Itthu Seiyo Saareerela Ovahiwa Mwene

VAAKHANLE wira muniphavela onvaha etthu mutthu ootepa otthuneya, mwaarowa onvaha exeeni? Okathi wa khalai, itthu soowunkhela, ntoko eweero saahikhalana efaita yuulupale. Iyo saari itthu saavahiwa mwene.a Ti maana aya alipa-oosoma itheneeri, eriyari ya itthu yanvanhe aya “mwené àYuda”, piili saari itthu soowunkhela.​—Matheyo 2:1, 2, 11.

Nave, Biibiliya onihimya wira okathi pwiyamwene oSaba aaronwe awe omuxukurya Salomoni “ahinvaha mwené ewero yinjene, ntoko ikhilo ikonto xexe, n’ixero sinjene ni maluku òwarya. Mwené khavahiwe-tho itthu sowunkhela sowatta ntoko pwiyamwene òSaba samuruhenlya awe”.b (2 Wahala 9:9) Ohiya-vo, mamwene makina yaanimuruuhela Salomoni makhura a bálsamo ntoko ethoonyeryo ya opatthani.​—2 Wahala 9:23, 24.

Xeeni itthu soowunkhela saari aya sa efaita ni soowalamela okathi wa Biibiliya? Mwaha woowi iyo saanirumeeliwa okathi woorattela erutthu, saanivarihana ni soolema sa itiini ni saanirumeeliwa okathi woovitha murutthu. (Nwehe ekaaxa eni: “Orumeeliwa wa Itthu Soowunkhela Okathi wa Khalai”.) Ohiya mwaha wa ophaveliwa vanceene, itthu soowunkhela saaniwalamela mwaha woowi waanitthuneya musurukhu munci wira silovoliwe ni situmihiwe.

SINNIVIRA MOTHAKONI WA ARABIA

Okathi wa khalai, saahikhala miri saakumiherya itthu soowunkhela sannuwa okhatoni wa muro Yordani. Masi itthu sikina saahaana okumihiwa ilapo sikina. Biibiliya onniromola itthu soowunkhela sinci, ntoko açafrão, alowé, bálsamo, ekanela, olíbano ni mira. Saahikhala-tho itthu saarumeeliwa wira sikhale etempero ntoko cominho, hortelã, ni endro.

Saakhuma woowi itthu soowunkhela? Alowé, ekásia, ni ekanela, saakhuma ilapo seiyo olelo-va siniitthaniwa oChina, India, ni oSri Lanka. Mira ni olíbano saapakiwa ni miri seiyo saaphwanyaneya moothakoni wa okuusini wa Arabia mpakha oSomalia wAfrika. Nave nardo, aakhuma wIndia muttetthe oniitthaniwa Himalaias.

Wira itthu soowunkhela siphiye wIsarayeli, saahaana ovirihiwa wArabia. The Book of Spices (Eliivuru ya Itthu Soowunkhela) enihimya wira mwaha wa yeeyo, okhuma emileenio ya nenli ni yoopacerya AEC, elapo ya wArabia paahi “ti yaalovola itthu iyo mwa epantte enikhuma nsuwa ni enikela nsuwa”. Okuusini wa Isarayeli muttetthe wa oNegebe, woophwanyiwa milepe sa ipooma sa khalai, mapuro oolipihiwa, ni mapuro yeemeliwa ni atthu yaatumiha itthu soowunkhela. Milepe iyo “sinooniherya nakoso aapakiwa yoowo aakumiherya muhakhu . . . okhuma okuusini wa Arabia mpakha oMediteraaneo.” (World Heritage Centre of UNESCO)

Anamarotta yaakuxa itthu soowunkhela yaaneetta ikilometuru 1.800 aviraka wArabia. (Yobi 6:19) Biibiliya onnaaromola anamarotta yaari aIximayeli yaawo yaakunxe itthu soowunkhela ntoko ládano, bálsamo, ni ‘sowunkhela sikina akumihaka oGileadi aroihaka wEjiitu’. (Maphattuwelo 37:25) Anamwane a Yakobe yaahaatumiherya anamarotta ala muhima aya Yosefe ntoko epottha.

“ESIIRI YUULUPALE YA NAKOSO A OKATHI MUNCI”

Mwa iyaakha sinci, anamarotta a wArabia ti yanwehaweha nakoso a itthu soowunkhela. Awo ti yaatumiha itthu soowunkhela saakhuma wAsia, ntoko ekásia ni ekanela. Aphavelaka waakhoottiherya atthu oMediteraaneo ompaka nakoso ni atthu a epantte enikhuma nsuwa, atthu a wArabia yaahimwarya-mwarya itthu sowoothiwa voohimya sa sowoopiha saakhumela mwaha wa ophavela itthu iyo. Eliivuru ya Itthu Soowunkhela (ya Englexi) enihimya wira opuro waakhuma aya itthu soowunkhela, “waaniheryasa yaari esiiri yuulupale ya nakoso a okathi munci”.

Itthu xee ni sowoothiwa atthu a wArabia yaahimya aya? Heródoto, mulipa oolepa myaha muGriki, a eseekulu 5 AEC, aahitthokiherya wira myaha iyo soowoothiwa, saanaaromola axipalame yaateka ipuru sa ekanela mmakhukuni. Nto ale yaaphavela itthu iya soowunkhela, yaahaana opweha enama yinceene vamukhora va makhuku awo. Nto axipalame yaanikuxa enama yinci wira aroihe mpuruni mwaya, masi mwaha wa olemela wa enama, ipuru iyo saanimora. Mowaakuveya atthu yaanittotta ekanela nto anaatumiherya anamarotta. Itthu iyo sowoothiwa saahuulaana. Ntoko sihinihimya aya Eliivuru ya Itthu Soowunkhela, mwaha wa “itthu iyo sowoothiwa [ekanela] yaanitumihiwa musurukhu munceene”.

Nuuvira okathi, esiiri ya atthu a wArabia yaahisuweliwa, nto atthu anci yaahipacerya omwiira nakoso owo. Okhuma eseekulu 1 AEC, epooma ya wAlexandria, wEjiitu, yaahikhala eporto yuulupale yaapakiwa nakoso owo. Okhala wira ale yaaweettiha apakiti yaahixutta orumeela epheyo ya oceano Índico, apakiti oRoma yaahipacerya weetta iporto sinci sa wEjiitu arowaka wIndia. Mwaha wa yeeyo, itthu soowunkhela saanincerereya, nto esisapo aya yaanikhweya.

Olelo-va efaita erina aya itthu iyo soowunkhela khenilikana ni eweero. Nave, khinikhanle oohimya wira itthu iyo sinimureerela mwene paahi. Masi, atthu anceene molumwenkuni annivikaniha orumeela itthu iyo mperfumeni, oxipitali, wala wunkheliha aahiiso osiviha yoolya. Tthiri wunkhela wa itthu iya, onniwiiriha anamunceene ophavelasa, ntoko siiraneya aya iyaakha ikonto sene khalai.