Abavangeli Basemazweni Babenokushumayela Baphele Phi EMpuma?

NGAPHANTSI kweminyaka engama-30 emva kokufa kukaYesu, umpostile uPawulos wabhala wathi iindaba ezilungileyo zishunyayelwe “kwindalo yonke” ephantsi kwezulu. (Kolose 1:23) La mazwi akhe awamele athatyathwe ngokoqobo ngokungathi bonke abantu ababephila ngelo xesha babezivile iindaba ezilungileyo. Nakuba kunjalo, ingongoma kaPawulos icacile: abavangeli abangamaKristu bashumayela kakhulu kwihlabathi langoko.

Bamele ukuba bashumayela kumhlaba ongakanani? IZibhalo zibonisa ukuba iinqanawa zabarhwebi zenza uPawulos wakwazi ukushumayela kummandla osentshona weItali. Lo mvangeli unesibindi wayefuna ukushumayela naseSpeyin.—IZenzo 27:1; 28:30, 31; Roma 15:28.

Kuthekani ngemimandla esempuma? Ungakanani ummandla wasempuma abashumayela kuwo abavangeli basemazweni? Asiwazi ukuba wawungakanani, kuba iBhayibhile ayisichazeli. Noko ke, uza kothuka xa ufumanisa imimandla ababerhweba kuyo abarhwebi ngenkulungwane yokuqala kummandla weMeditera neMpuma. Nangona singazi ukuba abavangeli basemazweni benkulungwane yokuqala bashumayela baphela phi, ezi ndlela zibonisa ukuba kwakusiyiwa empuma.

Igama Awazenzela Lona UAleksandire

Amaphulo kaAleksandire oMkhulu ahamba aya kufika eBhabhiloni, ePersi nasePunjab, emntla Indiya. La maphulo enza amaGrike aqhelana nommandla ophakathi kweliso lomlambo umEfrate, kuSingasiqithi wePersi, ukusa kwiliso lomlambo i-Indus.

Zakroza iinqanawa zorhwebo ezithwele iziqholo neziqhumiso phakathi kwelamaGrike neIndiya. Ekuqaleni le ndlela yayilawulwa ngabarhwebi bamaIndiya nama-Arabhu. Kodwa xa abalawuli baseYiputa bomlibo kaPtolemy baye bayifumanisa le ndlela bangenelela nabo kolu rhwebo.

Kulwandle lwaseIndiya, imimoya iyabhudla emzantsi-ntshona ukususela ngoMeyi ukusa ngoSeptemba, yaye le mimoya yayisenza iinqanawe zihambe zisuka kuLwandle oluBomvu mhlawumbi zigudle unxweme lwamaArabhu okanye ziye emazantsi eIndiya. Phakathi kukaNovemba noMatshi, imimoya ibhudla isuka kwelinye icala, nto leyo eyenza kube lula ukuhamba. Oomatiloshe bama-Arabhu nabamaIndiya bebeyisebenzisa le mimoya kangangamakhulu eminyaka, behamba ngeenqanawa zabo ukusuka eIndiya ukuya kuLwandle Olubomvu nemithwalo yecassia, isinamon, inadusi nepepile.

Iindlela Zolwandle Ezisuka EAleksandriya Zisiya ERoma

Emva kokuba amaRoma ethimbe amazwe awayelawulwa ngabo bangena ezihlangwini zikaAleksandire, zazithengiswa eRoma zonke iimpahla zexabiso ezivela eMpuma; uphondo lwendlovu lwaseAfrika, iziqhumiso nemore yamaArabhu, iziqholo namatye anqabileyo avela eIndiya kwanesilika evela eTshayina. Iinqanawa ezithwele ezi mpahla zazifikela kumazibuko amabini aseYiputa kuLwandle oluBomvu—iBernice nelaseMyos Hormos. Emva kokuba zothulwe impahla kula mazibuko zazilayishwa ezinkameleni zisiwe eCoptos, kumlambo womNayile.

Xa zifika eCoptos, ezi mpahla zazisiya eAleksandriya, apho zazilayishwa ezinqanaweni eziya eItali nakwezinye iindawo. Enye indlela eya eAleksandriya yayidlula kumjelo owawuqhagamshelana noLwandle oluBomvu—kufutshane nomjelo weSuez—nomlambo womNayile. Kakade ke, iYiputa namazibuko ayo ayekufutshane kwiindawo awayeshumayela kuzo uYesu yaye kunokuba lula ukungena ngelo cala.

Ngokutsho kukaStrabo isazinzulu ngomhlaba samaGrike senkulungwane yokuqala, uthi ngexesha lakhe, iinqanawa zaseAleksandriya ezili-120 zazisuka eMyos Hormos ziye eIndiya nyaka ngamnye. Incwadi yokuhamba elwandle eyayisetyenziswa ngenkulungwane yokuqala isekho nanamhla oku. Kucacile ukuba yabhalwa ngumrhwebi womYiputa okwaziyo ukuthetha isiGrike ukuze ancede abanye abarhwebi. Yintoni enokufundwa kule ncwadi yakudala?

Le ncwadi idla ngokubizwa ngegama layo lesiLatini elithi Periplus Maris Erythraei (Ukuhamba Ngenqanawa Ugudle Ulwandle LweErythraea) ichaza indlela zaselwandle ezigubungela amawaka eekhilomitha emazantsi eYiputa, zide ziye kufika eZanzibar. Umbhali wale ncwadi xa ethetha ngempuma uchaza imigama, iindawo zokugxumeka iiankile zeenqanawa, iivenkile ezinkulu, iimpahla ekurhwetywa ngazo, isimo sengqondo sabantu abahlala kunxweme olusemazantsi lwama-Arabhu, ukwehla ukuya kunxweme lwamaIndiya, eSri Lanka aze abuye achaze unxweme lwamaIndiya aye kuma ngeGanges. Inkcazelo yale ncwadi echanileyo necacileyo yenza kugqitywe kwelokuba umbhali wayo umele ukuba wayekhe wazityelela ezi ndawo athetha ngazo.

Abantu BaseNtshona EIndiya

EIndiya abarhwebi basentshona babebizwa ngokuba ziiYavanas. Ngokutsho kwePeriplus, ezinye zeendawo ababedla ngokumisa kuzo abarhwebi benkulungwane yokuqala kwakuseMuziris, ekufutshane nencam esemazantsi yeIndiya.a Imibongo yeTamil eyabhalwa ngeenkulungwane zokuqala zeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, isoloko ibhekisela kwaba barhwebi. Omnye umbongo uthi: “Iinqanawa ezintle zamaYavanas zifika negolide zize zigoduke nepepile, abantu baseMuziris benza intswahla yovuyo.” Komnye umbongo, inkosazana yasemazantsi eIndiya ibongozwa ukuba isele iwayini eze namaYavanas. Ezinye iimpahla zaseNtshona ezazithandwa eIndiya yayiyiglasi, amatye anqabileyo, ikorale namalaphu.

Abembi bezinto zakudala baye bafumana izinto ezininzi zaseNtshona ezazithunyelwe eIndiya. Ngokomzekelo, eArikamedu kunxweme olusemzantsi-mpuma weIndiya, baye bafumana iingceba zengqayi yewayini yaseRoma nezitya ezigximfizwe amagama abantu ababezibumba eArezzo, embindini weItali. Omnye umbhali uthi: “Omnye umphandi wale mihla uba nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wabantu ababebumba ezi ngqayi, nababezitshisa kumaziko asabonakalayo aseArezzo, njengoko ebona amagama abo kwingceba ezisentlabathini ekunxweme lwaseBengal.” Urhwebo phakathi kommandla weMeditera neIndiya lungqinelwa yintaphane yeengqekembe zaseRoma, igolide nesilivere, eziye zafunyanwa emazantsi eIndiya. Inkoliso yezi ngqekembe zenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo inemifanekiso yabaLawuli baseRoma uAugastus, uTiberius noNero.

Isibakala sokuba amaRoma ayenamathanga awayerhweba nawo emazantsi eIndiya sixhaswa nabubungqina bemaphu yakudala, esekho nangoku. Le maphu ibizwa ngokuba yiPeutinger Table—kuthiwa yimaphu yaseRoma yenkulungwane yokuqala—ibonisa itempile ka-Augustus Muziris. Incwadi ethi “Rome’s Eastern Trade: International Commerce and Imperial Policy, 31 BC–AD 305, ithi: “Isakhiwo esilolo hlobo, simele ukuba sakhiwa ngabalawulwa boBukhosi bamaRoma, ekusenokwenzeka ukuba babehlala eMuziris okanye bachitha ixesha labo elininzi apho.”

Ingxelo zaseRoma zikhankanya utyelelo loonozakuzaku abathathu baseIndiya eRoma ngexesha lolawulo lukaAugustus ukususela ngowama-27 B.C.E. ukusa kowama-14 C.E. “Aba nozakuzaku babephethe inyewe entununtunu,” itsho enye ingxelo—isivumelwano ngoshishino phakathi kwamazwe awahlukahlukeneyo, indlela enokuhlawulwa ngayo irhafu neendawo abanokuhlala kuzo abantu basemzini nezinye izinto.

Ngenkulungwane yokuqala, ukuhamba phakathi kolwandle lweMeditera neIndiya yayiyinto eqhelekileyo nexhaphakileyo. Kwakunokuba lula ngomvangeli wasemazweni ongumKristu osemntla woLwandle oluBomvu ukuhamba ngenqanawa eya eIndiya.

Kuthekani Ngamazwe Angapha KweIndiya?

Kunzima ukwazi ukuba abarhwebi basempuma yeMeditera nabanye abahambi baqala nini. Noko ke, kucingelwa ukuba ngenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, abanye abarhwebi basentshona babehamba baye kufika eThailand, eKhambodiya, eSumatra naseJava.

IHou Han-Shou (Imbali Yamva Yobukhosi BamaHan), egubungela ixesha elisusela kowama-23 C.E ukusa kowama-220 C.E., ichaza ixesha lolunye uhambo olufana nolo. Ngowama-166 C.E., unozakuzaku wokumkani waseDaqin, ogama linguAn-tun, wafika kwikomkhulu laseTshayina egameni loMphathi uHuan-ti. IDaqin yindlela obabubizwa ngayo uBukhosi bamaRoma ngamaTshayina, ngoxa igama elithi An-tun kubonakala ngathi yindlela awayembiza ngayo amaTshayina uAntoninus, eli ligama eyayibizwa ngalo intsapho kaMarcus Aurelius, owayengumphathi waseRoma ngelo xesha. Ababhali-mbali barhanela ukuba eli yayingelokhaya likanozakuzaku kodwa yayililinge labarhwebi basentshona lokufumana isilika kumaTshayina ngaphandle kokuyithenga kwabanye abantu.

Xa sibuyela kumbuzo ebesiwubuze ekuqaleni, abavangeli basemazweni benkulungwane yokuqala abangamaKristu bamele ukuba bazisebenzisa ukusa kuwuphi umkhamo iinqanawa zasempuma? Ukuya eIndiya nakumazwe angapha kwayo? Kucacile ukuba isigidimi samaKristu sasasazwa ngokwaneleyo kangangokuba umpostile uPawulos wayenokuthi ‘sivelisa isiqhamo yaye sanda kulo lonke ihlabathi’—oko kukuthi, nakwezona nxalenye zikude zomhlaba zehlabathi langoko.—Kolose 1:6.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 22]

Isikhalazo SoMlawuli

Ngowama-22 C.E., uMlawuli waseRoma uTibheriyo wayekhalazela ukuba abantu belizwe lakhe babethanda izinto eziphathekayo. Ukuthanda kwabo ezi zinto namabhinqa aseRoma awayethanda izacholo kwakutshabalalisa ubutyebi bobukhosi bakhe, ababenanisa ngabo “kwiintlanga zasemzini okanye ezinobutshaba.” Umbhali-mbali waseRoma uPliny oMdala (23-79 C.E.) naye wakhankanya into efana naleyo. Wabhala wathi: “Nyaka ngamnye sihlawula ilizwe laseIndiya elaseSeres noSingasiqithi wama-Arabhu, iisesterces ezilikhulu lezigidi—ukuze sithenge ubunewunewu nezinto zokuhombisa abafazi bethu.”b

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Inkcazelo]

Museo della Civiltà Romana, Roma; Todd Bolen/Bible Places.com

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]

Apho Babezifumana Khona Abarhwebi Iimpahla Zabo

UYesu wathetha “ngomrhwebi ohambahambayo ofuna iiperile ezintle.” (Mateyu 13:45) Incwadi yeSityhilelo nayo ithetha ‘ngabarhwebi abahambahambayo.’ (ISityhilelo 18:11-13) Iindawo ezazifumaneka kuzo ezi mpahla ikumzila wokurhweba okwimpuma yePalestina. Amaplanga anevumba elimnandi, njengomthombothi, ayevela eIndiya. Iiperile ezinexabiso elikhulu zazifumaneka kwiGophe lasePersi, kuLwandle oluBomvu, kodwa yena umbhali wencwadi ethi Periplus Maris Erythraei, uthi zazifumaneka kummandla waseMuziris naseSri Lanka. Iiperile zoLwandle lwaseIndiya zazikumgangatho ophezulu kwaye zazinexabiso elikhulu.

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 20, 21]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

Eminye yemizila yokurhweba eyayiphakathi kweRoma neAsiya ngenkulungwane yokuqala

Arezzo

Rome

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

AFRICA

Alexandria

EGYPT

Coptos

Nile River

Myos Hormos

Berenice

Zanzibar

Red Sea

Jerusalem

ARABIA

Euphrates River

BABYLONIA

Persian Gulf

PERSIA

↓ Northeast monsoon

↑ Southwest monsoon

Indus River

PUNJAB

Ganges River

Bay of Bengal

INDIA

Arikamedu

Muziris

SRI LANKA

INDIAN OCEAN (ERYTHRAEAN SEA)

CHINA

HAN EMPIRE

THAILAND

CAMBODIA

VIETNAM

Sumatra

Java

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 21]

Inqanawa yokuthwala impahla eyayisetyenziswa ngamaRoma

[Inkcazelo]

Ship: Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.