Uhambo Lweenqanawa Zamandulo

Abantu banamhlanje abakonqeni ukuhamba ngenqwelo-moya besuka kwelinye ilizwekazi baye kwelinye. Kungakothusa na ukwazi ukuba nangamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile abantu babehamba imigama emide?

MALUNGA neminyaka eliwaka ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaYesu, uKumkani uSolomon wakha iinqanawa ezazirhweba nezikakumkani waseTire. (1 Kumkani 9:26-28; 10:22) Ngenkulungwane yesithoba Ngaphambi Kwexesha Eliqhelekileyo, umprofeti uYona wakhwela inqanawa kwizibuko laseYopa, idolophu yakwaSirayeli eyayikulwandle lweMeditera, esiya eTarshishe.a (Yona 1:3) Ngenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, umpostile uPawulos wahamba ngenqanawa esuka eKesareya kwaSirayeli esiya ePuteyoli, namhlanje ebizwa ngokuba yiPozzuoli, ekunxweme lwaseNaples, eItali.—IZenzo 27:1; 28:13.

Ababhali mbali bayazi ukuba ngomhla kaPawulos abarhwebi ababesuka kummandla weMeditera babedla ngokudlula kuLwandle Olubomvu xa besiya eIndiya yaye embindini wenkulungwane yesibini abanye bade baya kufika naseTshayina.b Kodwa ke, yintoni esiyaziyo ngohambo lweenqanawa ezazisiya kwintshona engaphaya kweMeditera kumaxesha amandulo? Iinqanawa ezasisiya kuloo macala zahamba zada zaya kufikelela phi?

Uhambo Lwaselwandle Lokuqala LwamaFenike

Kwiinkulungwane ngaphambi kwexesha likampostile uPawulos babesele bekho abantu ababerhweba namathanga aseNtshona. Kukholelwa ukuba amaFenike awayehlala kwilizwe ekuthiwa yiLebhanon namahlanje, afika kulwandle lweAtlantiki ngowe-1200 B.C.E. Malunga nowe-1100 B.C.E. bakha isixeko abasibiza ngokuba yiGadir ngoku ebizwa ngokuba yiCádiz, ngaphaya kwenyoba yaseGibraltar. Ezinye zezinto ekwakurhwetywa ngazo ngalo maxesha yayiyisilivere nenkcenkce.

Ngenkulungwane yesixhenxe Ngaphambi Kwexesha Eliqhelekileyo, umbhali-mbali ongumGrike uHerodotus wabhala wathi uFaro Neko waseYiputa wayenothotho lweenqanawa zaseFenike, ezaziqhutywa ngoomatiloshe baseFenike kuLwandle Olubomvu. Wayefuna iinqanawa zakhe ziyijikeleze yonke iAfrika ukusuka empuma ukuya entshona.

Ngelo xesha, amaFenike ayesele eneenkulungwane ehamba kwiilwandle zaseAfrika. Kodwa ke, oomatiloshe ababesiya emazantsi begudle unxweme lweAtlantiki babengenakuhamba kangako ngenxa yemimoya nemisinga enamandla. UHerodotus uthi amaFenike aluqalisa olu hambo lutsha kuLwandle Olubomvu ehamba kwimpuma yeAfrika esiya emazantsi kuLwandlekazi lwaseIndiya. Malunga nesiqingatha sonyaka bemisa baza balima, bahlala ixesha elide ngokwaneleyo ukuba bavune baza emva koko baqhubeka nohambo lwabo. UHerodotus uthi ngonyaka wesithathu balijikeleza lonke ilizwekazi, baza babhekisa amabombo eYiputa.

UHerodotus waqukumbela ngelithi amaFenike abalisa izinto ekwakunzima ukuzikholelwa, njengokuthi xa ayekwincam yeAfrika ilanga ayelibonela ekunene. UmGrike wamandulo wayenganakuyikholelwa lula loo nto. Nabani na ophile ubomi bakhe bonke kumntla weikhweyitha uqhele ukulibona ilanga lingasezantsi. Ngoko xa esiya entshona ilanga liba ngasekhohlo. Kodwa ke xa use Cape of Good Hope esemazantsi eIkhweyitha, emini emaqanda ilanga lingasentla—yaye umntu oya entshona ulibonela ngasekunene.

Kangangeenkulungwane, izazi ngembali bezisoloko ziphikisana ngengxelo kaHerodotus. Abaninzi banokumangaliswa kukwazi ukuba oomatiloshe bakwazi ukujikeleza iAfrika kwakude kudala. Noko ke, abaphengululi bakholelwa ukuba iphulo likaFaro Neko lalinokwenzeka kuba abantu belo xesha babenalo ulwazi nobugcisa obabufuneka. Umbhali mbali uLionel Casson uthi: “Uhambo olunjalo lwalunokwenzeka. Ayikho into eyayinokuthintela amaFenike ukuba angakwazi ukuwenza loo mjikelo ngexesha nangendlela echazwe nguHerodotus.” Asikwazi ukuzazi ukuba zichane kangakanani izinto ezathethwa nguHerodotus. Nakuba kunjalo, ingxelo yakhe isibonisa imigudu eyenziwayo ukuze kuyiwe kwimimandla eyayingaziwa ngelo xesha.

UPytheas Uya Emntla

AsingomaFenike kuphela abantu baseMeditera abaya entshona ngeAtlantiki. Phakathi kwamathanga amaGrike awayeseMeditera yayiyiMassalia, idolophu yaseFransi ekuthiwa yiMarseilles namhlanje. Esi sixeko sachuma kwezoqoqosho ngenxa yorhwebo lwaselwandle nasemhlabeni. Abarhwebi babethumela emntla iwayini, ioli nobhedu baze bona bafumane izimbiwa zalapho. Kuyacaca ukuba abantu baseMassalia babefuna ukuzazi iindawo ezazivela kuzo ezi zimbiwa. Ngoko malunga nowama-320 B.C.E., uPytheas waseMassilia waya kukhangela loo mazwe angasentla.

Ukubuya kwakhe, uPytheas wabhala incwadi eyayisithi On the Ocean eyayibalisa ngohambo lwakhe. Awusekho owona mbhalo wale ncwadi wokuqala ngesiGrike, kodwa ke iye yacatshulwa ngababhali abali-18. Ezi zicatshulwa zibonisa ukuba uPytheas wachaza ngeelwandle, amaza, iindawo kunye nabantu bazo. Kwakhona wancedwa lilanga ukuze aqikelele umgama awayewuhambile ukuya emntla.

UPytheas wayenomdla kwizinto zenzululwazi. Noko ke, uhambo lwakhe lwalungaqhutywa kukufuna ulwazi lwenzululwazi. Abaphengululi bathi wayethunywe waza waxhaswa ngabarhwebi baseMassalia, ababefuna ukwazi indlela yolwandle eyayisiya kwezo ndawo zikude ezazinezo zimbiwa. Wahamba waya kuma phi uPytheas?

KuMntla Ntshona WeFransi Ukuya Ngaphaya KweBritani

Kubonakala ngathi uPytheas wadlula eIberia enyusa unxweme lwaseGaul waza waya kumisa kumntla ntshona weFransi. Loo siyitsho ngenxa yokuba indawo athi wayekuyo xa wakhangela ilanga ingqamana nendawo ethile ekumntla ntshona weFransi.

Abantu bakumntla ntshona weFransi babengabakhi beenqanawa abaziinkunkqele yaye oomatiloshe babo baberhweba neBritani. ICornwall, incam ekumzantsi ntshona weBritani, yayityebile ngezimbiwa yaye uPytheas waya nakuyo. Incwadi yakhe yathetha ngendlela elime ngayo ilizwe laseBritani nto leyo esenza sicingele ukuba nalo walijikeleza.

Nangona kungaqinisekwa ncam ngeyona ndlela awahamba ngayo uPytheas, kusenokwenzeka ukuba wadlula phakathi kweBritani neIreland waza wemisa kwiIsle of Man, ngoba loo mhlaba ungqamana nendawo yesibini athi walijonga ekuyo ilanga. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba walijonga okwesithathu eseLewis ekwiOuter Hebrides yonxweme lwaseSkotlani. Mhlawumbi ukusuka apho waya emntla kwiziqithi zaseOrkney ezingentla kweSkotlani kuba incwadi yakhe ecatshulwe nguPliny oMdala ithi indawo awaya kuyo yayineziqithi ezingama-40.

UPytheas wathi xa udlula eBritani uhamba iintsuku ezintandathu ngolwandle uze ufike eThule. Uninzi lwababhali bamandulo bathi uPytheas wayichaza iThule njengelizwe elinelanga elitshona ezinzulwini zobusuku. Wathi xa usuka apho uhamba umgama wosuku olunye uze ufike kwindawo apho ulwandle “lungumkhenkce.” Abantu bayaphikisana ngeyona ndawo yayikuyo iThule—kukho abathi yayikwiziqithi zaseFaeroe, abanye bathi yayiseNorway ukanti abanye bona bathi yayiseIceland. Enokuba yayiphi iThule, ababhali bamandulo babekholelwa ukuba “yayiyeyona ndawo ikude emntla eyayisaziwa ngelo xesha.”

Kucingelwa ukuba uPytheas wabuyela eBritani ngendlela awayeye ngayo emntla waza wagqibezela umjikelo wakhe weso siqithi. Asazi enokuba waphinda walukhenketha unxweme lomntla Yurophu kusini na ngaphambi kokuba abuyele kwiMeditera. Enokuba kuyintoni na, uPliny oMdala ucaphula uPytheas xa ethetha ngaloo mimandla enezimbiwa. Iindawo zamandulo ezazifumaneka kuzo yiJutland, indawo ezithile zaseDenmark nakumzantsi wonxweme loLwandle lweBaltic. Mhlawumbi uPytheas weva ngezi ndawo xa wayetyelele enye yeendawo zasempuma Britani, yaye ngokolwazi lwethu akazange athi waya kuzo.

Omnye umntu owathetha ngotyelelo lwakhe lwaseBritani nguJulius Caesar, owafika emazantsi esi siqithi ngowama-55 B.C.E. Bakho abanye abantu baseRoma ababesele behambe baya kufika kumantla eJutland ngowe-6 C.E.

Ukuya Nakweminye Imimandla Ekude

AmaFenike namaGrike enza abantu baloo maxesha abazi nje imimandla eyayikwiMeditera neAtlantiki kuphela, kodwa kwanezona ndawo zisemazantsi eAfrika ukuya emntla kwiArctic. Abo bantu babefunda ihlabathi, berhweba, bekhenketha imigama emide ukuze bandise ulwazi lwabo.

Iingxelo ezikhoyo zoomatiloshe bamandulo zisithela thsuphe ngemigama eyayihanjwa ngaloo madoda akhaliphileyo. Bangaphi oomatiloshe bamandulo ababuyela kumazwe abo bengazange babhale nto ngeendawo ababekuzo? Yaye bangaphi abaya kumazwe akude abangazange babuyele emazweni abo? Le mibuzo ayinampendulo. Kodwa kukho into esinokuyifunda ngendlela obasasazeka ngayo ubuKristu ngalo maxesha.—Bona ibhokisi engasentla.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 29]

Iindaba Ezilungileyo “Zashunyayelwa Kuyo Yonke Indalo”

Malunga nowama-60-61 C.E umpostile uPawulos wabhala wathi iindaba ezilungileyo “zashunyayelwa kuyo yonke indalo ephantsi kwezulu.” (Kolose 1:23) Ngaba wayethetha ukuba amaKristu ayesele eshumayele eIndiya, eMpuma Ekude, eAfrika, eSpeyin, eGaul, eBritani, kwimimandla yeBaltic naseThule kaPytheas? Asiqondi, kodwa ke asingetsho.

Noko ke, alithandabuzeki elokuba iindaba ezilungileyo zashunyayelwa ngokubanzi. Ngokomzekelo, amaYuda kunye namaguquka awaba ngamaKristu ngePentekoste yoma-33 C.E ahamba nonqulo lwawo olutsha alusa kwiindawo ezinjengePartiya, iElam, iMesopotamiya, iArabhiya, iAsiya, iinxalenye zeLibhiya ezingaseKirene naseRoma—egubungela iindawo ezazisaziwa ngexesha likaPawulos.—IZenzo 2:5-11.

[Umzobo/Imaphu ekwiphepha 26, 27]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

UHerodotus wabalisa ukuba oomatiloshe ababehamba ngakwincam yeAfrika balibonela ngasekunene ilanga

[Imaphu]

AFRICA

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

INDIAN OCEAN

ATLANTIC OCEAN

[Umzobo/Imaphu ekwiphepha 28, 29]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

Indlela yaselwandle eyahanjwa ngumatiloshe ongumGrike, uPytheas

[Imaphu]

IRELAND

ICELAND

NORWAY

North Sea

BRITAIN

BRITTANY

IBERIAN PENINSULA

AFRICAN NORTH COAST

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

Marseilles