Enọ Emi Odotde Edidem

“Mme asiak ntantaọfiọn̄ ẹto mme ikpehe edem usiahautịn ẹdi . . . mmọ ẹkụbọde n̄kpọ udọn̄ n̄kpọuto mmọ ẹnyụn̄ ẹnọ enye mme enọ, gold ye frankincense ye myrrh.”—Matthew 2:1, 11.

NSO ke akpama ndinọ ọbọn̄ obio mbufo? Ke eyo Bible, ufuọn̄n̄kpọ ẹkesisọn̄ urua nte gold, ndien ẹkeda enye nte enọ emi odotde edidem. Ntak edi oro mme asiak ntantaọfiọn̄ oro ẹkedide ẹdise “edidem mme Jew” ẹkedade ufuọn̄n̄kpọ ẹsọk enye.—Matthew 2:1, 2, 11.

Bible etịn̄ n̄ko ete ke ini ọbọn̄ an̄wan Sheba akakade ekese Solomon, ke enye ama “ọnọ edidem talent gold ikie ye edịp, ye aran balsam ke ata akwa udomo, ye mme ọsọn̄urua itiat; ndien owo ikafiakke inọ aran balsam emi awakde nte enye oro ọbọn̄ an̄wan Sheba ọkọnọde Edidem Solomon.”a (2 Chronicle 9:9) Ndidem en̄wen n̄ko ẹma ẹsinọ Solomon aran balsam nte enọ.—2 Chronicle 9:23, 24.

Ntak emi ufuọn̄n̄kpọ ye mme n̄kpọ ntre ẹkesisọn̄de urua ke eyo Bible? Sia ẹkesida mmọ ẹnam akpan n̄kpọ, utọ nte ndida ndiọn̄ owo idem, n̄kpono Abasi, nnyụn̄ nda mfiọn̄ọ okpo owo. (Se ekebe oro, “Se Ẹkesidade Ufuọn̄n̄kpọ Ẹnam ke Eyo Bible.”) Ufuọn̄n̄kpọ ẹma ẹsisọn̄ urua sia mme owo ẹkenen̄erede ẹyom mmọ, ẹkesinyụn̄ ẹka anyan usụn̄ ẹkedep.

NDINAM ISAN̄ MBE DESAT ARABIA

Ke eyo Bible, ẹma ẹsitọ mme eto emi ẹkesidade ẹnam ufuọn̄n̄kpọ ke Itịghede Jordan. Ẹkesida mbon eken ẹto idụt en̄wen. Ẹsiak nsio nsio orụk ufuọn̄n̄kpọ ke Bible. Mbon emi ediwak owo ẹmehede ẹdi saffron, aloe, balsam, cinnamon, frankincense, ye myrrh. Ke adianade ye se isiakde emi, ẹma ẹsinyụn̄ ẹdọn̄ mme n̄kpọ nte cumin, mint, ye dill ke udia.

M̀mọ̀n̄ ke ẹkesika ẹkedep ata nti ufuọn̄n̄kpọ? Ẹkesika mme obio emi idiọn̄ọde mfịn nte China, India, ye Sri Lanka ẹkedep aloe, cassia, ye cinnamon. Ẹkesida myrrh ye frankincense ke eto ye mbiet emi ẹkedude ke akaka desat emi ọtọn̄ọde ke edem usụk Arabia esịm Somalia ke Africa. Ndien ẹkeda nard m̀mê spikenard emi edide ufuọn̄n̄kpọ India ẹto Himalaya.

Ẹkesida ata ediwak ufuọn̄n̄kpọ ẹwat ẹbe Arabia ẹdi Israel. Etie nte emi akanam n̄wed kiet emi ẹkotde The Book of Spices ọdọhọ ete ke “mbon Arabia ikpọn̄ ẹkesinyam ufuọn̄n̄kpọ ke Asia ye Europe” ke n̄kpọ nte isua tọsịn kiet ye ubak mbemiso eyo Jesus. Mme obio, ikpọ ufọk eset, ye mme ebiet oro mbonurua ẹkesiduọkde odudu ke Negev ke edem usụk Israel ẹwụt mme ebiet emi mme anyam ufuọn̄n̄kpọ ẹkesisan̄ade. Se World Heritage Centre ẹwetde ẹban̄a nte mme ebiet emi ẹyede owụt ke urua emi ẹkesinyamde mi ọtọn̄ọde ke edem usụk Arabia ẹkesịm Inyan̄ Mediterranean ama esisene mme andinyam etieti.

“Ufuọn̄n̄kpọ isiwakke, edi ọsọn̄ urua, ẹnyụn̄ ẹyom kpukpru ini sia mmọ ẹsinyamade etieti.” —The Book of Spices

Mbonurua emi ẹsibiomde ufuọn̄n̄kpọ emi ẹma ẹsinam isan̄ n̄kpọ nte kilomita 1,800 ẹbe Arabia. (Job 6:19) Bible etịn̄ aban̄a otu mbonurua Ishmael emi ẹkebiomde ufuọn̄n̄kpọ nte “labdanum ye balsam ye ikpọketo emi enyenede itai” ẹto Gilead ẹka Egypt. (Genesis 37:25) Mbonurua emi ke nditọ Jacob ẹkenyam Joseph eyenete mmọ ẹnọ.

“SE MME ANYAMURUA MÎKAMAHA NDITỊN̄ KE ANYAN INI”

Ke ata ediwak isua, mbon Arabia kpọt ẹkesinyam ata ediwak ufuọn̄n̄kpọ. Mmọ ẹkedi n̄kukụre mbon emi ẹkesidade ufuọn̄n̄kpọ nte cassia ye cinnamon ẹto Asia ẹdinyam. Man mbon oro ẹdude ke n̄kan̄ Inyan̄ Mediterranean iditiene ika Asia ikedep ufuọn̄n̄kpọ idinyam, mbon Arabia ẹma ẹsidọhọ ke imemke utom ndinyene ufuọn̄n̄kpọ, ke akam ekeme ndida owo ibuot. N̄wed oro ekerede The Book of Spices ọdọhọ ke “se mme anyamurua mîkamaha nditịn̄ ke anyan ini” edi nnennen itie emi mmọ ẹsikade ẹkedep ufuọn̄n̄kpọ.

Nso ke mbon Arabia ẹkesida ẹbian̄a mme owo? Owo Greece emi ekerede Herodotus emi ekedide ewetmbụk eset ke ọyọhọ isua ikie ition mbemiso eyo mme Christian ọdọhọ ke mmọ ẹma ẹsitịn̄ ẹban̄a mme enyene-ndịk inuen emi ẹkesidade ikpọketo cinnamon ẹbọp efọk mmọ ke enyọn̄ akwa obot emi owo mîkemeke ndidọk n̄kesịm. Enye ama ewet ete ke edieke owo oyomde ndinyene ikpọk cinnamon emi, ke akana enye obon ikpọ n̄kukụk unam ke mben obot oro. Inuen emi ndien ẹyedi ẹditan̄ n̄kukụk unam emi ẹkedọn̄ ke efọk mmọ tutu efọk inuen oro owụre ọduọ. Ndondo oro efọk inuen emi ọduọde, mmọ ẹyefehe ẹketan̄ ikpọk cinnamon oro ẹnyam. Ediwak owo ẹma ẹnịm nsu emi ke akpanikọ. N̄wed oro ẹkotde The Book of Spices ọdọhọ ke “nsu emi ẹkesude mi akanam [cinnamon] enen̄ede ọsọn̄ urua.”

Nte ini akakade, ẹma ẹdiyarade nsu mbon Arabia emi, ndien mbon en̄wen ẹma ẹtọn̄ọ nditiene nnyam ufuọn̄n̄kpọ. N̄kpọ nte isua ikie mbemiso eyo Jesus, Alexandria emi odude ke Egypt, ekedi ata akamba obio emi ẹkesinyamde ufuọn̄n̄kpọ. Nsụn̄ikan̄ Rome ẹma ẹsito esụk Egypt ẹwat ẹka India ndondo oro mme awat nsụn̄ikan̄ ẹkụtde nte ofụm oro edimende mmọ ika do ọtọn̄ọde ndifụme ke Inyan̄ibom India. Emi n̄ko ama anam ufuọn̄n̄kpọ etetịm awak onyụn̄ ọtọn̄ọ ndimem urua.

Mfịn, ufuọn̄n̄kpọ inyamake nte gold. Nnyịn idinyụn̄ idaha ufuọn̄n̄kpọ nte enọ emi odotde edidem. Edi ata ediwak owo ke ererimbot ẹsidọn̄ mmọ ke perfume ye ke ibọk, ndien enyene utọ ufuọn̄n̄kpọ emi ndusụk owo ẹsisịnde ke udia. Nte mmọ ẹsifuọn̄de anam mmọ ẹwọrọ etop mfịn ukem nte ẹkewọrọde ke eset.

a “Aran balsam” ekedi enem utebe aran m̀mê itai oro ẹkesikpide ẹsio ke eto.

Se Ẹkesidade Ufuọn̄n̄kpọ Ẹnam ke Eyo Bible

Edisana incense ye aran oro ẹsidade ẹyet owo. Jehovah ama eteme Moses nte ẹkpenamde edisana incense ye aran oro ẹdisidade iyet owo. Ẹkesida ufuọn̄n̄kpọ inan̄ ẹnam mme n̄kpọ emi. (Exodus 30:22-25, 34-38) Ama odu ndusụk oku emi ẹkenen̄erede ẹdiọn̄ọ nte ẹsibuakde aran emi, ẹnyụn̄ ẹsede ẹban̄a aran emi.—Numbers 4:16; 1 Chronicle 9:30.

Perfume ye edifiọn̄ọ aran. Mbon emi ẹnyenede okụk ẹma ẹsiduọk ufuọn̄n̄kpọ ke bed ye ke ufọk mmọ man enem utebe. Ẹma ẹsiduọk n̄ko ke idem ye ke ọfọn̄. (Esther 2:12; Mme N̄ke 7:17; Ikwọ Solomon 3:6, 7; 4:13, 14) Mary eyeneka Lazarus ama ọtọhọ “edifuọn̄ aran, ata nard,” emi ọsọn̄de urua etieti ke ibuot ye ke ukot Jesus. Okụk utom isua kiet ke ẹkesida ẹdep “ata nard” emi esịnede ke ekpri otu alabaster.—Mark 14:3-5; John 12:3-5.

Ndifiọn̄ọ okpo man ẹmen ẹkebụk. Nicodemus ama ada “myrrh ye aloe” edi ẹda ẹfiọn̄ọ Jesus man ẹmen ẹkebụk. (John 19:39, 40) Ndusụk mbet Jesus ẹma ẹnyụn̄ ẹda “ufuọn̄n̄kpọ ye enem-utebe aran” ẹka udi Jesus.—Luke 23:56–24:1.

N̄kpọudia. Etie nte nditọ Israel ẹma ẹsida ndusụk n̄kpọ emi ẹsọbọ iyak ye unam mmọ man enen̄ede ọfuọn̄. Ẹkesida mbon eken ẹnam wine afiak ọsọn̄ inua.—Ikwọ Solomon 8:2.

Nte Ufuọn̄n̄kpọ Iba Oro Ẹkenọde Jesus Ẹketiede

Ẹkeda frankincense ye myrrh ẹto itai emi ẹkekpide ẹsio ke n̄kpri eto m̀mê eto n̄kukịm.

Eto frankincense ekesikọri ke usụk usụk mbenesụk Arabia, ndien myrrh ekesikọri ke mme idụt emi ẹdiọn̄ọde mfịn nte Somalia ye Yemen. Ẹma ẹsinen̄ede ẹma frankincense ye myrrh ke ntak ufuọn̄ mmọ. Jehovah ọkọdọhọ ẹsikama mmọ ẹnam ndusụk n̄kpọ ke utuakibuot imọ; ẹma ẹsisịn myrrh ke edisana aran oro ẹsidade ẹyet owo, ẹnyụn̄ ẹsịn frankincense ke edisana incense. (Exodus 30:23-25, 34-37) Edi ẹkesida mmọ ẹnam n̄kpọ ke nsio nsio usụn̄.

Ẹkenyene ndifọfọp frankincense, emi ẹkesiwakde ndida nnam incense, man ọfuọn̄. Edi itai emi ẹkesiode myrrh ekesifuọn̄ ke idemesie. Ẹsiak myrrh utịm ikata ke mbụk Jesus: nte enọ emi ẹnọde enye ke nsek (Matthew 2:11), nte n̄kpọ emi ẹbuakde ke wine ẹnọ enye man osụhọde ubiak esie ke ini ẹkekọn̄de enye ke eto (Mark 15:23), ye nte kiet ke otu ufuọn̄n̄kpọ emi ẹkedade ẹdiọn̄ okpo esie man ẹmen ẹkebụk (John 19:39).