Umthi “Olilayo Neenyembezi” Zawo Ezisetyenziswa Ngeendlela Ezininzi
UYeremiya 51:8 uthi: ‘Thabatha ibhalsam ngenxa yentlungu.’ Uphando ngomnye umthombo weli yeza lithomalalisa iintlungu neliphilisa ngokukhawuleza luye lwaya kusifikisa kwisiqithi saseChios, kuLwandle iAegean.
EKUTHWASENI kwehlobo, abalimi baseChios balungiselela ukuvuna ngendlela engaqhelekanga. Emva kokutshayela umhlaba, benza umgangatho omthebelele ngodongwe olumhlophe bajikeleze imithana eluhlaza ebizwa ngokuba yimithi yemastic. Bandula ke aba balimi basike amaxolo alo mthi, besenza ukuba le mithi ‘ilile.’ Kuqalisa ukuphuma intlaka engathi ‘ziinyembezi.’ Emva kweeveki ezimbini okanye ezintathu, amathontsi entlaka aqalisa ukoma baze abalimi baqalise ukuwaqokelela, maxa wambi ngokungqalileyo ukusuka emthini okanye kumgangatho wodongwe ophantsi. Ezi ‘nyembezi,’ ezikwabizwa ngokuba yintlaka yemastic, ziye zasetyenziswa ekwenzeni ibhalsam.
Noko ke, ngaphambi kokuvuna, kufuneka umonde nokuzibhokoxa. Iziqu zemithi ezingwevu eziphothiweyo zithabatha ixesha elide ukukhula. Kuthabatha iminyaka engama-40 ukusa kwengama-50 ukuba umthi ukhule ngokupheleleyo—ngokuqhelekileyo ukususela kwiimitha ezimbini ukusa kwezintathu ubude.
Ngaphandle komsebenzi wokusika imithi nokuqokelela ‘iinyembezi,’ kumelwe kwenziwe umsebenzi ongakumbi ukuze kwenziwe imastic. Emva kokuba abalimi beqokelele ‘iinyembezi’ zemastic, bayazihluza, bazihlambe baze bazibeke ngobukhulu nodidi lwazo. Kamva, intlaka yemastic iyacocwa ize isetyenziswe ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo.
Imbali Yesi Sityalo Sixabisekileyo
Igama lesiGrike elithi “mastic” linxulunyaniswa nebinzana elithetha “ukutshixizisa amazinyo.” Eli gama libonisa ukuba kumaxesha amandulo, intlaka yemastic yayisetyenziswa njengetshungama ukwenza umphefumlo unuke kamnandi.
Eyona nkcazelo indala ngemastic yekaHerodotus, umbhali-mbali ongumGrike wenkulungwane yesihlanu ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Abanye ababhali noogqirha bamandulo—abaquka uApollodorus, uDioscorides, uTheophrastus noHippocrates—bakha bathetha ngemisebenzi yemastic kwezonyango. Nangona imithi yemastic ikhula kulo lonke uNxweme lweMeditera, ukususela ngowe-50 C.E., imveliso yemastic iye yaphelela phantse eChios kuphela. Yaye intlaka yemastic yayiyeyona nto inomtsalane kwabo bathimba iChios, ukususela kumaRoma, kwalandela abemi baseGenoa kamva nabaseTurkey.
Izinto Ezahlukahlukeneyo Esetyenziswa Kuzo Imastic
Oogqirha bamandulo bamaGrike babesebenzisa imastic ukunyanga izifo ezahlukahlukeneyo, kuquka isifo sokuhanjiswa sisisu nesifo samathambo. Kwakhona babeyisebenzisa njengesiqhumiso nasekuqwayiteni izidumbu. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba umthi wemastic wawungomnye umthombo ‘webhalsam yaseGiliyadi,’ edume ngemisebenzi yayo kwezonyango nesetyenziswa njengamafutha okuthambisa nokuqhola izidumbu eBhayibhileni. (Yeremiya 8:22; 46:11) Kwakhona abanye baye bathi imithi evelisa istorakisi, esinye isithako esisetyenziswayo xa kusenziwa isiqhumiso esinevumba elimnandi esasisetyenziswa kwizinto ezingcwele kuphela, kusenokwenzeka ukuba yeminye yemithi yemastic.—Eksodus 30:34, 35.
Namhlanje, imastic ifumaneka kwiivanishi ezikhusela imizobo eyenziwe ngepeyinti yeoli, ifanitshala kunye nezixhobo zomculo. Isetyenziswa njengento yokukhusela ubushushu nengqele nobumanzi, yaye igqalwa njengento ebalaseleyo ekwenzeni iidayi zempahla neepeyinti zokuzoba. Kwakhona imastic isetyenziswa njengento yokuncamathelisa ikwasetyenziswa nakwizinto zokusuka isikhumba. Ngenxa yevumba layo elimnandi nezinye iimpawu zayo, imastic isetyenziswa kwisepha, kwizinto zokuthambisa nakwiziqholo.
Kuye kwathethwa ngemastic kuludwe lwamayeza angama-25 ehlabathini lonke. Yaye isasetyenziswa kakhulu kumayeza esintu kwilizwe lama-Arabhu. Kwakhona imastic iyasetyenziswa ekwenzeni udongwe lokungciba amazinyo naxa kusenziwa iipilisi.
Njengento ekuphuma kuyo ibhalsam, ‘iinyembezi’ ezisetyenziswa ngeendlela ezininzi zomthi “olilayo” wemastic bezithomalalisa iintlungu yaye zinyanga kangangamashumi eminyaka. Ngoko ke, kukho isizathu esivakalayo sokuba isiprofeto sikaYeremiya sithi: ‘Thabatha ibhalsam ngenxa yeentlungu.’
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 31]
EChios
Ukuvuna i-“mastic”
“Iinyembezi” ze-“mastic” ziqokelelwa ngocoselelo
[Inkcazelo]
Chios and harvest line art: Courtesy of Korais Library; all others: Kostas Stamoulis