Ukudlondlobala Nokushabalala ‘Kwemikhumbi YaseTharishishi”

“Imikhumbi yaseTharishishi yayiwela izilwandle ukuze uhwebe.” —HEZEKELI 27:25, THE JERUSALEM BIBLE

IMIKHUMBI yaseTharishishi yasiza ekucebiseni iNkosi uSolomoni. Abantu abayakha bathonya ukusungulwa kwezinhlamvu zamagama zesiGreki nesiRoma. Basungula nomuzi okuthiwa iByblos, okwethiwa ngawo incwadi enethonya kunazo zonke ezake zanyatheliswa.

Obani abakha futhi bahamba ngemikhumbi yaseTharishishi? Le mikhumbi yalithola kanjani igama layo? Izenzakalo ezihilela laba bantu nemikhumbi yabo zikufakazela kanjani ukunemba kweBhayibheli?

Amakhosi AseMedithera

AbaseFenike babakha imikhumbi eyagcina yaziwa ngokuthi imikhumbi yaseTharishishi. Kakade base bengamatilosi ayizingcweti eminyakeni engaba yinkulungwane ngaphambi kwesikhathi sikaKristu. Izwe lakubo lalinendawo encane esogwini ethi ayilingane neLebhanoni yosuku lwanamuhla. Ezinye izizwe zazingasenyakatho, empumalanga, naseningizimu yaleli zwe. Ngasentshonalanga kwakunolwandle olukhulu iMedithera. AbaseFenike babethembele kulolo lwandle ukuze bathole ingcebo.

Kancane kancane amatilosi aseFenike azakhela imikhumbi yohwebo ephumelelayo. Njengoba inzuzo yayingena nobuchwepheshe buthuthuka, bakha imikhumbi emikhudlwana eyayikwazi ukuthatha uhambo olude. Ngemva kokufika eKhupro, eSardinia naseziQhingini zaseBalearic, abaseFenike balandela ugu lwaseNyakatho Afrika balibhekisa entshonalanga baze bayofika eSpain. (Bheka ibalazwe elikulesi sihloko.)

Abakhi bemikhumbi baseFenike babakha izikebhe ezingamamitha angu-30 ubude. Lezi zikebhe ezinqamula ulwandle cishe zazibizwa ngokuthi “imikhumbi yaseTharishishi” ngoba zazikwazi ukuthatha uhambo lwamakhilomitha angu-4 000 zisuka eFenike ziye eningizimu yeSpain, okuyindawo okungenzeka iTharishishi yayikuyo.a

Kungenzeka ukuthi abaseFenike babengazimisele ukubusa izwe, kodwa babefuna ukuzuza kulo ngokwezimali. Lokhu bakwenza ngokusungula amatheku ezohwebo. Nokho, njengabahwebi, baba amakhosi aseMedithera.

Ukudlulela Ngalé KweMedithera

Ngenxa yokufuna inzuzo, abahloli bamazwe baseFenike bangena e-Atlantic Ocean. Imikhumbi yabo yaqhubeka igudla ugu lwaseningizimu yeSpain yaze yayofika endaweni okuthiwa iTartessus. Cishe ngonyaka ka-1100 B.C.E., bakha umuzi okuthiwa iGadir. Leli chweba, manje elaziwa ngokuthi iCádiz, eSpain, laba elinye lamadolobha okuqala amakhulu eNtshonalanga Yurophu.

AbaseFenike babehweba ngosawoti, iwayini, inhlanzi eyomisiwe, umsedari, uphayini, izinto zensimbi, ingilazi, izindwangu ezifekethisiwe, ilineni lekhethelo nendwangu edaywe ngombala odumile onsomi waseThire. Babezothola yiphi ingcebo eSpain?

Iningizimu yeSpain yaba umthombo ocebile wesiliva namanye amagugu eMedithera. Ngokuphathelene neThire, ichweba eliyinhloko labaseFenike, umprofethi uHezekeli wathi: “Wahweba eSpeyini futhi wathatha isiliva, insimbi, ithini, nomthofu njengenkokhelo yezimpahla zakho eziningi.”—Hezekeli 27:12, Today’s English Version.

AbaseFenike bathola umthombo cishe ongenamkhawulo walezi zinto ezisansimbi ngasemfuleni iGuadalquivir, budebuduze naseCádiz. Lezi zinsimbi zisatholakala kule ndawo manje ebizwa ngokuthi iRío Tinto. Lezi zimayini bezilokhu zikhiqiza itshe-nsimbi lezinga eliphezulu iminyaka engaba yizinkulungwane ezintathu.

Njengoba umzila wemikhumbi phakathi kwabaseSpain nabaseFenike wawusuzinzile, abaseFenike balawula isiliva laseSpain ngokuphelele. Leli siliva lalithunyelwa eFenike ngisho nakwelakwa-Israyeli elingumakhelwane. Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli uSolomoni yazihlanganisa kwezohwebo nenkosi yaseFenike uHiramu. Ngenxa yalokho, osukwini lukaSolomoni isiliva lalibhekwa “njengento engelutho neze.”—1 AmaKhosi 10:21.b

Nakuba abaseFenike baba abathengisi abaphumelelayo, babebuye babe nesihluku. Kubikwa ukuthi ngezinye izikhathi babenxenxela abantu emkhunjini benza sengathi bafuna ukubabonisa impahla yabo, bese bebenza izigqila. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, baphendukela nozakwabo kwezohwebo, ama-Israyeli, bawathengisela ebugqilini. Ngenxa yalokho, abaprofethi abangamaHebheru babikezela ukubhujiswa komuzi waseFenike, iThire. Lezi ziprofetho zagcina zigcwaliswe u-Alexander Omkhulu ngo-332 B.C.E. (Joweli 3:6; Amose 1:9, 10) Lokhu kubhujiswa kwaba uphawu lokuphela kwenkathi yabaseFenike.

Ifa Elashiywa AbaseFenike

Njengabo bonke osomabhizinisi abaphumelelayo, abahwebi baseFenike babezibhala phansi izivumelwano zabo. Babesebenzisa izinhlamvu zamagama ezifana ncamashí nezesiHebheru sasendulo. Ezinye izizwe zayibona inzuzo yezinhlamvu zolimi zabaseFenike. Ngokuzishintsha nje lapha nalaphaya, zaba isisekelo sezinhlamvu zolimi lwesiGreki, nazo ezaba isisekelo sezinhlamvu zolimi lwesiRoma, ezingezinye zezinhlamvu zolimi ezisetshenziswa kabanzi namuhla.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, umuzi obalulekile waseFenike iByblos waba yisikhungo sokusakazwa kwe-papyrus, eyandulela iphepha elisetshenziswa namuhla. Ukusetshenziswa kwe-papyrus ekubhaleni kwaholela ekwenziweni kwezincwadi. Empeleni, igama lesiNgisi lencwadi esakazwa kakhulu emhlabeni, iBhayibheli, lisuselwa egameni elithi Byblos. Ngempela, umlando wabaseFenike nemikhumbi yabo unikeza isiqinisekiso sokuthi iBhayibheli lisekelwe eqinisweni ngokuphelele.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 27]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

IMIZILA YOHWEBO YABASEFENIKE

SPAIN

TARTESSUS

UMfula iGuadalquivir

IGadir

ICorsica

IziQhingi zaseBalearic

ISardinia

ISicily

ICrete

IKhupro

IByblos

IThire

ULWANDLE LWASEMEDITHERA

I-Eziyon-gebheri

ULwandle Olubomvu

AFRIKA

[Isithombe ekhasini 27]

Uhlamvu lwemali lwangekhulu lesithathu kuya kwele-sine B.C.E., olunomkhumbi waseFenike

[Isithombe ekhasini 27]

Amanxiwa esikaniso sabaseFenike, eCádiz, eSpain

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 26]

Museo Naval, Madrid

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 27]

Coin: Museo Arqueológico Municipal. Puerto de Sta. María, Cádiz; remains: Yacimiento Arqueológico de Doña Blanca, Pto. de Sta. María, Cádiz, España