‘Bahamba Ngomkhumbi Baya EKhupro’

KUQALA ngala mazwi ukulandisa okusencwadini yezEnzo okumayelana nezinto ezahlangabezana nazo izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu uPawulu, uBarnaba noJohane Marku lapho zihambele eKhupro cishe ngo-47 C.E. (IzEnzo 13:4) Ngaleso sikhathi, njengoba kunjalo nanamuhla, iKhupro yayisendaweni ekahle kakhulu empumalanga yeMedithera.

AmaRoma ayesifuna ngabomvu lesi siqhingi, futhi aqala ukusibusa ngo-58 B.C.E. Ngaphambi kwalokho, iKhupro yayisibhekene nezenzakalo eziningi emlandweni wayo. Yayisike yabuswa amaFenike, amaGreki, ama-Asiriya, amaPheresiya namaGibhithe. NgeNkathi Ephakathi yabuswa Amabutho Ezimpi Zenkolo, amaFrank kanye nabantu baseVenice, kwalandela abaseTurkey. Ngo-1914 abaseBrithani basithatha lesi siqhingi basibusa kwaze kwaba yilapho sesithola uzibuse ngo-1960.

Umthombo oyinhloko wemali manje ezokuvakasha, kodwa ngesikhathi sikaPawulu iKhupro yayinezinto zemvelo eziningi, lezo amaRoma azithatha ayozinqwabelanisa ezindlini zawo zengcebo eRoma. Kwathi lapho nje abantu besanda kuhlala kulesi siqhingi, kwatholakala ithusi, futhi kulinganiselwa ukuthi ekupheleni kwenkathi yamaRoma, kwase kwembiwe ithusi elingamathani angu-250 000. Le mboni yethusi yayicekele phansi ingxenye enkulu  yehlathi eliminyene ngenjongo yokuncibilikisa ithusi. Amahlathi amaningi akulesi siqhingi ayengasekho ngesikhathi uPawulu efika.

IKhupro Ibuswa AmaRoma

Ngokwe-Encyclopædia Britannica, uJulius Caesar wayinika abaseGibhithe iKhupro, ngemva kwalokho bayinikwa nguMark Antony. Nokho, lapho isibuswa ngu-Augustus iKhupro yabuyiselwa eRoma ibuswa umphathi-sifundazwe owayengaphansi kweRoma—njengoba nje umlobi wezEnzo, uLuka, ephawula ngokunembile. Lapho uPawulu eshumayela kuleso siqhingi kwakunguSergiyu Pawulu umphathi-sifundazwe.—IzEnzo 13:7.

I-Pax Romana, ukuthula komhlaba wonke okwalethwa iRoma, yabangela ukwanda kwezimayini nezimboni zaseKhupro, okwachumisa ezohwebo. Enye imali yayingeniswa ukuba khona kwamabutho amaRoma kanye nezihambeli ezazithutheleka zizodumisa u-Aphrodite, unkulunkulukazi walesi siqhingi. Ngenxa yalokho, kwakhiwa imigwaqo emisha, amatheku nezakhiwo zomphakathi ezinhle kakhulu. IsiGreki saqhubeka siwulimi olusemthethweni, futhi abantu abaningi babekhulekela u-Aphrodite, u-Apollo noZeyusi—kanye nombusi waseRoma. Abantu babechumile benanezinto eziningi zokuzijabulisa nezobuciko.

UPawulu wahlangabezana nalesi simo-ke lapho edabula eKhupro efundisa abantu ngoKristu. Nokho, ubuKristu base bukhona kakade eKhupro lapho uPawulu efika kulesi siqhingi. Umlando wencwadi yezEnzo uthi ngemva kokufa komfel’ ukholo wokuqala ongumKristu, uStefanu, amanye amaKristu okuqala abalekela eKhupro. (IzEnzo 11:19) UBarnaba, owayehamba noPawulu, wayengowaseKhupro, futhi njengoba ayesazi kahle isiqhingi, akungatshazwa ukuthi kulolu hambo lokushumayela wayelusizo olukhulu kuPawulu, embonisa izindlela.—IzEnzo 4:36; 13:2.

Ukulandelela Uhambo LukaPawulu

Akulula ukuyilandelela ngokunembile yonke imininingwane yohambo lukaPawulu eKhupro. Noma kunjalo, abavubukuli banombono ocacile wesimiso esihle semigwaqo yangenkathi yamaRoma. Ngenxa yendlela esimi ngayo lesi siqhingi, ngisho nemigwaqo emikhulu yanamuhla ngokuvamile kusadingeka ihambe kuzo zona lezo zindlela izithunywa zevangeli zokuqala okungenzeka zahamba kuzo.

UPawulu, uBarnaba noJohane Marku bahamba ngomkhumbi besuka eSelukiya baya echwebeni laseSalami. Njengoba iPhafu kwakuyiyona eyayiyinhlokodolobha netheku elikhulu, kungani baya eSalami? Esinye sezizathu ukuthi iSalami yayisogwini olusempumalanga, okungamakhilomitha angu-200 kuphela ukusuka eSelukiya, ezwekazini. Lapho amaRoma ebusa enza iPhafu yaba inhlokodolobha esikhundleni seSalami, kodwa iSalami yayisalokhu iyisikhungo sezobuciko, imfundo nezentengiselwano kulesi siqhingi. ESalami kwakunamaJuda amaningi, ngakho izithunywa zevangeli zaqala ‘ukumemezela izwi likaNkulunkulu emasinagogeni amaJuda.’—IzEnzo 13:5.

Namuhla, sekusele amanxiwa nje kuphela eSalami. Noma kunjalo, imivubukulo iyabonisa ukuthi  leli dolobha lalilihle futhi licebile. Isigcawu salo, isikhungo sezombusazwe nezenkolo, saziwa ngokuba yindawo yokubuthana yaseRoma enkulu cishe kunazo zonke ezake zavubukulwa endaweni yaseMedithera. Amanxiwa akhona, akhiwa enkathini ka-Augustus Caesar, aye embula izinto ezinjengephansi lezakhiwo elalenziwe ngamatshe amahle afekethisiwe, izindlu zemidlalo, izindlu ezinhle zokugeza, inkundla yemidlalo, amatshe amangcwaba amahle kakhulu kanye nenkundla enkulu yemidlalo yaseshashalazini emumatha abantu abangu-15 000! Eduze kwakhona kunamanxiwa ethempeli elihle likaZeyusi.

Nokho, uZeyusi wehluleka ukuvikela idolobha emonakalweni wokuzamazama komhlaba. Ngo-15 B.C.E. ukuzamazama komhlaba kwacekela phansi izindawo eziningi eSalami, nakuba kamuva u-Augustus ayakha kabusha. Yaphinde yacekelwa phansi ukuzamazama komhlaba ngo-77 C.E., kodwa yabuye yakhiwa kabusha. Ngekhulu lesine leminyaka, yacekelwa phansi ukuzamazama komhlaba okwenzeka izikhathi eziningi zilandelana, ngakho ayibange isaba yinhle njengakuqala. NgeNkathi Ephakathi itheku layo lase ligcwele udaka futhi lingasanakiwe.

Akuvezwa ukuthi benzenjani abantu baseSalami lapho uPawulu eshumayela. Kodwa-ke uPawulu kwakusadingeka ashumayele nakwezinye izindawo. Zintathu izindlela eziyinhloko izithunywa zevangeli ezazingakhetha ukuhamba ngazo lapho zisuka eSalami: eyokuqala yayiya ngasogwini olusenyakatho idabula ezintabeni zaseKyrenia; enye yayiya ngasentshonalanga inqamula ithafa laseMesaoria idabule engxenyeni enkulu yesiqhingi; kanti eyesithathu igudla ugu lwaseningizimu.

Kuthiwa uPawulu wahamba ngale yesithathu. Le ndlela idabula emasimini avundile anesibomvu sekhethelo. Ebangeni elingaba amakhilomitha angu-50 eningizimu ntshonalanga, le ndlela iya ngasedolobheni laseLarnaca ngaphambi kokuba ichezukele enyakatho iye maphakathi nezwe.

Badabula “Sonke Isiqhingi”

Ngokushesha lo mgwaqo omkhulu wawungena edolobheni lasendulo iLedra. Manje, kule ndawo sekwakhiwe iNicosia, inhlokodolobha yanamuhla. Akusekho lutho olubonisa ukuthi kwakunalelo dolobha lasendulo lapho. Kodwa phakathi nezindonga zaseVenice zangekhulu le-16 ezizungeze inkaba yeNicosia kunomgwaqo omncane ohlala uphithizela okuthiwa iLedra Street. Ukuthi uPawulu waya yini eLedra noma cha, asazi. IBhayibheli limane nje lithi badabula “sonke isiqhingi.” (IzEnzo 13:6) I-Wycliffe Historical Geography of Bible Lands ithi ‘lokhu kusho ukuthi ngezinga elithile bahamba zonke izindawo zamaJuda eKhupro.’

 Ngokuqinisekile, uPawulu wayefuna ukufinyelela abantu abaningi kangangokusemandleni akhe eKhupro. Ngakho, kungenzeka ukuthi wathatha indlela yaseningizimu esuka eLedra idabule e-Amathus naseKourion—amadolobhakazi amabili anabantu abachumayo abavela emazweni amaningi.

IKourion yayiqhwakele phezu kwamawa athambekele ezansi ogwini lolwandle. Ukuzamazama komhlaba okwacekela phansi iSalami ngo-77 C.E. kwalicekela phansi naleli dolobha elihle lamaGreki namaRoma. Kunamanxiwa ethempeli lika-Apollo elalakhiwe ngo-100 C.E. Inkundla yemidlalo yayingamumatha izibukeli ezingu-6 000. Indlela yokuphila ngokunethezeka yabantu abaningi baseKourion ingabonakala ematsheni amahle afekethisiwe ayehlobise phansi ngisho nasezindlini zezicebi.

Ukuya EPhafu

Njengoba isuka eKourion, le ndlela edlula ezindaweni ezinhle ibheka entshonalanga yenyuke idabule ezweni lewayini, ilokhu idundubala kancane kancane, kuze kuthi kungazelelwe, yehle igwincize emaweni ize iyofika ogwini olunamatshana abushelelezi. Ngokwezinganekwane zamaGreki, lapha yilapho unkulunkulukazi u-Aphrodite avela khona olwandle ewusana olusanda kuzalwa.

U-Aphrodite wayengunkulunkulukazi othandwa kunabo bonke onkulunkulu bamaGreki eKhupro futhi wayekhulekelwa ngentshiseko kwaze kwaba ikhulu lesibili C.E. Isikhungo sokukhulekela u-Aphrodite sasisePhafu. Njalo entwasahlobo kwakuba nomkhosi wokumhlonipha. Izihambeli ezivela e-Asia Minor, eGibhithe, eGrisi nasezindaweni ezikude lé njengasePheresiya zaziza ePhafu kulo mkhosi. Lapho iKhupro ibuswa oPtolemy, amakhosi ohlanga aseGibhithe, abantu baseKhupro baqala ukujwayelana nokukhulekelwa koFaro.

IPhafu yayiyinhlokodolobha yeRoma eKhupro futhi yayiyikomkhulu lomphathi-sifundazwe, ngakho yagunyazwa njengendawo okungenziwa kuyo izinhlamvu zemali zethusi. Leli dolobha nalo lacekelwa phansi ukuzamazama komhlaba kwango-15 B.C.E., kodwa u-Augustus wakhipha izimali zokulakha kabusha, njengoba ayenzile eSalami. Ukuvubukula kuye kwabonisa ukuthi abantu abacebile basePhafu bangekhulu lokuqala babephila ngokunethezeka—kwakunezitaladi ezinkulu zasedolobheni, izindlu zezicebi ezihlotshiswe kakhulu, izikole zomculo, izindlu zemidlalo nenkundla yemidlalo yaseshashalazini.

Iyona-ke le iPhafu, leyo oPawulu, uBarnaba noJohane Marku abaya kuyo, futhi yikhona lapha lapho umphathi-sifundazwe uSergiyu Pawulu—“indoda ekhaliphile”—‘afuna khona ngobuqotho ukuzwa izwi likaNkulunkulu’ naphezu kokuphikisa okunobudlova komthakathi u-Eluma. Lo mphathi-sifundazwe ‘wakhexa ngenxa yemfundiso kaJehova.’—IzEnzo 13:6-12.

Ngemva kokuba seziwuqedile umsebenzi wazo wokushumayela eKhupro, izithunywa zevangeli zaqhubekela phambili nomsebenzi wazo e-Asia Minor. Lolo hambo lokuqala lukaPawulu njengesithunywa sevangeli lwaluyisenzakalo esibalulekile ekusakazweni kobuKristu beqiniso. Incwadi ethi St. Paul’s Journeys in the Greek Orient ilubiza ngokuthi “isiqalo sangempela somsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu . . . nesomsebenzi kaPawulu wokuba isithunywa sevangeli.” Iyanezela: “Ngenxa yokuthi iKhupro isenhlangana-ndlela yezindlela zasolwandle eziya eSiriya, e-Asia Minor, naseGrisi, yayiyindawo izithunywa zevangeli ezaziqala kuyo.” Kodwa kwakumane nje kuyisiqalo. Emakhulwini eminyaka angu-20 kamuva, lo msebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu uyaqhubeka, futhi kungashiwo ngempela ukuthi izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaJehova sezifinyelele ngokoqobo ‘ezingxenyeni eziqhele kakhulu zomhlaba.’—IzEnzo 1:8.

[Amabalazwe ekhasini 20]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

IKHUPRO

INICOSIA (ILedra)

ISalami

IPhafu

IKourion

I-Amathus

ILarnaca

IZINT. ZASEKYRENIA

ITHAFA LASEMESAORIA

IZINT. ZASETROODOS

[Isithombe ekhasini 21]

Egcwele umoya ongcwele, uPawulu wenza umthakathi u-Eluma waba impumputhe ngesikhathi esePhafu