Kodi Mukudziwa?

N’chifukwa chiyani mafuta onunkhira amene Mariya anagwiritsira ntchito anali okwera mtengo kwambiri?

Kutatsala masiku ochepa kuti Yesu aphedwe, Mariya mlongo wake wa Lazaro, ‘anafika . . . ndi nsupa ya mwala wa alabasitala ya mafuta onunkhira, nado weniweni, . . . okwera mtengo kwambiri,’ n’kuyamba kumuthira Yesu. (Maliko 14:3-5; Mateyo 26:6, 7; Yohane 12:3-5) Nkhani za m’mabuku a Maliko ndi Yohane zimafotokoza kuti mtengo wa mafutawo unali madinari 300. Ndalama zimenezi zinali zofanana ndi malipiro apachaka a munthu wamba.

Kodi mafuta onunkhirawa ankachokera kuti? Anthu akuganiza kuti mafuta a nado otchulidwa m’Baibulo ankapangidwa kuchokera ku kachitsamba kenakake konunkhira kwambiri komwe kamapezeka ku mapiri a Himalaya. Nthawi zambiri mafuta a nado omwe anali okwera mtengo kwambiri ankawasungunula ndi mafuta ena otsika mtengo ndiponso anthu ena ankatha kupanga nado wachinyengo. Komabe, Maliko ndi Yohane ananena kuti mafuta amene Mariya anabweretsawa anali “nado weniweni.” Mfundo yakuti mafuta onunkhirawa anali okwera mtengo kwambiri ikusonyeza kuti mwina anachokera ku India komwe n’kutali kwambiri ndi ku Israel.

Nanga n’chifukwa chiyani Maliko ananena kuti Mariya ‘anatsegula nsupa ya alabasitala ija mochita kuswa’? Nthawi zambiri, botolo la alabasitala linkakhala ndi khosi loning’a moti sizinkavuta kulitseka n’cholinga choti kafungo kabwino ka mafutawo kasamatuluke. M’buku lake lofotokoza za m’nthawi ya Yesu, Alan Millard anati: “N’zosavuta kumvetsa mmene mayiyu, yemwe anali wosangalala kwambiri, anaswera [khosi la botololi] m’malo molitsegula, n’kukhuthula mafutawo nthawi imodzi.” (Discoveries From the Time of Jesus) N’chifukwa chake “m’nyumba monsemo munangoti guu kafungo kabwino ka mafutawo.” (Yohane 12:3) Mphatso imeneyi inali yamtengo wapatali zedi, komatu inali yoyenera kwambiri. N’chifukwa chiyani tikutero? Mayiyu anali kuyamikira kwambiri chifukwa choti Yesu anali ataukitsa mlongo wake Lazaro.​—Yohane 11:32-45.

Kodi Yeriko unali mzinda umodzi kapena iwiri?

Mateyo, Maliko ndi Luka analemba nkhani yokhudza chozizwitsa chimene Yesu anachita pafupi ndi Yeriko. (Mateyo 20:29-34; Maliko 10:46-52; Luka 18:35-43) Mateyo ndi Maliko analongosola kuti Yesu anachita chozizwitsachi pamene “anali kutuluka” mu Yeriko. Koma Luka analongosola kuti zimenezi zinachitika pamene Yesu “anali kuyandikira” ku Yeriko.

M’nthawi ya Yesu, kodi panali mzinda umodzi wokha wa Yeriko kapena panali mizinda iwiri? Buku lina lofotokoza mbiri ya m’Baibulo limayankha kuti: “M’nthawi ya Chipangano Chatsopano, mzinda wa Yeriko unali utamangidwanso pa mtunda woposa kilomita imodzi ndi theka chakummwera kwa mzinda wakale wa Yeriko. Ku Yeriko watsopanoyu n’kumene kunali nyumba ya Herode Wamkulu imene ankakhalako m’nyengo yachisanu.” (Bible Then & Now) Buku linanso lofotokoza mbiri ya m’Baibulo limatsimikizira mfundo imeneyi kuti: “M’nthawi ya Yesu, panali mizinda iwiri ya Yeriko. . . . Mzinda wakale umene unali wachiyuda unali pa mtunda woposa kilomita imodzi ndi theka kuchokera pa mzinda watsopano wachiroma.”​—Archaeology and Bible History.

Motero, n’kutheka kuti Yesu anachita chozizwitsachi akuyandikira mzinda wachiroma wa Yeriko pamene anali kutuluka m’mzinda wachiyuda. Kapena anali akuyandikira mzinda wachiyuda wa Yeriko pamene anali kutuluka m’mzinda wachiroma. N’zoonekeratu kuti kudziwa mmene zinthu zinalili panthawi yomwe mabukuwa analembedwa kukutithandiza kumvetsa nkhani imene imaoneka ngati yotsutsanayi.

[Chithunzi patsamba 31]

Botolo la Mafuta Onunkhira la Alabasitala

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

© Réunion des Musées Nationaux/​Art Resource, NY