Vyakuphakaphaka vya mu Nyengo Yakale
Para mwanakazi wamara kugeza, wakaphakanga mafuta ghakununkhira. Kufuma apo wakajuranga kabokosi ako mukaŵanga tumabotolo, mavasi na majagi gha gilasi, gha minyanga ya zovu, gha vikonkhonimba vya nkhonyo panji gha malibwe. Ndipo mu tumabotolo utu mukaŵanga mafuta ghakupambanapambana na perefyumu wa basamu, cardamom, sinamoni, lubani, uci, mure na vinthu vinyake.
Mu bokosi ili mukaŵangaso masipuni, mbale zakugadama, na ŵabakule. Mbale izi wakasazgirangapo mafuta agho waphakenge pa zuŵa ilo. Wakalaŵiskanga pa gilasi pakujitozga.
VIKUWONEKA kuti kufuma waka kale, ŵanakazi ŵakutemwa kujitozga kuti ŵawonekenge makora. Vyakujambura pa malaro, vyakulemba na vithuzithuzi vya pa viliŵa, vyose vikulongora kuti vyakuphakaphaka vikaŵa vyakuzara comene ku Mesopotamiya na Eguputo. Vithuzithuzi vya ŵanakazi ŵa ku Eguputo vikawonekanga vyakutowa cifukwa ŵakavipentanga comene mu maso.
Wuli pakuyowoya za Ŵaisrayeli? Kasi ŵanakazi Ŵaisrayeli nawo ŵakajitozganga? Usange ni nthena, ŵakajitozganga na vici? Mbunenesko kuti palije vyakujambura pa malaro panji vyakulemba pa viliŵa vyakulongora kuti ku Israyeli ndimo ŵakacitiranga. Kweni nkhani zinyake mu Baibolo ndiposo ivyo ŵali kufukura pasi mu vyaru ivyo vikuzunulika mu Baibolo, mbukaboni wakuti vyakuphakaphaka vikaŵako mu nyengo yakale.
Ivyo ŵakagwiliskiranga nchito
Mu caru ca Israyeli, ŵakufukura vinthu ŵali kusanga maperefyumu na vinthu vinandi ivyo ŵakagwiliskiranga nchito pakujitozga. Vinyake mwa vinthu ivyo ŵakasanga ni tumalibwe twakujoba twakusilirapo, tumabotolo twavyakununkhira, nkhombo za mafuta, na tumagilasi twamumawoko. Pa sipuni yinyake ya minyanga ya zovu pali kujambulika hamba la khuni la mkama ku cikolelero cake ndipo kuseri kuli mutu wa mwanakazi.
Vikuwoneka kuti ŵasambazi ndiwo ŵakasunganga vyakujitozgera mu vikonkhonimba vya nkhonyo vyakutozgeka makora. Ku Eguputo na ku Kenani ŵakasangakoso tumasipuni twaminyanga ya zovu na twamakuni, uto tukaŵanga twamasitayelo ghakupambanapambana. Vyose ivi vikulongora kuti ŵanakazi ŵa mu nyengo yakale ŵakajitozganga.
Vyakujitozgera mu Maso
Mwana msungwana wa Yobu wakaŵa Kerenhapuk, zina ilo mu Cihebere lingang’anamura ‘Sengwe la kusungiramo penti mufipa wa mu Maso.’ (Job 42:14) Panji ŵakamuthya zina ili cifukwa cakuti wakaŵa wakutowa, kweniso mbukaboni wakuti pa nyengo iyi vyakuphakaphaka vikaŵako.
Kanandi para Baibolo likuyowoya vya kujitozga mu maso likuzunura ŵanakazi ŵawakawaka nga ni Thembakazi Yezebeli na Yerusalemu wambura kugomezgeka uyo nchimi Yeremiya na Ezekiyeli ŵakamuyelezgera na mwanakazi muleŵi. (2 Mathemba 9:30; Yeremiya 4:30; Ezekiel 23:40) Para tikuwona unandi wa vinthu ivyo ŵakagwiliskiranga nchito pa kujitozga ivyo vili kusangika ku Israyeli, vikuwoneka kuti ŵanakazi ŵanandi mu Israyeli wakugaluka, comenecomene ŵa mu nyumba zacifumu na ŵasambazi ŵakamba kujitozga mwakujumphizga na vyakujitozgera mu maso na vya mitundu yinyake.
Mafuta Ghakagwiliskikanga Nchito pa Vinthu Vyakupatulika, na Vinyake
Mafuta gha maolive ŵakamba ni kale kughagwiliskira nchito mu Israyeli. Buku la Exodus likulongora umo ŵakacitiranga pakupanga vyakununkhira vyakupatulika ivyo ŵasofi wakavigwiliskiranga nchito mu tempele. Ŵakasazganga sinamoni, mure, na vyakumera vinyake vya sungu liwemi. (Exodus 30:22-25) Ku Yerusalemu, ŵakufukura vinthu ŵali kusanga malo agho ŵakugomezga kuti mu nyengo ya Ŵakhristu ŵakwambilira ŵakapangirangako mafuta ghakununkhira agho ŵakagwiliskiranga nchito pa tempele. Malemba ghanandi ghakulongora kuti mafuta ghakununkhira ŵakaghagwiliskiranga nchito pa vinthu vyakupatulika na nchito zinyake.—2 Midauko 16:14; Luka 7:37-46; 23:56.
Pakuti maji ghakasoŵanga ku cigaŵa ici, mafuta ghakununkhira ghakawovwiranga pa nkhani ya utozi. Ntheura mafuta ghakavikiliranga munthu ku zuŵa pera yayi, kweniso ŵakajitozgeranga. (Ruth 3:3; 2 Samuel 12:20) Pambere Esitere mwanakazi wa Ciyuda, wandawonekere panthazi pa Themba Ahaswerus, wakeneranga kujitozga kwa myezi yinkhondi na umoza na mafuta gha mure, kweniso myezi yinkhondi na umoza na mafuta gha basamu.—Esther 2:12.
Mafuta ghakununkhira ghakaŵanga ghakuzirwa nga ni siliva na golide. Apo thembakazi la ku Sheba likenda ulendo utali kuzakawona Themba Solomoni, likayegha vyawanangwa vyakuzirwa nga ni golide, malibwe ghakuzirwa, na mafuta gha basamu. (1 Mathemba 10:2, 10) Apo Themba Hezekiya likalongoranga vyuma vya mu nyumba yake ku ŵanthu awo ŵakafuma ku Babuloni, likaŵika pakweru . . . siliva, golide, na vyose ivyo vikaŵa mumo.—Yesaya 39:1, 2.
Mafuta agha ghakasoŵanga kweniso ghakaŵanga ghakudura cifukwa cakuti maluŵa, vipambi, mahamba, maresin, na vikwa vikafumiskanga mafuta ghacoko comene. Baibolo likuzunura vyakumera vyakununkhira vinandi na mafuta ghake nga ni aloe, bideli, basamu, kalamusi, kida, sinamoni, lubani, mure, Spikenadi na safroni. Vinyake vikaŵanga vya mu caru cenecico ndipo vikameranga mu Mlonga wa Yorodani. Vyakumera vinyake vikafumanga ku vyaru vinyake nga ni India, South Arabia na kunyake.
Mafuta Ghambura Kumanyikwa Makora gha Basamu
Nga umo tawonera mu nkhani iyi, mu Baibolo mafuta gha basamu ghakuzunulika mu nkhani ya Fumukazi Esitere, Fumukazi ya ku Sheba, na Themba Hezekiya. Mu 1988, ŵakasanga jagi la mafuta mu mphanji yapafupi na Qumran, kumanjiliro gha dazi kwa Nyanja ya Yakufwa. Ŵanthu ŵakajifumba mafumbo ghanandi, limoza lake ndakuti, kasi mafuta ghakumanyikwa agha, ndiyo ghekha agho ghakakhalako? Ŵakusanda, zgoro leneco ŵakulisanga yayi. Nanga ni sono nthena ŵanthu ŵakuyezgayezga kuti ŵaŵeso nagho makuni gha basamu.
Vikuwoneka kuti mafuta gha basamu agho ghakuzunulika mu Baibolo ŵakaghapandanga ku minda ya ku En Gedi. Ŵakufukura vinthu aŵa, ŵasanga vyakupembamo moto, majagi, visulo, na vinthu vinyake vyakupangika na viwangwa ndipo ŵakugomezga kuti ni vya m’ma 500 B.C.E. Vinthu ivi vikuyanako na ivyo ŵakapangiranga mafuta ghakununkhira ku malo ghanyake. Nkhwantha zinandi zikugomezga kuti makuni gha basamu ghakafuma ku Arabia, panji muno mu Africa. Perefyumu ŵakamupanganga kufuma ku makuni agha. Mafuta gha basamu ghakaduranga comene, mwakuti ŵanthu ŵakabisanga umo ŵakapandiranga makuni ghake na umo ŵakapangiranga mafuta.
Basamu ŵakamugwiliskirangaso comene nchito pa vya ndyali. Mwaciyelezgero, Josephus wakulemba mdauko wakayowoya kuti, Mark Antony wakapoka makuni ghose gha vyakumera vyakuzirwa ivi na kuvipeleka nga nchawanangwa kwa Cleopatra, Thembakazi la ku Eguputo. Pliny wakusanda mdauko wakayowoya kuti pa nyengo iyo Ŵayuda ŵakaŵa pa nkhondo na Ŵaroma, ŵasilikari Ŵaciyuda ŵakayezga kunanga makuni ghose gha basamu mwakuti Ŵaroma ŵaleke kughapoka.
Pa ivyo Baibolo likutiphalira na ivyo ŵakufukura vinthu vyapasi ŵali kusanga, tawona kuti kale napo ŵanthu ŵakaphakanga mafuta ghakujitozgera. M’malo mwakukanizga vyakuphaka, na vyakujitozgera vinyake, Baibolo likudidimizga waka fundo yakuti tivigwiliskirenge nchito mwamahara. (1 Timote 2:9) Mpositole Petrosi wakayowoya kuti “mzimu wakujiyuyura na wakuzika” ndiwo “ngwakuzirwa comene” kwa Ciuta. Pakuti masitayelo ghakusinthirasinthira mu caru, ulongozgi uwu ngwakwenelera ku ŵanakazi Ŵacikhristu, ŵana, na ŵalara wuwo.—1 Petrosi 3:3, 4.
[Cithuzithuzi pa peji 24, 25]
Kale ŵanakazi ŵanyake ŵakawonanga kuti ŵatowa para ŵaphoda, na kuphaka mafuta mu thupi
[Cithuzithuzi pa peji 25]
Tumalibwe Twakujoba Twakusilirapo Vyakuphaka, KU Israyeli
[Cithuzithuzi pa peji 25]
Jagi la Perefyumu Lakucemeka Terra-cotta, ku Israyeli
[Cithuzithuzi pa peji 25]
Kontena ya Minyanga ya Zovu, ku Israyeli
[Kulongosora Cithuzithuzi pa peji 25]
All artifacts: Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY