Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi

Abanye abantu baye bathi uPawulos akazange aphukelwe yinqanawa kwisiqithi saseMalta, esikumazantsi eSicily, kodwa oko kwenzeka kwesinye isiqithi. Yaphukela phi inqanawa awayeyikhwele?

Lo mbuzo ubhekisela kumazwi abesandul’ ukuthethwa okuba umpostile uPawulos akazange aphukelwe yinqanawa kwisiqithi saseMalta, kodwa oko kwenzeka eCephalonia (okanye, eKefallinía) kufutshane neCorfu ekuLwandle lwaseIonia, kunxweme olukwintshona yeGrisi. Ingxelo ephefumlelweyo isixelela ukuba uPawulos wasuka eKesareya ekuvalelweni ngumthetheli-khulu waseRoma uYuliyo, kunye namajoni namanye amaqabane kaPawulos. Njengoko kuboniswe kwimaphu, bahamba ngenqanawa besinge eSidon naseMira. Batshintsha bakhwela inqanawa elayisha ukutya okuziinkozo esuka eAleksandriya, eYiputa, benjenjeya ukusinga ngasentshona bejongise eKinido. Babengenakuqhubeka behamba ngale ndlela kuthiwa bahamba ngayo nenqumla kuLwandle iAegean idlule kwincam yeGrisi ukuya kutsho eRoma. Imimoya enamandla yabaqhubela emazantsi ngaseKrete baya kunqandwa lunxweme lwayo. Baya kuma kwizibuko elibizwa ngokuba yiFair Havens. Bathi bakuhamba “ngolwandle ukusuka eKrete,” inqanawa yathiwa “hlasi ngamandla” ‘sisivuthuvuthu somoya obizwa ngokuthi yiYurokhwilo.’ Lo bhazabhaza wenqanawa ulayisha ukutya okuziinkozo ‘waphoseka ngapha nangapha elwandle’ de kwabubusuku be-14. Ekugqibeleni, le nqanawa inabantu abangama-276 yaphukela kwisiqithi ezithi iZibhalo Ezingcwele zesiGrike yiMe·liʹte.—IZenzo 27:1–28:1.

Ukutyhubela iminyaka, ziwe ngokuwa iintetho zichaza esi siqithi, iMe·liʹte. Abanye baye bacinga ukuba esi yayisisiqithi iMelite Illyrica, ngoku esibizwa ngokuba yiMljet, kuLwandle lweAdriya, ngakunxweme lwaseCroatia. Kodwa oku kubonakala kungenakwenzeka, ekubeni kunzima ukunxulumanisa iMljet esemantla neendawo awaya kuzo kamva uPawulos, eziyiSirakuse, iSicily, nonxweme olusentshona lwaseItali.—IZenzo 28:11-13.

Inkoliso yabaguquleli beBhayibhile iye yafikelela kwisigqibo sokuba iMe·liʹte ibhekisela kwisiqithi iMelite Africanus, ngoku esibizwa ngokuba yiMalta. Izibuko lokugqibela eyemisa kulo le nqanawa ikhwelise uPawulos yiFair Havens, eKrete. Sathi ke isivuthuvuthu somoya sayiqhubela entshona ngaseKawuda le nqanawa. Lo moya wayiqhuba kangangeentsuku eziliqela le nqanawa. Kusengqiqweni ngokupheleleyo ukucinga ukuba inqanawa eqhutywa luqhwithela iye ngasentshona de iye kufika eMalta.

Behlolisisa lo moya “necala nomkhamo eyakhukuliswa ngawo inqanawa,” uConybeare noHowson bathi kwincwadi yabo ethi The Life and Epistles of St. Paul: “Umgama phakathi kweClauda [okanye, iKawuda] neMalta ungaphantsi kweekhilomitha ezingama-770. Oku kubangel’ umdla kakhulu, kangangokuba, kubonakala kungenakwenzeka ukuba ilizwe oomatiloshe [abaya kuthi gxada kulo] ngobusuku beshumi elinesine ibe lilo naliphi na elinye ngaphandle kweMalta. Leyo yinyaniso engenakuphikwa.”

Nakuba abantu beya kuqhubeka bethetha okwahlukileyo, ukwaphuka kwenqanawa eMalta okuboniswe kwimaphu ekweli nqaku, kuyangqinelana nengxelo yeBhayibhile.

[Imaphu/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 31]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

IYerusalem

IKesareya

ISidon

IMira

IKinido

IKRETE

IKAWUDA

IMALTA

ISICILY

ISirakuse

IRoma

IMLJET

IGREECE

ICEPHALONIA