Mari—Umusumba Wakwatishe Amaka uwa mu Matololo

CALI ni mu January 1934, pa Tell Hariri, mupepi no musumba unono uwa Abu Kemal uwabela mupepi no mumana wa Yufrate mu Suria, ilyo umuFrench uushula ifya kushulashula Andre Parrot na banankwe bashulile icipasho calembelwepo ati: “Lamgi-Mari, imfumu ya ku Mari, shimapepo mukalamba uwa kwa Enlil.” Balitemenwe nga nshi ilyo bashulile ici cipasho. Parrot, ebukisha ukuti: “Nalitemenwe icine cine ilyo nafikile mu muputule wa kusendamamo cilya cungulo. Ine na banandi e lyo twapwile fye ukusefya ico twalishukile sana bulya bushiku.”

Umusumba wa Mari wasukile wasangwa! Mulandu nshi ici cacindamina ku basambi ba Baibolo?

Mulandu Nshi Cacindamina?

Nangu ca kuti ifyalembwa fyalengele cishibikwe ukuti umusumba wa Mari e ko wali, apo wabelele pena tapaishibikwe. Ukulingana na bakalemba abena Sumeri, Mari wali musumba wa bufumu ubo pa nshita imo bwatekele Mesopotamia yonse. Apo wakuulilwe mu lulamba lwa mumana wa Yufrate, umusumba wa Mari wabelele pa mampatu ya misebo yalepitamo aba makwebo iyaile ku Ashuri, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, na ku lulamba lwa Mediterranean. Ifipe fishalesangwa sana mu Mesopotamia pamo nge mbao, ifyela, na mabwe, e fyo balepisha muli uyu musumba. Imisonko balesonkela pa kupishamo ifipe, yalengele ukuti umusumba wa Mari ube uukankaala no kukwata amaka pa citungu conse. Lelo, amaka ya uyu musumba yapwile lintu Sarigone uwa ku Akkad acimfishe Suria.

Pa myaka 300 ukutula apo Sarigone acimfishe Suria, umusumba wa Mari waletekwa na bakateka abashilika. Pali iyi nshita, umusumba waishilekwata amaka na kabili. Lelo, ilyo kateka wa kulekelesha Zimri-Lim aleteka, amaka ya uyu musumba yaleya yalecepelako fye. Zimri-Lim afwaile ukukosha ubufumu bwakwe ukupitila mu kucimfya ifyalo fimbi, mu kucite fipangano, na mu kuupa abanakashi ba mu fyalo fimbi. Lelo, ilyo calefika nalimo muli ba1760 B.C.E., Imfumu Hammurabi iya ku Babiloni yacimfishe umusumba no kuonaula, kabili apa pene e palobele umusumba wa Mari uo Parrot atile “wali pa misumba yalimo ubuyantanshi sana kale.”

Ilyo abashilika ba kwa Hammurabi baonawile umusumba wa Mari, mu kukanaishiba bayafwilishe abashula ifya kushulashula na basambilila ilyashi lya kale aba muno nshiku. Lintu bawishishe icibumba ca matafwali ayo bashaocele, bashikile ifikuulwa mu ncende shimo shimo ifyalepele amamita 5, kabili ici calengele ukuti mu kuya kwa nshita, fionaika. Abashula ifya kushulashula balisanga amatempele na masano, ukusanshako ne fintu fimbi ne fipaapaatu ifingi sana ifilanda pa fyo ubuyantanshi bwali kale.

Mulandu nshi ifitantaala fya musumba wa Mari fyacindamina kuli ifwe? Natubwelele ku nshita Abrahamu icikolwe ali umumi. Abrahamu afyelwe mu mwaka wa 2018 B.C.E., imyaka 352 pa numa ye Lyeshi. Inkulo yakwe e yali iyalenga 10 ukufuma pali Noa. Ilyo Lesa amwebele ukukuuka, Abrahamu afumine mu Uri, umushi uo afyalilwemo, no kuya ku Harani. Mu mwaka wa 1943 B.C.E., ilyo Abrahamu ali ne myaka 75, afumine mu Harani no kuya ku Kanaani. Umwina Italy uushula ifya kushulashula Paolo Matthiae atile: “Ukulingana ne lyashi lya kale, ukukuuka kwa kwa Abrahamu ukufuma mu Uri no kuya ku Yerusalemu [mu Kanaani] kwacitike pa nshita umusumba wa Mari wakwete amaka.” Kanshi, ukusanga umusumba wa Mari kuti kwatwafwa ukwelenganya icalo ico Abrahamu umubomfi wa busumino uwa kwa Lesa aikelemo.a—Ukutendeka 11:10–12:4.

Cinshi Ifitantaala Fisokolola?

Mu Mari, imipepele yalicindamikwe sana kwati fye ni fintu cali mu Mesopotamia yonse. Basumine ukuti onse alingile ukulapepa imilungu yabo. Lyonse ilyo bashilapingulapo ica kucita, baletala bapepa ku milungu yabo. Abashula ifya kushulashula balisanga ifitantaala fya matempele 6. Pali aya matempele pali Itempele lya Nkalamo (ilyo bamo batila lya kwa Dagan, uwitwa mu Baibolo ukuti Dagone) no mwashila mwa kwa Ishtar, lesa mwanakashi uwa bufyashi, ukusanshako ne tempele lya kwa lesa-kasuba Shamash. Pa kubala itempele limo na limo lyalikwete icipasho ca mulungu balepepa no kutuulako amalambo. Abalepepa iyi milungu balebika ifipasho fyabo ifyo bababasa ninshi balepepa pa cipuna cali umwashila. Basumine ukuti ifipasho fyabo kuti fyatantalishako amapepo yabo. Parrot atile: “Icipasho cali kwati ni kandulo basha mu mipepele ya baKatolika pali lelo nomba cena calicindemepo sana pantu caleimininako uyo wine muntu na lintu ashilipo.”

Icawamishe sana pa fyo basangile mu Tell Hariri cali fitantaala fye sano ilikalamba nga nshi, ilyainikwe ishina lya kwa kateka wa kulekelesha, Imfumu Zimri-Lim. UmuFrench uushula ifya kushulashula Louis-Hugues Vincent alondolola ili isano ukuti “ubukuule bwayemba ubwa bena Kabanga ba kale.” Ili sano lyakuulilwe pa ncende yalepele amahekita 2 na hafu monse monse, kabili lyakwete imiputule ne mansa 300. Pali ilya nshita, ili sano lyali pa fipapwa fya mu calo. Mu citabo ca Ancient Iraq, Georges Roux atile: “Lyalilumbwike icine cine ica kuti Imfumu ya ku Ugarit, umusumba wabelele ku lulamba lwa mu Suria, yatumine abana baume ba iko kabili baendele amakilomita 600 ku kuyatandala fye mu ‘ng’anda ya kwa Zimri-Lim.’”

Ilyo bashilafika mu lubansa ulukalamba nga nshi, abeni baleingila mwi sano lyacingililwa pa mpongolo iinono iyakwata ulupungu ku kuso na ku kulyo. Zimri-Lim imfumu ya kulekelesha iya musumba wa Mari, yaleikala pa cipuna ico babikile apasansuka. Pali ici cipuna, e po Zimri-Lim aleikala pa kupingule milandu yakumine abashilika; ifya makwebo; ne yakumine ifyo baleumfwana ne fyalo fimbi; ukusanshako na pa kupingula abatekwa bakwe; na pa kupokelela abeni na balashi abafumine ku fyalo fimbi. Muli ili sano mwali miputule iingi iya kusendamamo abeni, kabili imfumu yalebatebeta ne fya kulya ifingi no mwangashi. Pa fya kulya baleipakisha paleba umunani wa koca no wa kwipika pamo nge ng’ombe, impaanga, impombo, isabi, ne fyuni fyalekanalekana kabili paleba no muto wa garliki, cheese, ne misalu yapusanapusana. Nga bapwisha ukulya ifi fya kulya balekonkeshapo ifisabo na makeke. Lyena nga ca kuti abeni balefwaya ukutalalikako ku mukoshi, balebapeela ubwalwa nelyo umwangashi.

Mwi sano mwali ubusaka nga nshi. Balisangile imiputule ya kusambilamo iyakwete ifya kusambilamo ifisuma nga nshi ne fimbusu. Pa nshi na mumbali ya fibumba babikilepo amanenekela. Balimbile imifolo ya kupisha amenshi ya fiko, kabili ne lyo cingati napapite myaka 3,500, imipaipi ye bumba iyo babikileko amanenekela icili ilabomfiwa. Ilyo bakanakashi ba mfumu batatu balwele ubulwele bwabipisha, balibatalwishe ku bantu bonse. “Takwali uwali no kunwena kuli kapu ya mulwele, ukuliila nankwe pe tebulo limo line, nelyo ukwikala pa cipuna cakwe.”

Finshi Twingasambililako Kuli ili Lyashi lya Kale?

Parrot na banankwe basangile ifipaapaatu 20,000 ifyo balembapo ifilembo mu lulimi lwa bena Akkad. Pali ifi fipaapaatu paliba bakalata, ifyalembwa fya butungulushi ne fya makwebo. Pali ifi fyonse, fyalembwa fye ifinono e fyo basabankanya. Lelo fyaba mu mavolyumu 28. Bucindami nshi fyakwata? Umukalamba wa cipani ca Archaeological Mission Jean-Claude Margueron atile: “Ku kutendeka kwa ba 2000 B.C.E., ilyo tushilasanga ifitantaala fya musumba wa Mari, twaishibepo fye ifinono pa lyashi lya kale, pa ntambi, na pa mikalile ya cila bushiku iya bena Mesopotamia na bena Suria. Nomba pa mulandu wa ifi fipaapaatu, kuti twalungika umo twalubile no kulundako ifyo tushaishibe ku lyashi lya kale.” Nge fyo Parrot alandile, ifyasangwa “filangilila ukupalana kwa cine cine pa bantu balumbulwa muli ifi fipaapaatu na pa lyashi lya mu Cipingo ca Kale ililanda pa Fikolwe.”

Na kabili ifipaapaatu fyasangilwe mu Mari filenga twaumfwikisha amalyashi yamo aya mu Baibolo. Ku ca kumwenako, ifipaapaatu filangilila ukuti ukubuula bakanakashi ba mulwani “cintu ico ishamfumu shalecita pali ilya nshita.” Filya shikamfutu Ahitofele apandile Absalomu umwana wa Mfumu Davidi ukusendama na bakanakashi ba kwa wishi, tacatendekele palya pene.—2 Samwele 16:21, 22.

Ukutula mu 1933, mu Tell Hariri mwaliba balulu ba fya kushulashula 41. Ukufika pali ino nshita mahekita fye 8 aya musumba wa Mari e yo baimbaula, amahekita 102 yena tabalaikatako. Cimoneka kwati mu Mari, umusumba wa mu matololo uwakwatishe amaka, bakasangamo ifintu ifingi na fimbi ifyo tukatemwa ukwishiba.

[Futunoti]

[Mapu pe bula 10]

(Nga mulefwaya ukumona mapu, moneni muli magazini)

Persian Gulf

Uri

MESOPOTAMIA

Umumana wa Yufrate

MARI

ASHURI

Harani

ANATOLIA

KANAANI

Yerusalemu

Bemba wa Mediterranean (Bemba Mukalamba)

[Icikope pe bula 11]

Muli ici calembwa Imfumu ya ku Mari Iahdun-Lim yali-itakishe pa fikuulwa yakuulile

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Ukusanga ici cipasho ca kwa Lamgi-Mari kwalenga ukuti twishibe bwino bwino apabelele umusumba wa Mari

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Ebih-Il, umulashi wa mu Mari, alepepa

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Itebulo lya mwi sano, apo nalimo baleteka icipasho ca kwa lesa mwanakashi

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Ifitantaala fya mu Mari, filelangilila amatafwali ya kukuulilako ayo bashaocele

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Umuputule wa kusambilamo uwa mwi sano

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Ilibwe lya kale ilya kwa Naram-Sin, uwacimfishe umusumba wa Mari

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Mupepi ne fipaapaatu 20,000 fyalisangwa mu fitantaala fye sano

[Abatusuminishe Ukubomfya Icikope pe bula 10]

© 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)