Ukususela E-Egypt Ukusa Kwizixeko Zehlabathi
NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EITALI
IPHEPHANCWADI laseItali iArcheo lithi: “‘Zihambile’ kumazwe ezazivela kuwo, zaza zayimiqondiso ebonakalayo yempucuko yabantu ababezenzile.” Inkoliso yazo yafuduswa kudala kwelase-Egypt zaza zasiwa kwiindawo ezinjengaseIstanbul, eLondon, eParis, eRome naseNew York. Abantu abatyelela eRome basenokuphawula ukuba ezona ndawo zithandwayo kwizixeko zalapho zihonjiswe ngazo. Zintoni ezo? Ziiobelisk!
Iobelisk lilitye elide nelitsobhileyo elinamacala amane neliba nencam engathi ngunxantathu. Eyona indala yenziwa kwiminyaka enoba ngama-4 000 eyadlulayo. Eyona intsha ineminyaka enokuba ngama-2 000 ikho.
Iiobelisk, ezazidla ngokwenziwa ngelitye lenyengane elibomvu zazisembiwa ngamaYiputa amandulo ziziibloko zamatye yaye zazimiswa phambi kwamangcwaba neetempile. Ezinye zinkulu gqitha. Eyona inkulu isamile kwindawo yembutho yaseRome yaye iziimitha ezingama-32 ubude neetoni ezinokuba ngama-455 ubunzima. Inkoliso yazo ihonjiswe ngemifanekiso eyayimela amagama athile esiYiputa.
Injongo yala matye azizikhumbuzo yayikukuzukisa uthixo welanga uRa. Amiswa la matye ukuze kubulelwe uRa ngenkuselo yakhe nangoloyiso lwamaYiputa nokuze kucelwe kuye izinto ezithile nokwamkelwa nguye. Kuthiwa la matye enziwa anjengeepiramidi. La matye amela ilitha lelanga eliwa emhlabeni ukuze liwufudumeze lize liwukhanyisele.
Kwakhona, iiobelisk zazenzelwe ukuzukisa ooKumkani baseYiputa. Kuzo kwakukrolwa imibhalo eyayichaza iindwalutho zaseYiputa njengothi “Ra othandekayo” okanye “omhle . . . njengoAtum,” owayenguthixo welanga xa litshona. Kwenye iobelisk kuthiwa xa kuthethwa ngamandla kaFaro okulwa iimfazwe: “Unamandla [njengothixo wemfazwe] uMonthu, inkunzi yenkomo exangxatha amany’ amazwe ize ibulale abavukeli.”
La matye okuqala amiswa kwisixeko saseYiputa, iJunu (eBhayibhileni kuthiwa yi-Oni), ekucingwa ukuba eli gama lalithetha “IsiXeko Seentsika,” mhlawumbi libhekisela kwiiobelisk ngokwazo. AmaGrike ayibiza iJunu ngokuthi yiHeliopolis, igama elithetha “IsiXeko Selanga,” ekubeni esi yayisisazulu saseYiputa sonqulo lwelanga. Igama lesiGrike elithi Heliopolis lithetha into efanayo negama lesiHebhere elithi Beth-shemesh, elithetha “INdlu Yelanga.”
Kwincwadi yeBhayibhile yesiprofeto sikaYeremiya kuthethwa ngokuqhekezwa ‘kweentsika zaseBhete-shemeshe, ezikwilizwe laseYiputa.’ Oku kusenokuba kwakubhekisela kumatye aseHeliopolis. UThixo walugweba unqulo lwezithixo olwalumelwa ngala matye.—Yeremiya 43:10-13.
Ukumbiwa Nokuthuthwa Kwawo
Iindlela ezazenziwe ngayo iiobelisk ibonakala kwelona litye likhulu. Eli litye lisalele kufuphi neAswân, e-Egypt, apho lembiwa khona. Emva kokuba abasebenzi bakhetha ilitye elibonakala lilihle baza balincwela lamcaba, bemba imingxuma eyayijikeleze eli litye ekwakuza kwenziwa ngalo iobelisk. Bemba ezinye iifolo ngaphantsi kwalo baza bafaka imiqadi de elo cala lingaphantsi laqhezuka emhlabeni. Eli litye lesikhumbuzo, elalinobunzima obuziitoni ezinokuba li-1 170—elona litye linzima kunalo naliphi na elinye elakha lembiwa ngamaYiputa amandulo—lalifanele lifuduselwe kumNayile lize lisiwe ngesikhephe kwindawo elaliza kuma kuyo.
Abasebenzi bayishiya apho le obelisk yaseAswân xa baphawula ukuba inethanda elingenakungcibeka. Ukuba yayigqityiwe, yayiza kuba ziimitha ezingama-42 ukuphakama, yaye emazantsi yayiza kuba ziimitha ezine macala onke. Nangoku akwaziwa ukuba iiobelisk zazimiswa njani.
Ukusuka EYiputa Ukuya ERoma
Ngowama-30 ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, iYiputa yaba liphondo lamaRoma. Abalawuli abaliqela bamaRoma babefuna ukuhombisa ikomkhulu labo ngamatye exabiso elikhulu, ngoko ke kwafuduswa iiobelisk ezinokuba ngama-50 zaya kubekwa eRoma. Ukuze zikwazi ukufuduswa, kwakhiwa iinqanawa ezinkulu ngokukhethekileyo ezazenzelwe loo njongo. Zathi zakufika eRoma, iiobelisk zaqhubeka zisetyenziswa xa kunqulwa ilanga.
Xa uBukhosi baseRoma bawa, iRoma yaphangwa. Inkoliso yala matye yawiswa aza alityalwa. Noko ke, oopopu abahlukahlukeneyo baba nomdla wokuphinda bazimise iiobelisk ezazithatyathwe kumabhodlo esi sixeko sidala. ICawa yamaRoma Katolika iyavuma ukuba la matye “ayenikelwe kwiLanga ngukumkani waseYiputa” yaye akhe “abangela ishwangusha kwiitempile ekuthiwa ziingcwele zabahedeni.”
Xa uPopu Sixtus V (1585-90) wayephinda emisa iiobelisk zokuqala, wathandaza egxoth’ umshologu waza wawasikelela la matye, ewafefa ngamanzi angcwele waza watshisa nesiqhumiso. Ubhishophu wacula ingoma emi phambi kwelitye elikwiVatican esithi: “Phuma mshologu, uze wena litye uthwale uMnqamlezo ongcwele, makuphume kuwe konke ukungcola kwabahedeni nazo zonke iziqalekiso.”
Ngoko ke, njengokuba umkhenkethi ehlola iiobelisk ezime eRome namhlanje, usenokucingisisa nzulu ngomgudu nobuchule obafunekayo ukuze zimbiwe, zithuthwe zize zimiswe. Kwakhona usenokumangaliswa kukucinga ukuba la matye azizikhumbuzo ahombise isixeko soopopu ayesetyenziswa kunqulo lwelanga—izinto ezingadibaniyo ngokwenene!
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ELuxor, e-Egypt
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ERome
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ENew York
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EParis