IPetra—Idolobha Eliqoshwe Edwaleni
AMADOLOBHA amaningi akudala ayekake imifula ebalulekile, emanzi ayo amaningi ayewondla futhi ewavikela. Kodwa kwakunelinye idolobha emngceleni osenyakatho-ntshonalanga yoGwadule lwase-Arabia eladuma ngokuswela amanzi. Igama lalo kwakuyiPetra.
Ezindaweni eziwugwadule emngceleni weMediterranean, izindlela zodwendwe lwabahwebi zazixhuma amadolobha aqhelelene njengoba nje imigwaqo yanamuhla inqamula amazwekazi. Kodwa njengoba izimoto zidinga amagalaji, kanjalo namakamela—naphezu kokuba edume ngokukhuthazela—kuyadingeka ame endleleni ukuze aphuze amanzi. Eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezimbili edlule, iPetra yayingenye yezindawo ezidumile eMpumalanga Ephakathi okumiwa kuzo ukuze kutholakale amanzi.
IPetra yayisezinhlanganweni zemizila emibili ebalulekile eyayihamba abahwebi. Omunye uxhumanisa uLwandle Olubomvu neDamaseku, kanti omunye uxhumanisa iPersian Gulf neGaza, ogwini lweMediterranean. Izindwendwe zabahwebi ezisuka eGulf, nemithwalo yazo eyigugu yezinongo, kwakudingeka zibekezelele izimo ezinzima zasoGwadule Lwase-Arabia amasonto amaningi ngaphambi kokuba ekugcineni zifike emhosheni omncane, opholile—i-Siq—okwakungenwa ngawo ePetra. EPetra kwakukhona ukudla nendawo yokulala, futhi ngaphezu kwakho konke, amanzi abandayo naqabulayo.
Yiqiniso, izakhamuzi zasePetra zazingazenzi zitholakale mahhala lezi zinto. Isazi-mlando esingumRoma uPliny sibika ukuthi onogada, abalindi-masango, abapristi nezinceku zenkosi, bonke kwakudingeka baphiwe izipho—ngaphandle kwemali eyayikhokhelwa ukudla nendawo yokulala. Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi kwakutholakala izindodla zemali ngezinongo nangamakha emadolobheni achumayo aseYurophu, izindwendwe zabahwebi zazithutheleka futhi zandise umnotho wasePetra.
Ukulondoloza Amanzi Nokunqoba Idwala
Kuna imvula engaba amasentimitha angu-15 kuphela ePetra unyaka ngamunye, futhi imifudlana ayigelezi nhlobo. Abantu basePetra bawathola kanjani amanzi ayigugu ukuze basekele leli dolobha? Baqopha imisele, amathangi nemithombo edwaleni. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, amaconsi ayo yonke imvula eyayina ePetra ayeqoqwa futhi alondolozwe. Lobu buciko babo bokukhongozela nokulondoloza amanzi benza abantu basePetra bakwazi ukutshala, ukufuya amakamela nokwakha isikhungo sezentengiselwano abantu abahweba kuso ababeceba ngenhlaka yempepho nemure ababehweba ngakho. Ngisho nanamuhla, imigudu emazombezombe esedwaleni iphakela amanzi kuyo yonke i-Siq.
Njengoba izakhamuzi zasePetra zazikwazi ukusebenza ngamanzi, zazingochwepheshe futhi ezakhiweni zamatshe aqoshiwe. Lona kanye igama elithi Petra, elisho ukuthi “Idwala Elikhulu,” lenza umuntu acabange ngedwala. Futhi ngempela iPetra yayiyidolobha ledwala—ngokungafani nanoma yiliphi elinye eRoma. AmaNabataean, abakhi baleli dolobha, babeziqopha ngesineke izindlu zabo, amathuna namathempeli kuleli dwala eliqinile. Izintaba zechweba elibomvu ezazimboze iPetra zazikufanelekela lokhu, futhi ngekhulu lokuqala C.E., kwase kuvele idolobha eliphambili kulolu gwadule.
Ukusuka Kwezohwebo Kuya Kwezokuvakasha
Ezinkulungwaneni ezimbili zeminyaka ezidlule, ezohwebo zenza iPetra yaceba. Kodwa lapho amaRoma ethola izindlela zokuhamba olwandle eziya eMpumalanga, ukuhweba ngezinongo uhamba ezweni kwaphela futhi kancane kancane iPetra yashiywa iwugwadule. Kodwa umsebenzi wabaqophi bamatshe awuzange unyamalale. Namuhla, izivakashi ezingaba yingxenye yesigidi zivakashela iJordani unyaka ngamunye ukuze ziphe amehlo idolobha lasePetra eliyi-rose ebomvu, izakhiwo zalo ezisafakazela isikhathi esidlule esikhazimulayo.
Ngemva kokuba isivakashi sihambe e-Siq epholile eyikhilomitha ubude, ngokungazelelwe ukugwingciza kwezindonga zomhosha kwembula iNgcebo, isakhiwo esikhulu, uvulandi waso owaqoshwa eweni elikhulu. Bambalwa abayokhohlwa ukusibona kwabo okokuqala, esinye sezakhiwo zekhulu lokuqala eziphambili kakhulu ezilondoloziwe. Lesi sakhiwo esikhulu saqanjwa ngomgqomo wedwala omkhulu ophezu kwaso futhi okuthiwa wawugcina igolide namatshe ayigugu.
Njengoba umhosha uvuleka, isivakashi singena enkundleni engokwemvelo yemidlalo yaseshashalazini, enezindonga zechweba ezinemihume eminingi. Kodwa sikhangwa amathuna—amathuna aqoshwe eweni, amathuna amade kangangokuthi agqiba izivakashi eziqunga isibindi zingene ngaphakathi ebumnyameni bawo. Uvulandi nenkundla yemidlalo kufakazela ukuba khona kwamaRoma kuleli dolobha phakathi nekhulu lokuqala nelesibili leminyaka.
AmaBedouin anamuhla, inzalo yamaNabataean, agibelisa izivakashi ezingenamandla emakameleni, adayisa izinto eziyizikhumbuzo noma aphuzise imihlambi yawo yezimbuzi emithonjeni yasePetra, eqeda ukoma kwabantu nezilwane. Imigwaqo egandayiwe emidala ePetra isahamba amakamela, amahhashi nezimbongolo kuphela. Ngakho-ke, namuhla leli dolobha linanela umsindo ofanayo nalowo owawuzwakala ezinsukwini ezadlula, lapho ikamela lalivelele khona futhi iPetra ibusa ugwadule.
Njengoba ilanga lishona kuleli dolobha, ligqamisa umbala obomvu wovulandi abakhulu, isivakashi esicabangayo singase sicabange ngalokho iPetra esifundisa kona. Leli dolobha ngokungangabazeki libonisa ukuhlakanipha komuntu kokukwazi ukulondoloza okuncane okusekela ukuphila, ngisho nasendaweni eyomé kanje. Kodwa lisikhumbuza nokuthi ingcebo yezinto ezibonakalayo ‘ingandizela ezulwini’ ngokushesha.—IzAga 23:4, 5.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 18]
Inset: Garo Nalbandian