Zviono zvomuNyika Yakapikirwa

Gerasa—Kwakasangana muJudha nomuGiriki

MUAPOSTORA Pauro akanyora kuti pakati pembeu yechokwadi yaAbrahama, “hakuchina muJudha kana muGiriki.” (VaGaratia 3:26-29) Hungu, mugariro worudzi kana kuti tsika zvaisakosha kana toreva nezvokugamuchira kwaMwari.

Mashoko iwayo angave akaratidzika kuva akakodzera nokuda kwamaKristu akapararira kupota ruwa rweRoma, zvakadai somuruwa rweGaratia, uko kwaiva nokuvhengana kwavaJudha, vaGiriki, vaRoma, uye marudzi omunzvimbomo. Asi zvakadiniko namativi eIsraeri imene, akadai seGireadhi?

Nharaunda iyoyo iri kumabvazuva kwaJoridhani, pakati peGungwa (Rakafa) roMunyu neGungwa reGarirea. Panenge pakati peiyi nzvimbo yakakwirira yakaibvira, Rwizi rwaJabbok runodira muna Joridhani. Mufanikiso uri pamusoro apa unoratidza mamwe amatongo anoorora eGerasa, zvino inonzi Jerash, iri pedyo neJabbok yokumusoro.

Nzira inofambwa navatengesi yakare inoenda kuchamhembe nokumaodzanyemba yainzi “nzira huru yamambo” yaigura Gireadhi. Pakubva Harani, Jakobho nemhuri yake sezviri pachena vakafamba vachidzika nenzira iyoyi kuenda Jabbok. Iye akaita matsimba nengirozi ndokusangana naEsau pedyo neapo Gerasa yaizovakwa. (Genesi 31:17-25, 45-47; 32:22-30; 33:1-17) Panguva yapashure, vaIsraeri vakatama kubva kumaodzanyemba vachikwira nenzira yamambo pakuenda vakananga kuNyika Yakapikirwa. Marudzi maviri nehafu akagara kuchamhembe nokumaodzanyemba kweJabbok munzira inofambwa navatengesi.—Numeri 20:17; Dheuteronomio 2:26, 27.

VaGiriki vakabatanidzwa muiyi nharaunda here, uye kana zvakadaro, seiko? Hungu, vakadaro apo Alexander Mukuru akakurira nharaunda yacho. Mukuwirirana negamuchidzanwa, iye akatanga Gerasa nokuda kwavarwi vane ruzivo rwokuzviwanira veuto rake. Zvishoma nezvishoma, pesvedzero yeGirisi yakava yakasanosimba. Gumi amaguta enyika yacho kumabvazuva kweJoridhani neGungwa reGarirea akaumba mubatanidzwa unozivikanwa seDhekapori. Ungave wakacherekedza zita iroro muBhaibheri, iro rinoshuma kuti “vanhu vazhinji-zhinji vaibva Garirea, neDhekapori, neJerusarema, neJudhea, nemhiri kwaJoridhani vakamutevera [Jesu].” Gerasa rakanga riri rimwe ramaguta eDhekapori.—Mateo 4:25.

‘Rwakanga rwuri rutivi rwerongedzero yaAlexander kupinza vanhu vechiGiriki mumativi ose oumambo. Siria yezasi [kubatanidza Dhekapori], zvikurukuru, seimwe yenzvimbo huru, yakagamuchira boka guru rechiverengero chavagari vemo vechiGiriki. Kusvikira kuzuva rino hakuna rutivi rwenyika yokumabvazuva runogona kuratidza matongo echiGiriki akawanda kwazvo neakadaro senyika iri kumabvazuva kweJoridhani. Maguta echiGiriki akaratidzira, nechapamusoro, kutangwa kwakakwana kwamasangano echiGiriki netsika—tembere dzakaisvonaka kuna vamwari navamwarikadzi vechiGiriki, imba yemitambo yokurovedza muviri, mokugezera mavose, kuchengetwa kwegore negore kwemitambo, uye mune zvinoitika zvakawanda zvikoro zvouzivi nedzidzo.’—Hellenism, rakanyorwa naNorman Bentwich.

Kana ukashanyira matongo eGerasa, uchawana chibvumikiso chikuru chaikoko. Pedyo nepanopindwa napo pokumaodzanyemba, pane nzvimbo yokutengesera yakatenderera, kana kuti musika wavose, unooneka mumufanikiso. Sezvingabvira uchashamiswa nemokugezera, tembere, imba dzemitambo, uye zvivako zvavose, zvakawanda zvazvo zvakabatanidzwa nemigwagwa yakacherwa yakarongwa nezvikamu. Kunze kweguta racho, unogona kuona mabwe anoratidza mamaira kana kuti zviratidziro mumugwagwa wakare waibatanidza Gerasa namamwe maguta eDhekapori uye kuenda kuzviteshi zvengarava zveMediterranean.

Kunyange pashure pokunge Roma yatora Gerasa muna 63 P.N.V., pesvedzero yavaGiriki yakapfuurira. Unogona kufungidzira kuti iyi pesvedzero yaigona sei kupesvedzera vaJudha vaigara muGerasa nenharaunda yacho. Bhuku rinonzi Hellenism rinoti: “Zvishoma nezvishoma asi zvirokwazvo vaJudha vakavamba kupinza mifungo yorudzidziso yavanhu pamusoro pavo, uye kutarira Magwaro mupesvedzero yemifungo iyoyo.”

Nepo Jesu angave asina kuparidzira muguta racho, iye akapinda muruwa rweGerasa, urwo rungave rwakasvika kuGungwa reGarirea. Iye akabudisa madhemoni mumunhu muruwa irworwo, achiabvumira kupinda munguruve. (Marko 5:1-17) Sezvingabvira, vadzidzi vake vapakuvamba vakaparidzira kuvaJudha mumaguta eDhekapori, uye pashure pa 36 N.V., mashoko akanaka aigona kugoveranwa navaGiriki muGerasa. Kana munhu anogamuchira chiKristu akanga ari mushandisi ane rumano wechiJudha, muJudha akatendeudzirwa kuchiGiriki, kana kuti muGiriki, iye aigona kugamuchirwa naMwari wechokwadi sorutivi rwembeu yomudzimu yaAbrahama.

[Mepu iri papeji 24]

(Kana uchida mashoko azere, ona bhuku racho)

Dion

Gerasa (Jarash)

Philadelphia (Rabbah)

King’s Road

Salt Sea

Jerusalem

Jordan

Jabbok

Pella

Scythopolis (Beth-shean)

Gadara

Sea of Galilee

[Kwazvakatorwa]

Based on a map copyrighted by Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est. and Survey of Israel.

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 24]

Mufanikiso uri pamusoro apa muhombe mu 1992 Karenda reZvapupu zvaJehovha.

[Kwazvakatorwa]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Vakatipa Mufananidzo uri papeji 25]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.