“Imikhumbi YaseKitimi” Yehla Yenyuka Olwandle

KUYE kwaliwa izimpi eziningi zasolwandle engxenyeni esempumalanga yolwandle iMedithera. Zama ukubona ngamehlo engqondo enye yalezo zimpi eyalwiwa emakhulwini amahlanu eminyaka ngaphambi kokufika kukaKristu. Umkhumbi olawuleka kalula onezinhlu ezintathu zezigwedlo obizwa ngokuthi i-trireme uhamba ngesivinini esikhulu. Abagwedli abangaba ngu-170 abasezinhleni ezintathu bagwedla ngamandla besizwa izikhwepha zabo, beya emuva naphambili njengoba behlezi emicamelweni yesikhumba eboshelwe ezinqeni zabo.

Njengoba uhamba amakhilomitha angu-13 kuya kwangu-17 ngehora, lo mkhumbi udla amagalane emagagasini uqonde emkhunjini wezitha. Izitha zizama ukubaleka. Kuthi kusenjalo, zihlangabezane nobunzima obuthile obenza olunye uhlangothi lomkhumbi wazo lungavikeleki. Izinsimbi ezingaphansi komkhumbi ngaphambili ezihuqwe ngethusi zomkhumbi wabahlaseli zishayisa umzimba ongaqinile womkhumbi wesitha ziwubhodloze. Umsindo wokuphuka kwamapulangwe nowamanzi angena ngaleyo mbobo uthusa abagwedli abayizitha. Emkhunjini wabahlaseli, ibutho elincane lamasosha elihlome liyizingovolo liphuma ngejubane ngephaseshi liyogasela lo mkhumbi oshayisiwe. Yebo, eminye imikhumbi yakudala yayiqine ngempela!

Abafundi beBhayibheli baye bazithola zithakazelisa izindaba ezikhuluma ‘ngeKitimi’ ‘nangemikhumbi yaseKitimi,’ ezinye zazo eziyisiprofetho. (Numeri 24:24; Daniyeli 11:30; Isaya 23:1) Yayikuphi ngempela iKitimi? Yini esiyaziyo ngemikhumbi yakhona? Futhi kungani kufanele izimpendulo zale mibuzo zikuthakazelise?

Isazimlando esingumJuda uJosephus sabiza iKitimi ngokuthi “iChethimos,” siyihlobanisa nesiqhingi saseKhupro. Idolobha laseKition (noma iCitium) elisengxenyeni eseningizimu-mpumalanga yesiqhingi lixhumanisa iKitimi neKhupro. Njengoba isempambana-mgwaqo yemizila yasendulo yezohwebo, iKhupro yayisendaweni ekahle kakhulu ngoba yayiseduze namatheku asempumalanga yeMedithera. Ukuphahlwa kwayo izizwe ezilwayo kwakuyiphoqa ukuba ithathe uhlangothi, futhi yaba isizwe esinamandla ukuzibandakanya naso noma isitha esiwuhlupho.

Abantu BaseKhupro Nolwandle

Ubufakazi bezinto ezavubukulwa olwandle nasemangcwabeni, kuhlanganise nobemibhalo yasendulo nezinto ezidwetshwe ezintweni zobumba, busisiza ukuba sibe nomfanekiso wemikhumbi yaseKhupro. Abantu bakuqala baseKhupro babengabakhi bemikhumbi abangongoti. Lesi siqhingi sasinamahlathi angodukathole kanti imitata yaso evikelayo yayiba amatheku emvelo. Kwakugawulwa imithi yokwakha imikhumbi nokuncibilikisa ithusi—umkhiqizo ongokwemvelo iKhupro eyaduma ngawo ezikhathini zasendulo.

AbaseFenike bayibona imisebenzi yaseKhupro yokuhweba eyayichuma, base bakha amakoloni emizileni yabo yezohwebo. Elinye lalawo makoloni kwakuyiKition, eyayiseKhupro.—Isaya 23:10-12.

Ngemva kokuwa kweThire, abanye abantu bakhona kubonakala babalekela eKitimi. Cishe abanikazi bamakoloni baseFenike ababenamakhono kwezokuhamba olwandle baba neqhaza elikhulu kwezobuchwepheshe bemikhumbi yabaseKhupro. Indawo ekahle kakhulu iKition eyayikuyo yenza nokuba imikhumbi yaseFenike ivikeleke kakhulu.

Yayihilelekile Ekuhwebelaneni Okuchumayo Namazwe Omhlaba

Imisebenzi yasendulo yokuhweba empumalanga yeMedithera phakathi nalesi sikhathi yayiyinkimbinkimbi. Izimpahla zaseKhupro eziyigugu zazithuthwa ngomkhumbi ziye eKrethe, eSardinia naseSisili kanye naseziqhingini zase-Aegean. Kuye kwatholakala izimbiza namavazi aseKhupro kulezi zindawo, futhi kuye kwatholakala izitsha eziningi zobumba ezinhle zohlobo lwaseMycenaean (lwaseGrisi). Lapho ezinye izazi zihlola izigaxa zethusi ezatholakala eSardinia, zafinyelela esiphethweni sokuthi zazingezaseKhupro.

Ngo-1982 kwatholakala umkhumbi owaphahlazeka ngasekupheleni kwekhulu leminyaka le-14 B.C.E. eduze kogu oluseningizimu yeTurkey. Lapho kugujwa ngaphansi kwamanzi kwatholakala amagugu ahlukahlukene—izigaxa zethusi okukholelwa okuthi zavela eKhupro, inhlaka, izimbiza zaseKhanani, ukhuni olumnyama, amazinyo endlovu, ubucwebe baseKhanani begolide nesiliva kanye nemihlobiso emise okwamabhungezi nezinye izinto zaseGibhithe. Lapho icwaninga ubumba olwakhe izitsha zobumba ezatholakala emkhunjini, eminye imithombo ithi cishe kwakuwumkhumbi owakhiwa eKhupro.

Okuthakazelisayo ngokuqondene nesikhathi okucatshangelwa ukuthi lo mkhumbi waphahlazeka ngaso ukuthi uBhalami wakhuluma ngale mikhumbi yaseKitimi ‘esageni sakhe.’ (Numeri 24:15, 24) Kusobala ukuthi imikhumbi yaseKhupro yase yaziwa kakhulu eMpumalanga Ephakathi. Yayinjani le mikhumbi?

Imikhumbi Yezohwebo

Imikhumbi nezikebhe eziningi zobumba ziye zatholakala ezindaweni zokungcwaba emzini wasendulo wase-Amathus, eKhupro. Le mikhumbi iyizinkomba eziwusizo zezinhlobo zemikhumbi yaseKhupro futhi eminye kubukiswe ngayo eminyuziyamu.

Leyo mikhumbi ibonisa ngokucacile ukuthi imikhumbi yakudala yayisetshenziselwa ukuhwebelana ngokuthula. Emincane yayigwedlwa abagwedli abangu-20. Emikhulu nephakeme yayiklanyelwe ukuthutha izimpahla nabantu futhi yayihamba amabanga amafushane ezindaweni ezigudle ugu lwaseKhupro. UPliny Omdala uthi abaseKhupro baklama umkhumbi omncane ongasindi owawugwedlwa futhi ukwazi ukuthwala izinto ezinesisindo samathani angaba ngu-90.

Kwakukhona nemikhumbi emikhudlwana yokuhweba njengalowo ongasogwini lwaseTurkey. Eminye yayo yayingathwala izimpahla ezingamathani angu-450 olwandle. Imikhumbi emikhulu yayingagwedlwa amadoda angu-50, kube nangu-25 ohlangothini ngalunye futhi yayingaba ngamamitha angu-30 ubude futhi izinsika zibe ngamamitha angaphezu kwayishumi ukuphakama.

Imikhumbi Yezempi “YaseKitimi” Esiprofethweni SeBhayibheli

Ngumoya kaJehova owenza ukuba kube nalesi simemezelo: “Kuyoba nemikhumbi evela ogwini lwaseKitimi, futhi ngokuqinisekile iyolihlupha i-Asiriya.” (Numeri 24:2, 24) Ingabe lesi sibikezelo sagcwaliseka? Imikhumbi evela eKhupro yayihileleke kanjani kulokho kugcwaliseka? Leyo “mikhumbi evela ogwini lwaseKitimi” yayingeyona imikhumbi yokuhwebelana ngokuthula eyayihamba oLwandle LwaseMedithera. Yayiyimikhumbi yempi eyayiletha usizi.

Njengoba izindlela zokulwa zaziya zishintsha, nokwakheka kwemikhumbi kwakushintshwa ukuze imikhumbi ihambe ngejubane elikhulu futhi ibe namandla ngokwengeziwe. Umdwebo owatholakala e-Amathus cishe owemikhumbi yempi yokuqala yaseKhupro. Lowo mdwebo unomkhumbi omude owuhuntshu, onengemuva eliphakeme futhi elicijile njengomkhumbi wempi waseFenike. Ngaphansi wawunezinsimbi zokubhodloza nezinto ezimise okwezihlangu eziyisiyingi nhlangothi zombili eduze kwengemuva lomkhumbi nengaphambili.

Ngekhulu lesi-8 B.C.E. kwaba khona imikhumbi yokuqala enezinhla ezimbili eGrisi. Le mikhumbi yayingamamitha angaba ngu-24 ubude futhi ingamamitha amathathu ububanzi. Ekuqaleni le mikhumbi yayisetshenziselwa ukuthutha amasosha ayelwela ezweni hhayi olwandle. Kungakabiphi, kwabonakala usizo lokunezela olunye uhla lwezigwedlo nokufaka izinsimbi ezihuqwe ngethusi engxenyeni engaphambili yomkhumbi. Lowo mkhumbi omusha wabizwa ngokuthi i-trireme, njengoba kushiwo ekuqaleni kwalesi sihloko. Lolu hlobo lomkhumbi lwaduma kakhulu ngesikhathi sempi yaseSalamis (ngo-480 B.C.E.) ngesikhathi amaGreki enqoba ibutho lasolwandle lasePheresiya.

Njengoba ayefuna ukubusa izindawo eziningi, u-Alexander Omkhulu kamuva wayala imikhumbi yakhe eminingi yalolu hlobo ukuba iye ngasempumalanga. Le mikhumbi yayiklanyelwe impi, hhayi ukuhamba isikhathi eside olwandle ngoba yayincane indawo yokugcina izinto. Lokhu kwenza ukuba ihambe ima eziqhingini zase-Aegean ukuze kutholakale ukudla futhi kulungiswe nezingxenye zomkhumbi ezazidinga ukulungiswa. Injongo ka-Alexander kwakuwukubhuqa imikhumbi yasePheresiya. Nokho, ukuze aphumelele, kwakudingeka aqale anqobe isiqhingi esasingelula esasiyinqaba yeThire. IKhupro yayiyindawo yokukhokha umoya.

AbaseKhupro basekela u-Alexander Omkhulu ngesikhathi evimbezele iThire (ngo-332 B.C.E.), bamnikeza imikhumbi engu-120. Amakhosi aseKhupro amathathu ahola le mikhumbi eyayizohlangana neka-Alexander. Alekelela ekuvinjezelweni kweThire izinyanga ezingu-7. IThire lanqotshwa, futhi kwagcwaliseka isiprofetho seBhayibheli. (Hezekeli 26:3, 4; Zakariya 9:3, 4) Ukuze abonise ukubonga kwakhe, u-Alexander wanikeza amakhosi aseKhupro igunya elikhethekile.

Ukugcwaliseka Kwesiprofetho Okumangalisayo

Isazimlando sekhulu lokuqala uStrabo sithi u-Alexander wasebenzisa imikhumbi yaseKhupro neyaseFenike emkhankasweni wakhe wokulwa ne-Arabhiya. Leyo mikhumbi yayingasindi futhi kulula ukuyiqhaqha, ngakho kwayithatha izinsuku ezingu-7 kuphela ukufika eThapsacus (eThifisa) esenyakatho yeSiriya. (1 AmaKhosi 4:24) Ukusuka lapho, kwase kulula ukwehla ngomfula iye eBhabhiloni.

Ngakho, inkulumo eseBhayibhelini eyayibonakala icashile yagcwaliseka ngokumangalisayo ngemva kweminyaka engaba amakhulu ayishumi! Ngokuvumelana namazwi akuNumeri 24:24, ibutho lika-Alexander Omkhulu laqonda ngqo empumalanga lisuka eMakedoniya lafike lanqoba izwe lase-Asiriya, ekugcineni lanqoba uMbuso WamaMede NamaPheresiya onamandla.

Ngisho nokwaziswa okulinganiselwe esinakho ‘ngemikhumbi yaseKitimi’ kukhomba ngokunembile ekugcwalisekeni okuthakazelisayo kwesiprofetho seBhayibheli. Ubufakazi obungokomlando obunjalo busenza siqiniseke ngokwengeziwe ukuthi singazethemba izibikezelo eziseBhayibhelini. Iziprofetho eziningi ezinjalo zithinta ikusasa lethu, ngakho senza kahle ngokuzithatha ngokungathí sina.

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 16, 17]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

I-ITALIYA

ISardinia

ISisili

ULwandle Lwase-Aegean

IGRISI

IKrethe

ILIBHIYA

ITURKEY

IKHUPRO

IKition

IThire

IGIBHITHE

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Umfanekiso womkhumbi wezempi waseGrisi, i-“trireme”

[Umthombo]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Umfanekiso womkhumbi wempi wasendulo waseFenike, i-“bireme”

[Umthombo]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Ivazi enomfanekiso womkhumbi waseKhupro

[Umthombo]

Published by permission of the Director of Antiquities and the Cyprus Museum

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Imikhumbi yezimpahla yasendulo, njengaleyo eshiwo ku-Isaya 60:9