Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi
Abanye baye bathi uPawulu wamphukela kwesinye isiqhingi umkhumbi, hhayi kwesaseMalta, eseningizimu yeSicily. Wamphukela kuphi umkhumbi?
Lo mbuzo ubhekisela esiphakamisweni esisanda kuvela sokuthi umphostoli uPawulu akaphukelwanga umkhumbi esiqhingini saseMalta, kunalokho wamphukela eCephalonia (noma, eKefallinía) eduze kwaseCorfu e-Ionian Sea, budebuduze nogu olusentshonalanga yeGrisi. Ukulandisa okuphefumulelwe kusitshela ukuthi uPawulu waqala uhambo lwakhe eKhesariya eyisiboshwa senduna yekhulu yaseRoma uJuliyu, kukhona namanye amasosha nabangane bakaPawulu. Njengoba kubonisiwe ebalazweni, bahamba ngomkhumbi baya eSidoni naseMira. Ngemva kokushintshela komunye umkhumbi omkhulu othwala okusanhlamvu owawuvela e-Aleksandriya, eGibhithe, baya ngasentshonalanga eKinidu. Abakwazanga ukunamathela emzileni okwakuhlelwe ukuba bahambe ngawo owawunqamula e-Aegean Sea udlule enhlonhlweni yeGrisi uyofika eRoma. Imimoya enamandla yabaphoqa ukuba baye eningizimu ngaseKrethe, bekhosela ogwini lwakhona. Lapho, bama esikhumulweni okuthiwa amaTheku Amahle. Ngemva ‘kokuthatha uhambo ukusuka eKrethe,’ umkhumbi ‘wabanjwa ngamandla’ “isiphepho okuthiwa yi-Ewurakiloni.” Lo mkhumbi osindayo owawuthwele okusanhlamvu ‘wawujikijeleka ngapha nangapha olwandle’ kwaze kwaba ubusuku be-14. Ekugcineni, bonke abantu abangu-276 baphukelwa umkhumbi esiqhingini esibizwa ngokuthi i-Me·liʹte emiBhalweni Engcwele yesiGreki.—IzEnzo 27:1–28:1.
Eminyakeni edlule, kuningana okuye kwasikiselwa mayelana nokuthi yisiphi lesi siqhingi, i-Me·liʹte. Abanye baye bacabanga ukuthi kwakuyisiqhingi saseMelite Illyrica, esesaziwa manje ngokuthi iMljet, e-Adriatic Sea budebuduze nogu lwaseCroatia. Kodwa lokhu akubonakali kungenzeka njengoba ukuba senyakatho kweMljet kunzima ukukuhlanganisa nezindawo ezilandelayo uPawulu adlula kuzo, okuyiSirakhuse, iSisili, bese kuba ugu olusentshonalanga ye-Italiya.—IzEnzo 28:11-13.
Abahumushi abaningi beBhayibheli baye baphetha ngokuthi elithi Me·liʹte libhekisela esiqhingini saseMelite Africanus, esaziwa manje ngokuthi iMalta. Isikhumulo sokugcina umkhumbi owawuthwele uPawulu owama kuso kwakuthiwa amaTheku Amahle, esiseKrethe. Isiphepho sase siwuphoqa umkhumbi ukuba uye entshonalanga, ngaseKhawuda. Umoya waqhubeka uphephula umkhumbi izinsuku eziningi. Kunengqondo ngempela ukuthi lo mkhumbi owawuqhutshwa isiphepho wawungaya ngasentshonalanga uze ufike eMalta.
Becabangela umoya ovame kakhulu, “nendawo oya ngakuyo nejubane lawo,” uConybeare noHowson encwadini yabo ethi The Life and Epistles of St. Paul bathi: “Ibanga phakathi kweClauda [noma, iKhawuda] neMalta lingaphansana kancane kwamakhilomitha angu-770. Ukuqondana okunjalo kuphawuleka kakhulu, kangangokuthi kubonakala kungenakwenzeka ukukholelwa ukuthi izwe amatilosi [asondela] kulo ngobusuku beshumi nane lalingaba enye indawo ngaphandle kweMalta. Amathuba alokho maningi kakhulu.”
Nakuba kungase kusikiselwe ezinye izindawo, ukuphuka komkhumbi eMalta (iMelitha) eboniswe ebalazweni elilapha kubonakala kuvumelana nokulandisa kweBhayibheli.
[Ibalazwe/Isithombe ekhasini 31]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
IJerusalema
IKhesariya
ISidoni
IMira
IKinidu
IKRETHE
IKHAWUDA
IMELITHA
ISISILI
ISirakhuse
IRoma
IMLJET
IGRISI
ICEPHALONIA