“Kitim Lɛji” Fãa Gbɛ Daa yɛ Ŋshɔ Hiɛ

ŊSHƆNAA tai babaoo etee nɔ yɛ Mediteranea bokagbɛ. Bɔɔ mɔdɛŋ ni ofee tai nɛɛ ateŋ ekome ni tee nɔ afii 500 dani Kristo ba shikpɔŋ nɔ lɛ he mfoniri okwɛ. Lɛlɛ wulu ko ni nyɛɔ eyaa he fɛɛ he ni atsɛɔ lɛ trireme lɛ nyiɛ ŋshɔ lɛ hiɛ kɛ hewalɛ kpele. Lɛlɛ kudɔlɔi aaafee 170 ni ajara amɛmli awo kui etɛ mli kɛ amɛhewalɛ fɛɛ miiwiri lɛlɛ lɛ, ni amɛtara kooloo hewoji bɔdɔɔ anɔ kɛmiiwiri lɛlɛ lɛ.

Lɛlɛ lɛ kɛ foi fo gbɛ jɛkɛmɔ kilomitai 13 kɛmiimɔ kilomitai 17 yɛ ŋmɛlɛtswaa kome mli kɛnyiɛ ŋshɔ lɛ hiɛ kɛyanina henyɛlɔi alɛlɛ ko. Henyɛlɔi alɛlɛ lɛ bɔ mɔdɛŋ akɛ ejo foi. Yɛ fimɔ be kɛha henyɛlɔi nɛɛ mli lɛ, amɛlɛlɛ lɛ nyɛɛɛ afã kɛya ni ekoŋ kumɔ. Trireme lɛlɛ lɛ yashi henyɛlɔi alɛlɛ lɛ ni akɔɔble dade ko ni naa ba ni yɔɔ he lɛ gbu henyɛlɔi alɛlɛ lɛ. Henyɛlɔi alɛlɛ lɛ koŋ ni kumɔ kɛ hewalɛ ni ŋshɔ nu lɛ kɛbote bu ni bakã lɛlɛ lɛ he lɛ ha ŋmiŋmi mɔmɔ ekudɔlɔi lɛ. Mɛi fioo ko ni yɔɔ trireme lɛlɛ lɛ mli ni amɛwula amɛhe jogbaŋŋ kɛ tawuu nibii lɛ sha foi kɛbote henyɛlɔi alɛlɛ ni akumɔ ekoŋ lɛ mli, ni amɛyatutua amɛ. Hɛɛ, blema lɛji lɛ ekomɛi yɛ hewalɛ waa diɛŋtsɛ!

Biblia kaselɔi ená “Kitim” kɛ “Kitim lɛji” ahe saji ni atsɛ yisɛɛ yɛ woji amli, ni ekomɛi kɔɔ gbalɛi ahe lɛ ahe miishɛɛ waa. (4 Mose 24:24; Daniel 11:30; Yesaia 23:1) Nɛgbɛ kwraa no mli lɛ Kitim yɔɔ? Mɛni wɔle yɛ elɛji ahe? Ni mɛni hewɔ esa akɛ oná he miishɛɛ akɛ ooole sanebimɔi nɛɛ ahetooi lɛ?

 Yudafoi ayinɔsaneŋmalɔ Josephus tsɛ́ Kitim akɛ “Chethimos,” ni etsɔɔ akɛ ebɛŋkɛ Kipro ŋshɔkpɔ lɛ. Kɛfata he lɛ, Kition (loo Citium) maŋtiase lɛ ni yɔɔ ŋshɔkpɔ lɛ wuoyi-bokagbɛ lɛ hu haa anaa akɛ Kitim bɛŋkɛ Kipro. Akɛni Kipro kã blema jarayeli gbɛŋta ko naa, ni ebɛŋkɛ lɛji adaamɔhe ni yɔɔ Mediteranea bokagbɛ hewɔ lɛ, nibii yaa nɔ jogbaŋŋ kɛhaa maŋ lɛ. Yɛ he ni Kipro kã hewɔ lɛ, bei pii kɛ́ maji kɛ amɛhe miiwu ta lɛ, ehe bahiaa ni ekpɛ eyiŋ kɛfi afã ko sɛɛ, ni no haa ebaatsɔɔ sɛɛfilɔ ni he wa aloo henyɛlɔ kpele.

Kiprobii kɛ Ŋshɔ Lɛ

Nibii ni atsa ŋshɔ lɛ shishi ana kɛ sãi kɛ agbɛnɛ hu niŋmaai kɛ nitɛŋmɔi ni yɔɔ nibii ni ashɔ̃shɔ̃i ahe lɛ haa wɔnaa bɔ ni Kipro lɛji lɛ yɔɔ ha. Blema Kiprobii lɛ ahe esa waa kɛ lɛji afeemɔ. Amɛshɔkpɔ lɛ nɔ eyi tɔ kɛ koo hayii, ni ŋshɔ lɛ naa hi jogbaŋŋ kɛha lɛji adaamɔhei. Amɛfolɔɔ tsei kɛkpɛɔ lɛji, ni amɛkɛ eko hu shɛreɔ la kɛsereɔ akɔɔble—ni ji ojarawa tɛ ko ni ha Kipro hé gbɛi waa yɛ blema beaŋ lɛ.

Foinikebii ni to akrowai yɛ hei ni atsɔɔ kɛyahɔɔ jarayeli nibii lɛ gbala amɛjwɛŋmɔ kɛtee Kiprobii anibii ni amɛyahɔɔ yɛ maŋsɛɛ lɛ anɔ. Akrowai nɛɛ ekome ji Kition, yɛ Kipro.—Yesaia 23:10-12.

Beni akpata Tiro hiɛ lɛ, eeenyɛ efee akɛ maŋbii lɛ ateŋ mɛi komɛi yaba abo yɛ Kitim. Ekolɛ niiashikpamɔi ni Foinikebii lɛ ná yɛ wuoyaa mli lɛ ye ebua Kiprobii lɛ yɛ bɔ ni amɛkpɛɔ amɛlɛji amɛhaa lɛ mli jogbaŋŋ. He ni Kition yɔɔ lɛ hu ye ebua waa kɛbu Foinikebii alɛji ahe.

Majimaji Ateŋ Jarayeli Tee Nɔ Waa yɛ Jɛmɛ

Blema jarayeli nifeemɔi ni tee nɔ yɛ Mediteranea bokagbɛ yɛ nakai beaŋ lɛ yɛ hwanyaŋŋ. Akɛ nibii ni jara wawai woɔ lɛji amli kɛjɛɔ Kipro kɛyaa Kreta, Sardinia, kɛ Sicily kɛ agbɛnɛ hu Aegean ŋshɔkpɔi lɛ anɔ. Ana Kipro kpuji kɛ kukwɛii komɛi yɛ hei nɛɛ, ni ana Mycenaeabii (Helabii) anibii ni ashɔ̃shɔ̃i babaoo hu yɛ Kipro. Nilelɔi komɛi ni epɛi akɔɔble nibii ni ana yɛ Sardinia lɛ amli lɛ heɔ yeɔ akɛ nibii nɛɛ jɛ Kipro.

 Yɛ afi 1982 lɛ mli lɛ, ana lɛlɛ ko ni yasha shi yɛ afi 1300 D.Ŋ.B. afii lɛ anaagbee gbɛ yɛ he ko ni bɛŋkɛ Turkey wuoyigbɛ ŋshɔ lɛ naa. Nibii ni atsa ŋshɔ shishi ana lɛ jieɔ jwetrii srɔtoisrɔtoi akpo—ekomɛi ji akɔɔble nibii ni aheɔ ayeɔ akɛ ejɛ Kipro, ohɛ́, Kanaanbii akpuji, nɔkɔtsei, shwuɔ tsóji, Kanaanbii ajwinei ni akɛ shika tsuru kɛ jwiɛtɛi fee, kɛ sɛbɛi kɛ nibii krokomɛi ni jɛ Mizraim. Beni apɛi sũ ni akɛshɔ̃shɔ̃i nibii ni yɔɔ lɛlɛ lɛ mli akwɛ lɛ, mɛi komɛi tsɔɔ akɛ etamɔ nɔ ni lɛlɛ lɛ jɛ Kipro.

Miishɛɛ sane ji akɛ, Bileam tsĩ lɛji ni jɛ Kitim lɛ atã yɛ “ebɛbua” wiemɔi lɛ amli yɛ be ni eeenyɛ efee akɛ lɛlɛ nɛɛ yasha shi lɛ mli. (4 Mose 24:15, 24) Eeenyɛ efee akɛ abale Kipro lɛji lɛ jogbaŋŋ yɛ Middle East niiaŋ. No mli lɛ, te lɛji nɛɛ yɔɔ ha tɛŋŋ?

Jarayeli Lɛji

Ana lɛji ahenɔi babaoo ni akɛ sũ eshɔ̃shɔ̃i yɛ gbohiiabui amli yɛ blema maŋ ni ji Amathus ni yɔɔ Kipro lɛ mli. Enɛɛmɛi haa anaa bɔ ni Kipro lɛji lɛ yɔɔ ha diɛŋtsɛ, ni obaanyɛ ona nibii nɛɛ ekomɛi yɛ blema nibii atoohei.

Lɛji ahenɔi ni ashɔ̃shɔ̃i nɛɛ tsɔɔ akɛ, no mli lɛ eyɛ faŋŋ ákɛ akɛ blema lɛji tsuɔ nii kɛyeɔ jara yɛ toiŋjɔlɛ mli. Bei pii lɛ, lɛlɛ kudɔlɔi 20 wiriɔ lɛji bibii. Lɛji nɛɛ amli lɛɛ ni amɛmli kwɔlɔ hu, ni afee koni akɛhole jatsui kɛ gbɔmɛi ni miifã gbɛ yɛ Kipro ŋshɔ lɛ hiɛ kɛya hei ni jɛkɛɛɛ. Pliny Nukpa lɛ tsɔɔ akɛ Kiprobii lɛ fee lɛlɛ bibioo ko ni mli etsiii ni akɛ tabɔlɔ kudɔɔ ni baanyɛ ahole nibii ni tsiimɔ shɛɔ tɔn 90.

Agbɛnɛ hu, amɛyɛ jarayeli lɛji wuji tamɔ nɔ ni anaa yɛ he ni bɛŋkɛ Turkey ŋshɔ lɛ naa lɛ. Lɛji nɛɛ ekomɛi baanyɛ ahole nibii ni tsiimɔ shɛɔ tɔn 450 kɛfã gbɛ yɛ ŋshɔ hiɛ. Lɛji wuji lɛ akɛlɛmɔ baanyɛ afee mitai 30 kɛ amɛmli lɛlɛŋtsei anɔkwɔlɛ aaafee mitai 10, ni mɛi aaafee 50 sɔŋŋ kudɔɔ lɛlɛ lɛ, mɛi 25 yɛ afã kome ni mɛi 25 hu yɛ afã kroko.

“Kitim” Ta Lɛji ni Atsĩ Tã yɛ Biblia Gbalɛi Amli

Yehowa tsɔ emumɔ lɛ nɔ eha awie wiemɔi nɛɛ, akɛ: “Lɛji aaajɛ Kitim ŋshɔnaa aba, ni amɛaabahao Ashur.” (4 Mose 24:2, 24) Ani  gbalɛ nɛɛ ba mli? Mɛɛ gbɛ nɔ akɛ Kipro lɛji lɛ tsu nii kɛha gbalɛ nɛɛ mlibaa? Nakai ‘lɛji ni jɛ Kitim ŋshɔnaa’ lɛ jeee lɛji ni akɛyeɔ jara yɛ toiŋjɔlɛ mli ni nyiɛɔ Mediteranea Ŋshɔ lɛ hiɛ lɛ. Amɛji ta lɛji ni akɛhao mɛi waa.

Beni nibii ni akɛwuɔ ta lɛ tsake lɛ, atsake bɔ ni afeɔ lɛji lɛ ahaa lɛ mli koni anyɛ afee lɛji ni woɔ foi waa ni yɔɔ hewalɛ waa hu. Ekolɛ blema Kiprobii ata lɛji lɛ tamɔ lɛlɛ henɔ ko ni atɛŋ ni ayana yɛ Amathus lɛ. Eji mfoniri ko ni tsɔɔ lɛlɛ legelege kakadaŋŋ ko ni adɔ esɛɛgbɛ mli, ni etamɔ Foinikebii ata lɛlɛ. Dade ko ni naa ba kɛ tsɛ̃ŋ koklobii komɛi yɛ lɛlɛ lɛ sɛɛgbɛ biɛ kɛ biɛ, ni ekomɛi hu yɛ lɛlɛ lɛ yitsogbɛ.

Yɛ afi 700 D.Ŋ.B. afii lɛ amli lɛ, afee lɛlɛ ko ni atsɛɔ lɛ bireme (ni ji lɛji ni hiɛ tabɔlɔi enyɔ) klɛŋklɛŋ kwraa yɛ Hela. Lɛji nɛɛ akɛlɛmɔ ji mitai 24, ni amɛlɛɛmɔi ji mitai 3. Tsutsu lɛ, akɛ lɛji holeɔ tabilɔi kɛyaa he ni awuɔ ta yɛ, ni tabilɔi lɛ yawuɔ ta lɛ diɛŋtsɛ yɛ shikpɔŋ shi jeee ŋshɔ hiɛ. Etsɛɛɛ kɛkɛ ni ayɔse akɛ ehe baahia ni akɛ tabɔlɔ kome hu afata bireme lɛlɛ lɛ he koni efee etɛ, ni akɛ akɔɔble dade ko ni naa ba hu wo lɛlɛ lɛ yitsogbɛ. Abatsɛ lɛlɛ hee nɛɛ akɛ trireme, taakɛ atsĩ tã yɛ sane nɛɛ shishijee gbɛ lɛ. Lɛlɛ nɛɛ bahé gbɛi waa yɛ be mli ni Salami ta lɛ yaa nɔ (yɛ afi 480 D.Ŋ.B.) lɛ ní Helabii lɛ ye Persia nu hiɛ asraafoi lɛ anɔ kunim lɛ.

Sɛɛ mli lɛ, Alexander Kpeteŋkpele lɛ ni miitao aye maji babaoo anɔ lɛ bua trireme ta lɛji srɔtoi ni eyɔɔ lɛ anaa ni efã kɛtee bokagbɛ. Afee lɛji nɛɛ kɛha tawuu titri, shi jeee ni akɛfã gbɛ kakadaŋŋ yɛ ŋshɔ hiɛ, ejaakɛ gbɛ ni yɔɔ mli ni akɛ nibii toɔ jɛmɛ lɛ edaaa. No hewɔ lɛ, enɛ babi koni amɛkpeleke yɛ Aegean ŋshɔkpɔi lɛ anɔ kɛha amɛhiamɔ nibii kɛ lɛji lɛ asaamɔ. No mli lɛ, Alexander yiŋtoo ji akɛ ekpata Persia ta lɛji lɛ fɛɛ ahiɛ. Shi kɛ́ eeenyɛ nakai efee lɛ, no lɛ esa akɛ klɛŋklɛŋ lɛ eye Tiro ŋshɔkpɔ ni he wa waa lɛ nɔ kunim dã. Kipro ji he ko ni ebaanyɛ ejɔɔ ehe fioo yɛ jɛmɛ kɛji eeya Tiro lɛ.

Kiprobii lɛ kɛ ta lɛji komekomei 120 fi Alexander Kpeteŋkpele lɛ sɛɛ beni eyawo Tiro he ka (yɛ afi 332 D.Ŋ.B.) lɛ. Kiprobii amaŋtsɛmɛi etɛ nyiɛ ta lɛji srɔtoi ahiɛ ni amɛyaye amɛbua Alexander. Amɛfata he ni awo Tiro he ka nyɔji kpawo sɔŋŋ. Aye Tiro nɔ kunim, ni eha Biblia mli gbalɛ ba mli. (Ezekiel 26:3, 4; Zakaria 9:3, 4) Alexander ha Kipro maŋtsɛmɛi lɛ hegbɛi krɛdɛɛi komɛi, ni ekɛtsɔɔ akɛ ehiɛ esɔ amɛsɛɛfimɔ lɛ.

Mlibaa ko ni Sa Kadimɔ Waa

Klɛŋklɛŋ afii 100 lɛ mli yinɔsaneŋmalɔ Strabo tsɔɔ akɛ, Alexander to gbɛjianɔ ni akɛ lɛji jɛ Kipro kɛ Foinike kɛbaha lɛ, ni ekɛfã ta eshi Arabia. Akɛni lɛji nɛɛ amli etsiii ni ewaaa akɛ aaagbɛ́lɛ amɛmli ni asaa hewɔ lɛ, amɛkɛ gbii kpawo pɛ yashɛ Thapsacus (Tiphsah) yɛ Siria kooyigbɛ. (1 Maŋtsɛmɛi 4:24) Kɛjɛ jɛmɛ lɛ, amɛnyɛ amɛtsɔ nu hiɛ kɛtee Babilon.

No hewɔ lɛ, wiemɔ ko ni yɔɔ Biblia lɛ mli ni etamɔ nɔ ni enyɛŋ mli eba lɛ ná emlibaa yɛ gbɛ ni sa kadimɔ waa nɔ aaafee afii akpe sɛɛ! Yɛ wiemɔi ni yɔɔ 4 Mose 24:24 lɛ kɛ gbeekpamɔ naa lɛ, Alexander Kpeteŋkpele ta lɛji lɛ kɛ ekãa fã kɛjɛ Makedonia kɛtee bokagbɛ ni eyaye Ashur nɔ kunim, ni naagbee lɛ eye Medo-Persia Nɔyeli ni he wa lɛ hu nɔ kunim.

“Kitim lɛji” lɛ ahe saji fioo po ni wɔle lɛ haa wɔnaa akɛ Biblia mli gbalɛ baa mli yɛ gbɛ ni haa mɔ he jɔ̃ɔ lɛ nɔ. Yinɔsane mli odaseyelii ni tamɔ nɛkɛ lɛ woɔ hekɛnɔfɔɔ ni wɔyɔɔ akɛ wɔbaanyɛ wɔkɛ wɔhe afɔ̃ Biblia mli gbalɛi lɛ anɔ kwraa lɛ mli hewalɛ. Gbalɛi nɛɛ ateŋ babaoo kɔɔ wɔwɔsɛɛ be he diɛŋtsɛ, no hewɔ lɛ esa akɛ wɔkɛ hiɛdɔɔ asusu amɛhe.

[Shikpɔŋ he mfoniri ni yɔɔ baafa 16, 17]

(Kɛ́ ootao ona bɔ ni saji nɛɛ ji diɛŋtsɛ lɛ, no lɛ kwɛmɔ wolo lɛ mli)

ITALIA

Sardinia

Sicily

Aegean Ŋshɔ

HELA

Kreta

LIBIA

TURKEY

KIPRO

Kition

Tiro

MIZRAIM

[Mfoniri ni yɔɔ baafa 16]

Hela ta lɛlɛ ko he mfoniri, atsɛɔ lɛ “trireme”

[He ni Sane lɛ Jɛ]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Mfoniri ni yɔɔ baafa 17]

Blema Foinikebii lɛ ata lɛlɛ ko he mfoniri, atsɛɔ lɛ “bireme”

[He ni Sane lɛ Jɛ]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Mfoniri ni yɔɔ baafa 17]

Kukwɛi ko ni atɛŋ Kiprobii alɛlɛ yɛ he

[He ni Sane lɛ Jɛ]

Published by permission of the Director of Antiquities and the Cyprus Museum

[Mfoniri ni yɔɔ baafa 18]

Blema lɛji ni akɛwoɔ jatsu, amɛtamɔ lɛji ni atsĩ tã yɛ Yesaia 60:9 lɛ