Ngaahi Fehuʻi mei he Kau Lautohí

Naʻe taukaveʻi ʻe he niʻihi naʻe ʻikai ke ʻi ha vaka ngoto ʻa Paula ʻi he motu ko Mēlitá, ʻi he fakatonga ʻo Sisilií, ka ʻi ha motu ʻe taha. Naʻá ne ʻi he vaka ngotó ʻi fē?

ʻOku ʻuhinga ʻa e fehuʻi ko ení ki hano fakahaaʻi ki muí ni ko e ʻapositolo ko Paulá naʻe ʻi he vaka ngoto, ʻo ʻikai ʻi he motu ko Mēlitá, ka ʻi Selalonia (pe, Kefalinia) ofi ki Kofu ʻi he Tahi ʻAioniá, ʻi he matāfonua fakahihifo ʻo Kalisí. ʻOku tala mai kia kitautolu ʻe he lēkooti fakamānavaʻí naʻe kamata folau ʻa Paulá mei Sesalia ʻi he tauhi fakalao ʻa e senituliō Loma ko Suliasí, fakataha mo e kau sōtia kehe pea mo e ngaahi kaungāmeʻa ʻo Paula. Hangē ko ia ʻoku fakahaaʻi ʻi he mapé, naʻa nau folau mei Saitoni ki Maila. ʻI he fetongi ki ha vaka uite lahi mei ʻAlekisanitulia, ʻIsipite, naʻa nau hoko atu fakahihifo ki Naitusi. Naʻe ʻikai lava ke nau pipiki ki he halanga naʻe palani ki aí ʻo kolosi ʻi he Tahi ʻĪsiní ʻo fakalaka ʻi he ngataʻanga ʻo Kalisí pea hoko atu ai ki Loma. Naʻe ʻave mālohi kinautolu ʻe ha ngaahi matangi mālohi ki he tongá ki Kēliti pea ki he malumalu ʻo e fakaū ʻa hono ngaahi matātahí. Naʻa nau tuʻu ai ʻi he taulanga ko Taulanga Leleí. ʻI he “tuku folau mei Keliti,” ko e vaká naʻe “moʻua” ia ʻi ha “matangi hangē ha ʻahiohio, ʻoku hingoa ko e Eulakulone.” Ko e vaka uite mamafá naʻe “pāea holo ʻi he tahi” ʻo aʻu ki he pō hono 14. Faifai atu pē, naʻe ngoto ai ʻa e vaka ʻo e toko 276 kotoa ʻi ha motu ʻoku ui ʻe he konga tohi faka-Kalisi ʻo e Tohi Tapu Māʻoniʻoní ko Me·liʹte.​—Ngāue 27:1–​28:1.

ʻI he faai mai ʻa e ngaahi taʻú, kuo fai ai ʻa e ngaahi fakahuʻunga kehekehe fekauʻaki mo hono ʻiloʻi ʻo e motu ko ení, ʻa Me·liʹte. Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa e niʻihi ko e motu ia ko Melite ʻIlilika, ʻoku ʻiloa he taimí ni ko Mileti, ʻi he Tahi ʻAtaliá ʻi he matāfonua ʻo Kolōtiá. Ka ʻoku ʻikai hā ngalingali ko eni, koeʻuhi ko e feituʻu fakatokelau ʻo Miletí ʻoku faingataʻa ke fehoanakimālie ia mo e ngaahi feituʻu naʻe hoko ki ai ʻa e folau ʻa Paulá, ʻa ia ko Sulakusa, Sisilī pea hoko atu ai ki he matāfonua hihifo ʻo ʻĪtalí.​—Ngāue 28:​11-​13.

Ko e tokolahi taha ʻo e kau liliu Tohi Tapú kuo nau fakaʻosiʻaki ko Me·liʹte ʻoku ʻuhinga iá ki he motu ko Melite Africanus, ʻoku ʻiloa he taimí ni ko Mēlitá. Ko e taulanga fakamuimui taha naʻe afe ai ʻa e vaka naʻe heka ai ʻa Paulá ko e Taulanga Leleí, ʻi Kēliti. Naʻe ʻave mālohi fakahihifo leva ai ʻe ha matangi ʻahiohio ʻa e vaká ki Kauta. Naʻe hanganaki ʻave holo ʻe he matangí ʻa e vaká ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho lahi. ʻOku ʻuhinga lelei kotoa ai ke pehē naʻe ʻave fakahihifo mamaʻo ange ʻe he matangí ʻa e vaká ʻo aʻu ki Mēlita.

ʻI he vakai atu ki he matangi anga-mahení mo e “feituʻu pea mo e vave ʻo e tēkiná,” naʻe fakahaaʻi ʻe Conybeare mo Howson ʻi heʻena tohi The Life and Epistles of St. Paul: “Ko e mamaʻo ʻi he vahaʻa ʻo Kalauta [pe, Kauta] mo Mēlitá ʻoku siʻi hifo pē ʻi he kilomita ʻe 770. ʻOku mātuʻaki mahuʻinga ʻa ʻene hokó, ʻo hā ngali faingataʻa ai ke ala tui ko e fonuá, ʻa ia naʻe [fakaofiofi] ki ai ʻa e kau kauvaká ʻi he pō hono hongofulumāfaá ʻe lava ke pehē ko ha toe feituʻu kehe ia ka ko Mēlita. ʻOku mātuʻaki fakatuipau ʻa ʻene ala hokó.”

Lolotonga ʻe ʻomai nai ha ngaahi feituʻu kehe, ko ha vaka ngoto ʻi Mēlita ʻoku fakahaaʻi ʻi he mape fakataha mo ení ʻoku hā ngali feʻungamālie ia mo e lēkooti Fakatohitapú.

[Mape/Fakatātā ʻi he peesi 31]

(Ki he konga tohi kuo fokotuʻú, sio ki he tohi)

Selusalema

Sesalia

Saitoni

Maila

Naitusi

KĒLITI

KAUTA

MĒLITA

MILETI

SISILĪ

Sulakusa

Loma

KALISI

SELALONIA