WANA muka munahase kuhana mutu wamulemu? Kushikulu, vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza vyapwilenga vyavilemu chikuma ngana mwaulu, ngocho vavihanyinenga namwangana kupwa wana. * Echi chikiko chalingishile vaze vaka-kutahisa vatanganyika vahane wana wavyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza kuli “mwangana wavaYuleya.”—Mateu 2:1, 2, 11.

Mbimbiliya yahanjika nawa ngwayo mwangana waSheva ayile nakumeneka Solomone, kaha “amuhanyine mwangana jitalende jaulu likulukaji namakumi avali, navyuma vyamavumba amwaza vyavivulu chikuma, namalolwa andando yayikalu. Kakwapwile cheka vyuma vyamavumba amwaza nge vize ahanyine mwangana waSheva kuli mwangana Solomoneko.” * (Mijimbu 2, 9:9) Vamyangana veka nawa vatuminyine Solomone vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza chipwe ngwetu maji ambalasamu mwomwo yakumwivwila kuwaha.—Mijimbu 2, 9:23, 24.

Mwomwo ika vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza navyuma vyeka vyakufwana ngana vyapwililile vyavilemu kaha nawa vyandando chikuma kushikulu? Mwomwo vavizachishilenga milimo yayilemu chikuma yakufwana nge kuwahisa mijimba, nakumilimo yamukwitava, nakuvivimbi. (Talenu lipwata lyakwamba ngwavo, “ Jijila Vazachishililengamo Vyuma Vyalivumba Lyamwaza Kushikulu.”) Kaha nawa vyapwilenga nandando chikuma mwomwo vyafuminenga kwakusuku.

Kushikulu, mitondo yimwe yavyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza yasokelenga muChinema chaYotau. Oloze miyachi yimwe yavyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza yafuminenga kumafuchi eka. MuMbimbiliya vavulukamo miyachi yakulisezaseza yavyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza. Vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza vize vatachikiza chikuma vatu shina loza, namilowe, nambalasamu, nakinamone, nalavona, namila. Kapwile nawa vimwe vyakuhaka havyakulya vyakufwana nge kumine, nalwenyi, namuseki.

Uno vyuma kanevi vyafuminenga kulihi? Malowe, nakasha, nakinamone vyafuminenga kumafuchi vali nakuvuluka oholili ngwavo China, naIndia, naSri Lanka. Vyeka vyakufwana nge mila nalavona vyasokelenga kumitondo nakuviputa vyamumakundu akusulo yaAlavya nakuSomalia muAfrica. Nalatu yafuminenga kaha kuHimalayas kuIndia.

Vatu vavatasanyinenga likundu lyaAlavya hakutwala vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza kuIsalele. Ngocho mukanda umwe walumbununa ngwawo, mulikombakaji lyamyaka lyakulivanga nalyeli lyamuchivali B.C.E., lifuchi lyaAlavya likiko “lyasekanyinenga chikuma nakutwala vyuma kumafuchi akumututuko nakumulauko.” (The Book of Spices) Vaka-kusekasana vaze valanjishilenga vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza kakavulu vatulililenga mujimbongi, namuvihela vyeka  vyamuNengeve kusulo yaIsalele. Liuka limwe lyahanjikile ngwalyo vatu vakuvihela kana “vanganyalilenga chikuma . . . hakulanda vyuma kusulo yaAlavya nakuvitwala kuMendetelenya.”—World Heritage Centre of UNESCO

Vyendo vyavatu vaze vambachilenga vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza vatambukilenga jitunda jajikilomita kafwe 1,800 hakuvatasana likundu lyaAlavya. (Yopa 6:19) Mbimbiliya yavuluka chendo chavaka-kusekasana chavaIshimele vaze vambachile vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza vyakufwana nge “shitolake, nambalasamu, nalatanume” kufuma kuNgileyate nakutwala kuEjipitu. (Kuputuka 37:25) Vana vaYakova valanjishile ndumbwavo Yosefwe kuli ava vaka-kusekasana.

Vaka-kusekasana vamuAlavya vakiko vazachilenga chikuma mulimo wakulanjisa vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza hamyaka yayivulu. Vakiko kaha valanjishilenga vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza vyakuAsia vyakufwana nge kasha nakinamone. Hakusaka vahonese vakwavo vakuMendetelenya kuya nakulanda vyuma kana kumafuchi akumututuko, vaAlavya vevwishilenga vakwavo woma hakwambulula mijimbu yamakuli yakuvuluka jiponde jeji kusolokanga hakuya nakulanda vyuma kana. Mukanda umwe wahanjika ngwawo vatu “vaswekelele vakwavo hamyaka yayivulu” okwo valanjilenga vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza.—The Book of Spices

Mijimbu muka yamakuli vatanjishile? Herodotus, uze asonekelenga mijimbu yakunyima yachiHelase mulikulukaji lyamyaka lyakusokesa 5 B.C.E., alumbunwine ngwenyi vaAlavya valyongelenga ngwavo kuchihela veji kuyanga nakumbata vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza kwatwama tujila vakutenuka chikuma vaze vatungilenga maswa kuzachisa vyula vyakinamone. Vambilenga ngwavo maswa kana vawatungililenga hajipili jajisuku chikuma. Ou mutu asonekele ngwenyi  hakusaka vatu vambate yize kinamone, vahakilenga jitumba janyama kwishi yajipili kana. Kahomu tujila vamwenenga yize nyama, vafuminenga mumaswa avo nakwiza nakuyimbata nakutwala mumaswa avo. Ngocho maswa alemenenenga nanyama nakuholokela hamavu. Hahaze vene, vatu vambachilenga yize kinamone nakuya nakuyilanjisa kuli vaka-kusekasana. Mijimbu kana yatanjile chikuma. Ngocho mukanda umwe wahanjika ngwawo vatu “valanjishilenga kinamone handando yayinene chikuma mwomwo yakulyonga ngwavo vahakilenga myono yavo muponde hakuyimbata.”—The Book of Spices

Kutwala muze, makuli avaAlavya vawasopolwele, ngocho kusekasana chavo chahilukile munyima. Kuheta mulikulukaji lyamyaka lyakulivanga B.C.E., munganda yaAlekesandelya muEjipitu mukiko jino vasekasanyinenga chikuma vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza. Omu vaka-kutambukisa mato vatachikijile lwola lwamwaza lwakutambuka hakalungalwiji waIndia, vafuminenga kuEjipitu namato akuLoma nakuya kuIndia. Kutwala muze, vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza vyalisalile chikuma, kaha nandando yaholokele.

Makumbi ano, vyuma vyalivumba lyamwaza kavavimona jino kupwa vyavilemu chikuma ngana mwauluko. Ngocho oholyapwa kacheshi kupwa chakutamo kuhana mwangana vyuma kanako. Chipwe ngocho, vatu vavavulu mwahita kaye kosena vachili nakuzachisa vyuma kana hakutunga maji alivumba lyamwaza navitumbo. Vimwe veji kuvihakanga havyakulya mangana viyeme. Hakuwana nge vyuma kana vyatwama nalivumba lyamwaza, ngocho vachili nakuvizachisa lika ngana muze chapwile kunyima.