Guwa la Nsembe la Mulungu Wosadziŵika

CHA m’ma 50 C.E., mtumwi Paulo anakacheza mumzinda wa Atene, ku Girisi. Kumeneko, anaona guwa la nsembe lomwe anthu analipatulira kwa mulungu wosadziŵika. Kenako, iye anatchula guwa limenelo pamene ankalalikira za Yehova.

Paulo poyamba ulaliki wake pa Phiri la Mars kapena kuti Areopagi, anati: “Amuna inu a Atene, m’zinthu zonse ndiona kuti muli akupembedzetsa. Pakuti popita, ndi kuona zinthu zimene muzipembedza, ndipezanso guwa la nsembe lolembedwa potere, Kwa Mulungu Wosadziŵika. Chimene muchipembedza osachidziŵa, chimenecho ndichilalikira kwa inu.”​—Machitidwe 17:22-31.

Ngakhale kuti guwa la Aatene limenelo silinapezeke, maguwa ofanana ndi limenelo analiko m’madera ena a ku Girisi. Mwachitsanzo, Pausanias yemwe anali katswiri wa malo m’zaka za m’ma 100 C.E., anatchula maguwa a nsembe a “milungu Yotchedwa Yosadziŵika” ku Phaleron, kufupi ndi ku Atene. (Description of Greece, Attica I, 4) Buku lomweli limanena kuti, ku Olympia kunali “guwa la nsembe la milungu Yosadziŵika.”​—Eleia I, XIV, 8.

M’buku lake lakuti The Life of Apollonius of Tyana (VI, III), Philostratus, Mgiriki wolemba nkhani (amene anakhalako cha ku ma 170 mpaka 245 C.E.) ananena kuti, ku Atene anthu “amamanga maguwa a nsembe pofuna kulemekeza milungu ngakhale yosadziŵika.” Ndipo m’buku lakuti Lives of Philosophers, (1.110) Diogenes Laertius, (amene anakhalako cha ku ma 200 mpaka 250 C.E.) analemba kuti, “maguwa a nsembe opanda mayina” ankapezeka m’madera osiyanasiyana a ku Atene.

Aroma nawonso ankamangira milungu yopanda mayina maguwa a nsembe. Guwa lomwe tasonyeza pano ndi la m’zaka za zana loyamba ndi lachiŵiri B.C.E. ndipo lili m’nyumba yosungiramo zinthu zakale zochititsa chidwi ya Palatine Antiquarium ku Rome, m’dziko la Italy. Mawu a m’Chilatini amene ali paguwali akusonyeza kuti analipatulira kwa “mulungu wamwamuna kapena wamkazi”​—mawu amene “amapezeka m’mapemphero kapena m’mawu opatulira chinachake, kaya ochita kugoba kapena kulemba m’mabuku.”

Anthu ambiri sakumudziŵabe “Mulungu amene analenga dziko lapansi ndi zonse zili momwemo.” Koma Paulo anauza Aatene kuti Mulungu ameneyu​—Yehova​—“sakhala patali ndi yense wa ife.”​—Machitidwe 17:24, 27.

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 32]

Guwa la nsembe: Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma