“Indlovukazi Enezinwele Ezimnyama Yasogwadule LwaseSiriya”

YAYINSUNDU ngebala, inamazinyo amhlophe okwamaparele, amehlo ayo emnyama futhi ekhazimula. Yayifundile futhi iyisazi sezilimi esichwepheshile. Le ndlovukazi eyiqhawe kuthiwa yayihlakaniphe ngaphezu kukaCleopatra futhi mhlawumbe ifana naye ngobuhle. Ngenxa yokuthi yamelana ngesibindi nombuso wezwe wosuku lwayo, yafeza indima engokwesiprofetho ekulandiseni okungokomBhalo. Ngemva kwesikhathi eside yafa, ababhali bayitusa nabadwebi bayidweba iyisiphalaphala kunalokho eyayiyikho. Imbongi yangekhulu le-19 leminyaka yayichaza ngokuthi “indlovukazi enezinwele ezimnyama yasogwadule lwaseSiriya.” Lona wesifazane onconywa kangaka kwakunguZenobia—indlovukazi yasedolobheni laseSiriya, iPalmyra.

UZenobia waluzuza kanjani udumo? Yisiphi isimo sezombangazwe esaholela ekubuseni kwakhe? Yini engashiwo ngobuntu bakhe? Futhi le ndlovukazi yafeza yiphi indima engokwesiprofetho? Ake uqale ucabangele ukuma kwezwe lesi senzakalo esenzeka kulo.

Idolobha Elisemaphethelweni Ogwadule

Idolobha likaZenobia, iPalmyra, lalisebangeni elingamakhilomitha angaba ngu-210 enyakatho-mpumalanga yeDamaseku, emaphethelweni asenyakatho yoGwadule LwaseSiriya emthambekeni wezintaba zase-Anti-Lebanon. Leli dolobha elivundile lalithi alibe phakathi kweMediterranean Sea eyayisentshonalanga noMfula i-Ewufrathe owawusempumalanga. Kungenzeka ukuthi iNkosi uSolomoni yayilazi ngokuthi iTadimori, indawo eyayibalulekile enhlalakahleni yombuso wayo ngezizathu ezimbili: yayiyinqaba yamabutho avikele umngcele ongasenyakatho futhi iyidolobha elibalulekile ohideni lwamadolobha alandelanayo. Ngakho-ke, uSolomoni “wakha iTadimori ehlane.”—2 IziKronike 8:4.

Umlando weminyaka eyinkulungwane yangemva kokubusa kweNkosi uSolomoni awuyithinti iTadimori. Uma iyiyo iPalmyra, yaqala ukuvelela ngemva kokuba iSiriya ibe isifunda esinekamu lamabutho oMbuso WaseRoma ngo-64 B.C.E. URichard Stoneman encwadini yakhe ethi Palmyra and Its Empire—Zenobia’s Revolt Against Rome uthi: “IPalmyra yayibaluleke ngezici ezimbili kuyiRoma, ezomnotho nezempi.” Njengoba leli dolobha lamasundu lalisemzileni oyinhloko wezohwebo oxhumanisa iRoma neMesopotamiya neMpumalanga, yonke into eyayithengiswa endulo yayidlula lapho—izinongo ezivela e-East Indies, usilika ovela eChina nenye impahla evela ePheresiya, eMesopotamiya Esezansi nasemazweni akuyiMediterranean. IRoma yayincike ekungenisweni kwalezi zinto zakwamanye amazwe.

Ngokwezempi, isifunda saseSiriya sasihlukanisa imibuso eyizimbangi, iRoma nePheresiya. Umfula i-Ewufrathe wawuhlukanisa iRoma nomakhelwane wayo osempumalanga phakathi neminyaka engu-250 yokuqala yeNkathi yethu Evamile. IPalmyra yayiphesheya kogwadule, entshonalanga yedolobha laseDura-Europos e-Ewufrathe. Beqaphela ukubaluleka kwayo, ababusi baseRoma abanjengoHadrian noValerian bavakashela ePalmyra. UHadrian wanezela ekubukekeni kwaleli lizwe futhi wanikela ngeminikelo eminingi emikhulu. UValerian wavuza umuntu odumile wasePalmyra okuthiwa u-Odaenathus—umyeni kaZenobia—ngokumphakamisela esikhundleni sokuba inxusa laseRoma ngo-258 C.E., ngenxa yokuthi wayenze umkhankaso ophumelelayo owawumelene nePheresiya futhi waqhelisa umngcele woMbuso WaseRoma wangena eMesopotamia. UZenobia waba nengxenye enkulu kulokhu kukhushulelwa embusweni komyeni wakhe. Isazi-mlando u-Edward Gibbon sabhala: “Ukuphumelela kuka-Odenathus ngokwesilinganiso esikhulu kwakungenxa yokuqonda [kukaZenobia] namandla akhe angenakuqhathaniswa.”

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, inkosi yasePheresiya uSapor yanquma ukubekela ubukhosi baseRoma inselele futhi iqinisekise ukuthi yayinamandla kunazo zonke izifunda zangaphambili zasePheresiya. Inebutho elesabekayo, yamasha yaya ngasentshonalanga, yathumba amadolobha ayenamabutho empi aseRoma, iNisibis neCarrhae (iHaran), yabe isiqhubekela phambili iyokonakalisa nenyakatho yeSiriya neKhilikhiya. UMbusi uValerian wawahola mathupha amabutho akhe ayokulwa nabahlaseli kodwa wanqotshwa futhi wathunjelwa ePheresiya.

U-Odaenathus wabona kuyisikhathi esihle sokuba athumele izipho ezibizayo nomyalezo wokuthula enkosini yasePheresiya. INkosi uSapor ngokuzikhukhumeza yayala ukuba lezo zipho ziphonswe emfuleni i-Ewufrathe futhi yathi u-Odaenathus akeze kuyo azozinxusela njengomthunjwa. Bezwa lokhu, abantu basePalmyra bakha ibutho ngemihambima yasogwadule nensali yamabutho aseRoma futhi baqala ukuhlasela bephindelela emabuthweni asePheresiya ayesehoxa. Ebhekene nendlela yamasosha asogwadule yokuhlasela abese ebaleka, amabutho kaSapor—ayesekhathele ngenxa yezimpi ayezilwile futhi esindwa impango—awakwazanga ukuzivikela futhi aphoqeleka ukuba abaleke.

Iqaphela ukunqoba kuka-Odaenathus, uSapor, indodana kaValerian eyayizomlandela embusweni, uGallienus, yamnika isiqu esithi corrector totius Orientis (umbusi wayo yonke iMpumalanga). Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, u-Odaenathus wazibiza ngesiqu esithi “inkosi yamakhosi.”

UZenobia Ufisa Ukwakha Umbuso

Ngo-267 C.E., esedlondlobele embusweni, u-Odaenathus nendlalifa yakhe babulawa, futhi kuthiwa babulawa umshana wakhe owayephindisela. UZenobia wathatha isikhundla somyeni wakhe, njengoba indodana yakhe yayisencane kakhulu. Njengoba ayemuhle, enomoya wokuvelela, ekwazi ukuqondisa, ejwayele ukukhankasa nomyeni wakhe ongasekho futhi azi kahle izilimi eziningana, wakwazi ukuzenza ahlonishwe futhi asekelwe yilabo ayebabusa—okwakuyinto engencane kumaBedouin. UZenobia wayekuthanda ukufunda futhi wazenza wangungwa izihlakaniphi. Omunye wabeluleki bakhe kwakuyisazi sefilosofi nesolimi uCassius Longinus—okwakuthiwa “sasiwumtapo wolwazi nenqolobane uqobo lwayo.” Umlobi uStoneman wathi: “Phakathi neminyaka emihlanu ngemva kokufa kuka-Odenathus . . . uZenobia wayesezenze waba indlovukazi yaseMpumalanga ezingqondweni zabantu bakhe.”

Ngakolunye uhlangothi lombuso kaZenobia kwakunePheresiya, leyo yena nomyeni wakhe abayigoga, kanti ngakolunye uhlangothi kwakuyiRoma eyayisiwa. Ngokuphathelene nezimo zoMbuso WaseRoma ngaleso sikhathi, isazi-mlando uJ. M. Roberts sithi: “Ikhulu lesithathu leminyaka . . . laliyisikhathi esibi kakhulu eRoma emngceleni wasempumalanga nowasentshonalanga, kuyilapho ngaphakathi kwase kuqale inkathi entsha yempi yombango nezimpikiswano zokulandelana embusweni. Kwabusa ngokudedelana ababusi abangu-22 (ngaphandle kwababezishaya ababusi).” Ngakolunye uhlangothi, indlovukazi yaseSiriya yayingumbusi osimeme ongenakungatshazwa embusweni wakhe. “Njengoba yayiqondisa izinsalela zemibuso emibili [owasePheresiya nowaseRoma],” kuphawula uStoneman, “yayingafisa ukwakha owesithathu owawuzoyibusa yomibili.”

Ithuba likaZenobia lokwandisa amandla akhe obukhosi lafika ngo-269 C.E., lapho kuvela umuntu othile eGibithe owayethi unelungelo lokubusa embusweni waseRoma. Ibutho likaZenobia lanikela eGibithe ngokushesha, labulala lowo mvukeli labe selithatha izwe. Ezibiza ngendlovukazi yaseGibithe, wenza izinhlamvu zemali ezinegama lakhe. Umbuso wakhe manje wawusuqala emfuleni iNayile uze uyoshaya emfuleni i-Ewufrathe. Ngaleso sikhathi sokuphila kwakhe, wathatha isikhundla ‘senkosi yaseningizimu’ okukhulunywa ngayo esiprofethweni seBhayibheli sikaDaniyeli, njengoba umbuso wakhe ngaleso sikhathi wawusubusa indawo eseningizimu nendawo uDaniyeli ayedabuka kuyo. (Daniyeli 11:25, 26) Wanqoba nengxenye enkulu ye-Asia Minor.

UZenobia waqinisa futhi wahlobisa ikomkhulu lakhe, iPalmyra, kangangokuthi laba phakathi kwamadolobha amakhudlwana aseRoma. Lalinabantu abalinganiselwa ngaphezu kuka-150 000. Izakhiwo ezinhle zomphakathi, amathempeli, izingadi, izinsika nezakhiwo eziyisikhumbuzo kwakugcwele idolobha, phakathi kwezindonga okwakuthiwa zingamakhilomitha angu-21 ubukhulu. Imipheme eyakhiwe ngohide lwezinsika zohlobo lwaseKorinte ezazingamamitha angaphezu kuka-15 ubude—ezazingaba ngu-1 500—yayakhiwe yalandelana emgwaqweni oyinhloko. Kulelo dolobha kwakugcwele imifanekiso ebunjiwe ephelele neyesingenhla yamaqhawe nezinjinga ezingabaxhasi. Ngo-271 C.E., uZenobia wamisa umfanekiso wakhe nowomyeni wakhe ongasekho. Ngasemaphethelweni ogwadule, iPalmyra yayicwazimula njengetshe eliyigugu.

IThempeli Lelanga lalingesinye sezakhiwo ezinhle kakhulu ePalmyra futhi akungabazeki ukuthi lalivelele kwezenkolo kulelo dolobha. Cishe, uZenobia naye wayekhulekela unkulunkulu ohlobene nonkulunkulu welanga. Nokho, iSiriya yangekhulu lesithathu leminyaka yayiyizwe lezinkolo eziningi. Endaweni eyayibuswa uZenobia kwakunamaKristu, amaJuda, ababhula ngezinkanyezi nabakhulekeli belanga nenyanga. Sasiyini isimo sakhe ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene zokukhulekela ezazisembusweni wakhe? Umlobi uStoneman uyaphawula: “Umbusi ohlakaniphile ngeke awashaye indiva noma imaphi amasiko abonakala efaneleka kubantu bakhe. . . . Kwakucatshangwa ukuthi onkulunkulu . . . babesohlangothini lwePalmyra.” Kusobala ukuthi uZenobia wayezibekezelela ezinye izinkolo. Kodwa ingabe onkulunkulu “babesohlangothini lwePalmyra” ngempela? Laliyini ikusasa lePalmyra ‘nombusi’ walo ‘ohlakaniphile’?

Umbusi ‘Uvusa Isibindi Sakhe’ Ngokumelene NoZenobia

Phakathi nonyaka ka-270 C.E., u-Aurelian waba umbusi waseRoma. Ibutho lakhe lezempi laxosha futhi laqondisa ngempumelelo amaqaba asenyakatho. Ngo-271 C.E., u-Aurelian—owayesemelela ‘inkosi yasenyakatho’ yesiprofetho sikaDaniyeli—‘wavusa amandla akhe nesibindi sakhe ngenkosi yaseningizimu,’ emelelwa uZenobia. (Daniyeli 11:25a) U-Aurelian waphaka amanye amabutho akhe aqonda ngqó eGibithe futhi wahola ibutho lakhe eliyinhloko labheka ngasempumalanga linqamula e-Asia Minor.

Inkosi yaseningizimu—umbuso oholwa uZenobia—‘yalwa’ no-Aurelian “inempi enkulu enamandla impela” ngaphansi kojenene ababili uZabdas noZabbai. (Daniyeli 11:25b) Kodwa u-Aurelian walithatha elaseGibithe, wabe eseyivivisela ukungena e-Asia Minor naseSiriya. UZenobia wanqotshwa e-Emesa (manje eyiHoms), futhi wahoxa waphindela ePalmyra.

Lapho u-Aurelian evimbezela iPalmyra, uZenobia wabalekela ngasePheresiya nendodana yakhe enethemba lokuthola usizo, kodwa wathunjwa amaRoma eMfuleni i-Ewufrathe. AbasePalmyra banikezela idolobha labo esitheni ngo-272 C.E. U-Aurelian waziphatha ngozwela izakhamuzi zayo, wathatha impango eningi, kuhlanganise nesithombe saseThempelini Lelanga, waya nakho eRoma. Lo mbusi waseRoma akazange ambulale uZenobia, wamenza umbukwane odwendweni lwakhe lokunqoba olunqamula iRoma ngo-274 C.E. Wachitha ingxenye esele yokuphila kwakhe engowesifazane ohloniphekayo eRoma.

Umuzi Wasogwadule Wenziwa Incithakalo

Ngemva kwezinyanga ezithile u-Aurelian enqobe iPalmyra, abantu basePalmyra baqothula amasosha aseRoma ayesele lapho. Lapho u-Aurelian ezwa ngalokhu kuvukela, wayala ukuba amasosha akhe abuyele emuva, futhi kulokhu aphindisela ngendlela eyesabekayo kubantu balapho. Labo abasinda kulokho kubhubhisa okungenasihe bathathwa benziwa izigqila. Lo muzi owawuqhoshile waphangwa, wachithwa ngendlela engenakulungiseka. Ngakho umuzi oyinhloko ophithizelayo wabuyiselwa esimweni sawo sangaphambili—waba “iTadimori ehlane.”

Lapho uZenobia ebhekana ngesibindi neRoma, yena noMbusi u-Aurelian bafeza indima ‘yenkosi yaseningizimu nenkosi yasenyakatho’ benganakile, begcwalisa ingxenye yesiprofetho esabhalwa ngokuningiliziwe umprofethi kaJehova eminyakeni engaba ngu-800 ngaphambili. (Daniyeli, isahluko 11) UZenobia wayethandwa abaningi ngenxa yobuntu bakhe obuhle. Nokho, okubaluleke kunakho konke, yindima ayifeza yokumelela umbuso wezombangazwe owabikezelwa esiprofethweni sikaDaniyeli. Umbuso wakhe awuzange uthathe isikhathi esingaphezu kweminyaka emihlanu. IPalmyra, ikomkhulu lombuso kaZenobia, namuhla iyidolobhana nje. Ngisho noMbuso WaseRoma onamandla washabalala kudala wadedela eminye imibuso yanamuhla. Liyini ikusasa lale mibuso? Ikusasa layo nayo liqondiswa ukugcwaliseka okuqinisekile kwesiprofetho seBhayibheli.—Daniyeli 2:44.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 29]

Ifa LikaZenobia

Lapho ebuyela eRoma ngemva kokunqoba uZenobia, indlovukazi yasePalmyra, uMbusi u-Aurelian wakhela ilanga ithempeli. Wayesefaka kulo imifanekiso ebunjiwe kankulunkulu welanga ayebuye nayo emzini kaZenobia. Lapho ukhuluma ngezenzakalo ezalandela, umagazini i-History Today uthi: “Isenzo sika-Aurelian esahlala kunazo zonke mhlawumbe ukumiswa, ngo-AD 274, komkhosi welanga waminyaka yonke wango-December 25 oba ngenjikalanga yasebusika enhla nenkabazwe. Lapho lo mbuso uba ngowobuKristu lolo suku lwenziwa lwaba olokuzalwa kukaKristu ukuze kwenziwe le nkolo entsha yamukeleke ngokwengeziwe kulabo ababejabulela ukuzijabulisa kweyasendulo. Kuyathakazelisa ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi ngokuyinhloko [abantu] bagubha uKhisimusi ngenxa yoMbusi Wesifazane uZenobia.”

[Ibalazwe/Isithombe ekhasini 28, 29]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

IMEDITERRANEAN SEA

ISIRIYA

I-Antiyokiya

I-Emesa (iHoms)

IPALMYRA

IDamaseku

IMESOPOTAMIYA

I-Ewufrathe

ICarrhae (iHaran)

INisibis

IDuraEuropos

[Imithombo]

Map: Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.

Colonnade: Michael Nicholson/Corbis

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Uhlamvu lwemali lwaseRoma olunomfanekiso okungenzeka ukuthi oka-Aurelian

[Isithombe ekhasini 30]

IThempeli lelanga ePalmyra

[Umthombo]

The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck

[Isithombe ekhasini 31]

Indlovukazi uZenobia ikhuluma namasosha ayo

[Umthombo]

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Queen Zenobia Addressing Her Soldiers, Samuel H. Kress Collection, Photograph © Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Washington

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 28]

Detail of: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Queen Zenobia Addressing Her Soldiers, Samuel H. Kress Collection, Photograph © Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Washington