ISiriya—Ubungqina Obucacileyo Beziganeko Zamandulo — IWatchtower LAYBRARI EKWI-INTANETHI

ISiriya—Ubungqina Obucacileyo Beziganeko Zamandulo

IMI KWESINYE seziphambuka zamandulo—indawo ekwakudibana kuyo imiqodi yabantu abasuka kwiMeditera besingise eTshayina, nabasuka eYiputa besinge eAnatolia. Imikhosi yaseAkkad, eyaseBhabhiloni, eyaseYiputa, eyasePersi, eyaseGrisi neyaseRoma yakha yadlula kule ndawo. Kwiinkulungwane kamva, kule ndawo kwadlula imikhosi yaseTurkey namajoni eMfazwe Yomnqamlezo. Kwimihla esiphila kuyo, imikhosi yaseFransi neyaseBritani iye yabambana ngezixhanti ifuna ukulawula le ndawo.

Namhlanje inxalenye yaloo mmandla isabizwa ngegama eyayisaziwa ngaloo kumawaka eminyaka eyadlulayo—iSiriya. Nangona zininzi iinguqu eziye zenzeka kulo mmandla, busekho ubungqina beziganeko ezenzeka kwelo mandulo. Eli lilizwe elibangela umdla ngokukhethekileyo kubafundi beBhayibhile, njengoko iSiriya yaba nendima kwimbali yeBhayibhile.

IDamasko—Isixeko Samandulo

Ngokomzekelo, cinga nje ngeDamasko, ikomkhulu laseSiriya. Kuthiwa sesinye sezona zixeko zidala ezaqhubeka zinabemi kususela ekuqaleni ukubakho kwazo. Kangangeenkulungwane iDamasko emi kumazantsi entaba iAnti-Lebanon, nekunqumla kuyo uMlambo iBarada, ibiyindawo echumileyo kwincam yeNtlango enkulu yaseSiriya. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba usolusapho uAbraham wadlula kwesi sixeko xa wayesiya kumazantsi eKanan. Yaye apho wathabatha uEliyezere, ‘indoda yaseDamasko,’ wamenza umkhonzi endlwini yakhe.—Genesis 15:2.

Phantse kwiminyaka eliwaka kamva, ookumkani baseSiriya, eTsobha balwa noSawule ukumkani wokuqala wamaSirayeli. (1 Samuweli 14:47) Nokumkani wamaSirayeli wesibini, uDavide walwa nookumkani bama-Aram (igama lesiHebhere leSiriya), waboyisa, waza “wamisa iinkampu zomkhosi eSiriya yaseDamasko.” (2 Samuweli 8:3-8) Ngoko ke, kucacile ukuba amaSirayeli namaSiriya kudala aba ziintshaba.—1 Kumkani 11:23-25.

Kuyabonakala ukuba kwinkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, ubutshaba phakathi kwamaSiriya namaYuda babusele buphelile. Ngelo xesha kwakusele kukho iqela lezindlu zesikhungu eDamasko. Usenokukhumbula ukuba uSawule (kamva owaba nguPawulos) waseTarso wayekwindlela evela eYerusalem esiya eDamasko xa waguqulelwa kubuKristu.—IZenzo 9:1-8.

KwiDamasko yanamhlanje abukho ubungqina obuphathelele ukudlula kuka-Abraham apho okanye ukoyisa kukaDavide. Kodwa asekho amabhodlo esixeko saseRoma esidala kwanendlela enkulu enqumla kweso sixeko sidala efana naleyo yeRoman Via Recta yamandulo (iSitrato eSithe Tye). UAnaniyas wamfumana kwindlu ekwesi sitrato uSawule emva kokuba eguqulelwe kubuKristu ngendlela engummangaliso, cebu kuhle eDamasko. (IZenzo 9:10-19) Nakuba esi sitrato sahluke gqitha namhlanje kwinto esasiyiyo ngexesha lamaRoma, umpostile uPawulos wawuqalisa apha kuso umsebenzi wakhe obalaseleyo. ISitrato eSithe Tye sihamba siye kuma kwisango iRoman Bab-Sharqi. Iindonga zesi sixeko, nezindlu ezakhelwe phezulu eludongeni, zisinceda siqonde indlela uPawulos awasaba ngayo xa wahliswa ngengobozi kwimbobo eseludongeni.—IZenzo 9:23-25; 2 Korinte 11:32, 33.

IPalmyra—Indawo Eyayidume Ngokuchuma

Kumgama weeyure ezimalunga nezine xa uhamba ngenqwelo-mafutha kumntla-mpuma weDamasko kukho indawo ebalaseleyo ekumbiwa kuyo izinto zakudala: iPalmyra, ebizwa ngokuba yiTademore eBhayibhileni. (2 Kronike 8:4) Ekubeni isembindini woLwandle LweMeditera noMlambo umEfrate, le ndawo ichumileyo inkcenkceshelwa ngamanzi aphuma kwimithombo ekwezi ntaba aqukuqele ukuya kwicala elisemantla. Indlela yakudala yabarhwebi ephakathi kweMesopotamiya namazwe angasentshona yayihamba kuMmandla Ochumileyo ize iye kufikelela kumantla ePalmyra. Noko ke, kwinkulungwane yokuqala ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, ukungazinzi kwemeko yezopolitiko emantla kwabangela ukuba abantu bakhethe ukuhamba ngendlela esemazantsi emfutshane. Ngoko ke, izinto zaqala ukuyihambela kakuhle iPalmyra.

Ekubeni yayingumda osempuma wokukhusela uBukhosi baseRoma, iPalmyra yenziwa iphondo laseRoma eliseSiriya, kodwa ekugqibeleni yaba sisixeko esizimeleyo. Amapomakazi eetempile, amatye ezakhiwo zodumo, amaqula namabala emidlalo asitsho eso sitrato saba sihle. Emacaleni esi sitrato kwakukho iindledlana ezilungiselelwe ukuhamba abantu, kodwa sona sasingalungiswanga kusenzelwa iinkamela ezazidlula apho. Abarhwebi ababehamba phakathi kweTshayina neIndiya eMpuma naseNtshona yelizwe lamaGrike namaRoma babemisa baphumle ePalmyra. Babenyanzelwa ukuba bahlawule irhafu yesilika, izinongo nezinye izinto ababezithutha.

Ngenkulungwane yesithathu yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, inani labemi basePalmyra lantinga laya kutsho kuma-200 000. Kungeli thuba kanye awathi uKumkanikazi uZenobia onamabhongo walwa amadabi neRoma waza ekugqibeleni woyiswa ngowama-272 C.E. Ngaloo ndlela, nakuba yena wayengakwazi oko, uZenobia wazalisekisa inxalenye yesiprofeto esabhalwa ngumprofeti uDaniyeli malunga neminyaka engama-800 ngaphambili.a (uDaniyeli, isahluko 11) Emva kokoyiswa kukaZenobia, kangangethutyana elithile iPalmyra yaqhubeka iliziko lomkhosi woBukhosi baseRoma, kodwa ayizange iphinde ibe namandla nobuqaqawuli eyayinabo.

Iindawo Ohamba Kuzo UmEfrate

Kumgama weeyure ezintathu xa uhamba ngenqwelo-mafutha usuka apha, unqumla kwintlango usinge emntla-mpuma ufika kwidolophu yaseDayr az Zawr, apho unokuwubona khona uMlambo umEfrate. Lo mjelo wamanzi uphuma kwiintaba ezikwimpuma yeAnatolia (iAsian Turkey), uye kungena eSiriya kufuphi nomntla weKarkemishe, uze uqukuqele ukuya kumzantsi-mpuma unqumle eSiriya uye kungena eIraq. Kude kufuphi nomda weIraq kusekho amabhodlo ezixeko ezibini zamandulo zaseSiriya.

Kumgama weekhilomitha ezilikhulu ukuya emzantsi-mpuma, kwigophe lomEfrate, kukho amabhodlo esixeko samandulo esasineenqaba iDura-Europos. Ukanti kumgama weekhilomitha ezingama-25 ukuya emzantsi-mpuma kukho iMari. Esi sisixeko esasifudula sinkqenkqeza phambili kwezorhwebo, yaye satshatyalaliswa kwinkulungwane ye-18 ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo nguKumkani waseBhabhiloni uHammurabi. Koovimba bokugcina imibhalo bebhotwe laso kwafunyanwa amacwecwe odongwe ali-15 000 ubuncinane—amaxwebhu aye atyhila inkcazelo eninzi ngembali yalapho.

Xa imikhosi kaHammurabi yayitshabalalisa esi sixeko, yadiliza iindonga eziphezulu, zaza izitena nomhlaba zawela ngaphakathi kumagumbi angaphantsi. Oku kwabangela ukuba ikhuseleke imizobo eseludongeni, imifanekiso eqingqiweyo, izinto zodongwe, nezinye izinto ezininzi zobugcisa de kwafika iqela labembi bezinto zakudala bamaFrentshi ngowe-1933. Ezi zinto zinokubonwa kwimyuziyam yaseDamasko neyaseAleppo nakweyaseLouvre, eParis.

Izixeko Zamandulo EzikuMntla-ntshona WeSiriya

Xa uhamba ngomEfrate usinge emntla-ntshona uhamba uye kufika eAleppo (iHaleb). NjengeDamasko, kuthiwa iAleppo sesinye sezona zixeko zidala ezaqhubeka zinabemi kususela ekuqaleni ukubakho kwazo. Iimarike okanye iivenkile zaseAleppo, ziphakathi kwezona ndawo zintle kuMbindi Mpuma.

Ngezantsi nje kancinane kweAleppo kukho iTell Mardikh, indawo esasimi kuyo isixeko samandulo iEbla. IEbla yayisisixeko esibalaseleyo kwezorhwebo esasihamba sodwa kumantla eSiriya ngasekupheleni kwesiqingatha sewaka leminyaka lesithathu ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Xa kwakuvunjululwa apho kwafunyanwa amabhodlo etempile eyayinikelwe kuthixokazi waseBhabhiloni uIshtar. Kumabhodlo ebhotwe, kwafunyanwa amacwecwe odongwe amalunga ne-17 000 awayekoovimba bokugcina imibhalo. Izinto zobugcisa ezafunyanwa e-Ebla zinokubonwa kwimyuziyam yaseIdlib, idolophu encinane ekumgama weekhilomitha ezingama-25 ukusuka kuloo ndawo.

Kwicala elingasezantsi lendlela yaseDamasko kukho iHama, ebizwa ngokuba yiHamati eBhayibhileni. (Numeri 13:21) Kukho uMlambo iOrontes onqumla eHama, noyenza ibe yenye yezona zixeko zihle eSiriya. Ukusuka apho kukho iRas Shamra, indawo esasikuyo isixeko samandulo saseUgarit. Kwiwaka leminyaka lesithathu nelesibini ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, iUgarit yaba lizibuko eliphambili kwezorhwebo ngenxa yokuba apho kwakunqulwa uBhahali noDagon. Ukususela ngowe-1929, abembi bezinto zakudala bamaFrentshi baye bemba amacwecwe amaninzi odongwe nawobhedu naye atyhila inkcazelo eninzi ngezinto ezilihlazo ezazisenziwa xa kunqulwa uBhahali. Oku kusinceda sisiqonde kakuhle isizathu sokuba uThixo awohlwaye amaKanan awayenqula uBhahali.—Duteronomi 7:1-4.

Ewe, kwiSiriya yanamhlanje umntu unokubufumana ubungqina obubangel’ umdla beziganeko zamandulo.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

a Bona inqaku elithi “Itshawekazi Elinwele Zimnyama Tsiki Lentlango YaseSiriya,” kwinkupho yeMboniselo kaJanuwari 15, 1999, epapashwe ngamaNgqina kaYehova.

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 28, 29]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

‐‐ Disputed borders

EGYPT

ISRAEL

JORDAN

LEBANON

SYRIA

DAMASCUS

Barada

Orontes

Hama (Hamath)

Ugarit (Ras Shamra)

Ebla (Tell Mardikh)

Aleppo (Haleb)

Carchemish (Jerablus)

Euphrates

Zenobia

Dayr az Zawr

Dura-Europos

Mari

Palmyra (Tadmor)

IRAQ

TURKEY

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 28]

IDamasko (ngezantsi) neSitrato eSithe Tye (ngasentla)

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]

Izindlu zodaka

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]

IUgarit

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]

IHama