somfula i-Indus.

Ngokushesha amaGreki ayesethola izinongo nempepho okuvela ngaphesheya koLwandle lwaseNdiya, okwakulethwa ngemikhumbi enqamula oLwandle Olubomvu. Ekuqaleni lo mzila wohwebo wawuphethwe abathengisi abangamaNdiya nama-Arabhu. Kodwa lapho oPtolemy baseGibhithe bezwa ngezinzuzo ezazilethwa izinkathi zezimvula ezinkulu, nabo baqala ukuhweba ngoLwandle lwaseNdiya.

Kulolo lwandle, kunemimoya ehelezayo evela eningizimu-ntshonalanga kusukela ngo-May kuya ku-September, okwenza imikhumbi ikwazi ukuhamba isuka esizalweni soLwandle Olubomvu igudle ugu oluseningizimu ye-Arabhiya noma iqonde ngqo eningizimu yeNdiya. Phakathi kuka-November no-March, le mimoya iyaphenduka, okwenza imikhumbi ikwazi ukuthatha uhambo olubuyela emuva. Amatilosi ase-Arabhiya naseNdiya kwase kungamakhulu eminyaka esizakala ngale mimoya, ehla enyuka phakathi kweNdiya noLwandle Olubomvu ngemikhumbi ethwele ikhasiya, usinamoni, inadi nopelepele.

Imizila Yasolwandle Eya E-Aleksandriya NaseRoma

Lapho amaRoma enqoba amazwe ayebuswa amakhosi alandela u-Alexander, iRoma laba umthengi oyinhloko wezinto eziyigugu ezivela eMpumalanga—amazinyo endlovu avela e-Afrika, impepho nemure lase-Arabhiya, izinongo namatshe ayigugu aseNdiya, ngisho nosilika ovela eChina. Imikhumbi ethwele lezi zimpahla yayingenisa emachwebeni amabili ayinhloko oGwini loLwandle Olubomvu eGibhithe—eBerenice naseMyos Hormos. Womabili ayenemizila yamakamela anqamula izwe aye eCoptos, emfuleni iNayile.

Ukusuka eCoptos, izimpahla zazidluliselwa eNayile, umfula oyinhloko eGibhithe, ziye e-Aleksandriya, lapho zazifakwa khona emikhunjini elibangise e-Italiya nakwezinye izindawo. Enye indlela eya e-Aleksandriya eyayisetshenziswa kwakuwunqamula emseleni ohlanganisa uLwandle Olubomvu enyakatho—eduze naseSuez yanamuhla—neNayile. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi iGibhithe namachweba akhona laliseduze kakhulu namazwe uJesu ashumayela kuwo futhi kwakungafinyeleleka kalula kuwo usuka lapho.

Ngokwesazi sokuma kwezwe esingumGreki sekhulu lokuqala uStrabo, ngosuku lwakhe kwakunemikhumbi engu-120 yase-Aleksandriya eyayisuka eMyos Hormos iyohwebelana namaNdiya minyaka yonke. Incwadi yangekhulu lokuqala echaza uhambo lwemikhumbi kule ndawo isatholakala nanamuhla. Cishe yabhalwa umthengisi waseGibhithe okhuluma isiGreki ukuze kuzuze abanye abahwebi. Yini esingayifunda kule ncwadi yasendulo?

Le ncwadi, evame ukubizwa ngesihloko sayo sesiLatini, esithi Periplus Maris Erythraei (Uhambo Olwandle I-Erythraean) ichaza imizila yemikhumbi ehlanganisa izinkulungwane zamakhilomitha eningizimu yeGibhithe, kuze kuyofinyelela eZanzibar. Ekhuluma ngemizila yasempumalanga, lo mlobi uchaza amabanga, izikhumulo zemikhumbi, izimakethe zokuthengisa, izimpahla ezazithengiswa kanye nesimo sengqondo sabantu bendawo uma ugudla ugu oluseningizimu ye-Arabhiya, uze uyofika ogwini olusentshonalanga yeNdiya naseSri Lanka bese ukhuphuka nogu lwasempumalanga yeNdiya uze uyofika emfuleni iGanges. Izincazelo zale ncwadi ezinembile nezicacile ziholela esiphethweni sokuthi lo mlobi wayeke wazivakashela izindawo akhuluma ngazo.

AbaseNtshonalanga ENdiya

ENdiya abathengisi basentshonalanga babaziwa ngokuthi amaYavana. Ngokwe-Periplus, enye yezindawo ababevame ukuya kuzo ekhulwini lokuqala C.E. kwakuyiMuziris, engasemaphethelweni eNdiya ngaseningizimu.a Izinkondlo zesiTamil, ezalotshwa emakhulwini eminyaka okuqala, zikhuluma ngalaba bahwebi kaningi. Enye inkondlo ithi: “Imikhumbi emihle yamaYavana yafika negolide yahamba nopelepele, futhi kwaba nenjabulo enkulu eMuziris.” Kwenye inkondlo, inkosana yaseningizimu yeNdiya ikhuthazwa ukuba iphuze iwayini elinephunga elimnandi elafika namaYavana. Ezinye izinto zaseNtshonalanga ezazithandwa eNdiya kwakuyizinto zengilazi, izinsimbi, amakhorali nezindwangu.

Abavubukuli baye bathola ubufakazi obuningi bokuthi kwakunempahla yaseNtshonalanga eyayilethwa eNdiya. Ngokwesibonelo, e-Arikamedu ogwini oluseningizimu-mpumalanga yeNdiya, baye bathola izinsalela zezitsha zewayini zamaRoma nezitsha ezinezigxivizo zababumbi abenza lezi zinto e-Arezzo, enkabeni ye-Italiya. Umlobi othile uthi: “Umcwaningi wanamuhla uba nombono ocacile lapho ethola eChwebeni laseBengal izinsalela ezinamagama ababumbi ababesebenzela emaphethelweni e-Arezzo.” Ukuthi amazwe aseMedithera neNdiya ayehwebelana kufakazelwa nayizinhlamvu eziningi zegolide nesiliva zemali yamaRoma ezatholakala eningizimu yeNdiya. Eziningi zalezi zinhlamvu zemali zihlehlela emuva ekhulwini lokuqala C.E., futhi ziqoshwe imifanekiso yabaBusi baseRoma u-Awugustu, uTiberiyu noNero.

Ukuthi kungenzeka izakhamuzi zaseRoma zazinezindawo zohwebo lwesikhathi eside eningizimu yeNdiya kufakazelwa nayibalazwe lasendulo, okusatholakala ikhophi yalo yangenkathi ephakathi. Leli balazwe, elaziwa ngokuthi i-Peutinger Table—okuthiwa libonisa ukuthi amazwe angaphansi kweRoma ayenjani ekhulwini lokuqala C.E.—libonisa ukuthi kwakunethempeli lika-Awugustu eMuziris. Incwadi ethi Rome’s Eastern Trade: International Commerce and Imperial Policy, 31 BC–AD 305, ithi: “Izikhonzi zoMbuso WamaRoma kuphela ezazingakha isakhiwo esinjalo, futhi cishe ezazihlala eMuziris noma ezachitha isikhathi esiningi khona.”

Amarekhodi aseRoma akhuluma ngokuvakasha kwamanxusa okungenani amathathu aseNdiya eRoma ngesikhathi sokubusa kuka-Awugustu, kusukela ngo-27 B.C.E. kuya ku-14 C.E. Ucwaningo oluthile ngale ndaba luthi “la manxusa ayenenjongo ephakeme njengosomaqhinga”—yokuvuma ukuba abantu bamazwe ahlukahlukene bahwebelane uma kunendlela, kushaywe imithetho yentela uma kungenzeka, abantu bangaphandle bahlale kwamanye amazwe, njalo njalo.

Khona-ke, ekhulwini lokuqala C.E., kwakuyinto evamile ukuhamba phakathi kweMedithera neNdiya. Kwakungaba lula ngesithunywa sevangeli esingumKristu esisenyakatho yoLwandle Olubomvu ukugibela umkhumbi oya eNdiya.

Ukudlulela Ngalé KwelaseNdiya?

Ukuthi abathengisi baseMedithera nezinye izihambi bafika kude kangakanani empumalanga—nokuthi baqala nini ukuya khona—kunzima ukwazi. Kodwa kunenkolelo yokuthi ekhulwini lokuqala C.E., abathile basentshonalanga babeya ezindaweni ezikude njengaseThailand, eCambodia, eSumatra naseJava.

I-Hou Han-Shou (Imilando Yobukhosi Bamuva BakwaHan), ehlanganisa inkathi esukela ku-23 C.E. kuya ku-220 C.E., inikeza inkathi eqondile yolunye lwalolo hambo. Ngo-166 C.E., amanxusa enkosi yaseDaqin, okuthiwa u-An-tun, afika esigodlweni saseChina nezipho zoMbusi uHuan-ti. Elithi Daqin yigama lesiShayina elisho uMbuso WamaRoma, kanti elithi An-tun kubonakala kuyindlela yesiShayina yokuhumusha elithi Antoninus, isibongo sakubo kaMarcus Aurelius, owayengumbusi waseRoma ngaleso sikhathi. Izazi-mlando zicabanga ukuthi laba bameleli babengathunyiwe abasebukhosini kodwa kwakumane kuwumzamo wabahwebi basentshonalanga wokuthola usilika ngokuqondile eChina kunokusebenzisa abaxhumanisi.

Ake sibuyele embuzweni wethu wasekuqaleni, Imikhumbi yasendulo yayingafinyelela kude kangakanani empumalanga nezithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu zekhulu lokuqala? ENdiya noma ngalé kwayo? Mhlawumbe. Ngokuqinisekile, isigijimi sobuKristu sasakazeka kakhulu kangangokuba umphostoli uPawulu wayengathi ‘sithela izithelo futhi sanda ezweni lonke’—okuwukuthi, sifinyelela emajukujukwini ezwe elalaziwa ngaleso sikhathi.—Kolose 1:6.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 22]

Isikhalo SoMbusi

Ngo-22 C.E., uMbusi waseRoma uTiberiyu wakhala ngokuzitika ngokweqile kwabantu bakubo. Isifiso sabo sokunethezeka kanye nabesifazane basebukhosini baseRoma ababefuna izinto zokuhloba ngokweqile kwakuqeda ingcebo yombuso wakhe, kuyithumela “ezizweni eziyinqaba noma ezinobutha.” Isazi-mlando saseRoma uPliny Omdala (23-79 C.E.) naso sakhala ngokuchithwa okufanayo kwemali. Sabhala: “Okungenani, elaseNdiya, iSeres neNhlonhlo yase-Arabhiya kudla ama-sesterce ayizigidi eziyikhulu embusweni wethu minyaka yonke—sichitha imali eningi ezintweni zokunethezeka nakwabesifazane bethu.”b

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Umthombo]

Museo della Civiltà Romana, Roma; Todd Bolen/Bible Places.com

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Indawo Abathengisi Ababezifuna Kuyo Izimpahla Zabo

UJesu wakhuluma ‘ngomthengisi ohambahambayo ofuna amaparele amahle.’ (Mathewu 13:45) Incwadi yesAmbulo nayo ikhuluma ‘ngabathengisi abahambahambayo’ ababedayisa izinto ezihlanganisa amatshe ayigugu, usilika, ukhuni olunephunga elimnandi, amazinyo endlovu, usinamoni, impepho nezinongo zaseNdiya. (IsAmbulo 18:11-13) Umthombo walezi zinto wawusemizileni yezohwebo engasempumalanga yePalestina. Ukhuni olunephunga elimnandi, njenge-sandalwood, lwaluvela eNdiya. Amaparele ayigugu ayetholakala ePersian Gulf, oLwandle Olubomvu, kanye nasendaweni yaseMuziris naseSri Lanka, ngokusho komlobi wencwadi ethi Periplus Maris Erythraei. Amaparele asoLwandle lwaseNdiya cishe ayengawenani eliphezulu futhi ebiza kakhulu.

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 20, 21]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Eminye yemizila yohwebo eyayikhona phakathi kweRoma ne-Asiya ekhulwini lokuqala

I-Arezzo

IRoma

ULWANDLE IMEDITHERA

I-AFRIKA

I-Aleksandriya

IGIBHITHE

ICoptos

UMfula iNayile

IMyos Hormos

IBerenice

Izanzibar

ULwandle Olubomvu

IJerusalema

I-ARABHIYA

UMfula i-Ewufrathe

IBHABHILONIYA

IPersian Gulf

IPHERESIYA

↓ Imimoya evela enyakatho-mpumalanga

↑ Imimoya evela eningizimu-ntshonalanga

UMfula i-Indus

IPUNJAB

UMfula iGanges

IChweba laseBengal

INDIYA

I-Arikamedu

IMuziris

ISRI LANKA

ULWANDLE LWASENDIYA (ULWANDLE I-ERYTHRAEAN)

ICHINA

UMBUSO WAKWAHAN

ITHAILAND

ICAMBODIA

IVIETNAM

ISumatra

IJava

[Isithombe ekhasini 21]

Umfuziselo womkhumbi wamaRoma owawuthwala impahla

[Umthombo]

Ship: Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.