Lionel Casson, uyo aiva nyanzvi yekuongorora ngarava dzekare, akatsanangura kuti vavaki vengarava vemunguva dzaitonga umambo hweRoma vaiita sei pavaipedza kunama munzvimbo dzaibatana mapuranga engarava dzavo. Zvainge zvakajairika kuti “vaname panosangana mapuranga kana kuti kunama kunze kwese nenamo inonzi bhitumini kana kuti nebhitumini yakasanganiswa newax, uye vaivhara mukati mose nebhitumini.” Kare nguva yevaRoma isati yasvika, vanhu vekuAkkad nevaBhabhironi vaishandisawo bhitumini kuti ngarava dzavo dzisapinda mvura.

Magwaro echiHebheru anotaurawo nezvekushandiswa kwenzira yakafanana pana Genesisi 6:14. Zviri pachena kuti shoko rechiHebheru rakashandurwa kuti “tara” pandima iyi riri kutaura nezvenamo inongonyuka yoga inonzi bhitumini, inobva mupetroleum.

Bhitumini iyi inogona kunge yakaita mvura-mvura kana kuti yakagwamba. Vavaki vengarava vekare vaishandisa yakaita mvura-mvura. Vaigona kungoinamisa ngarava dzavo isina zvimwe zvayaitwa. Bhitumini yacho yaibva yangooma, zvoita kuti mvura isapinda mungarava.

Bhitumini yainge yakawanda chaizvo munyika dzinotaurwa muBhaibheri. Bani reSidhimu, riri munharaunda yeGungwa Rakafa, “rakanga rakazara nemakomba ebhitumini.”—Genesisi 14:10.

Hove dzava nenguva refu dzichidyiwa uye dzichikosheswa. Vamwe vevaapostora vaJesu vaimbova vabati vehove muGungwa reGarireya vasati vatanga kufamba naye. (Mateu 4:18-22) Hapana mubvunzo kuti dzimwe hove dzaibatwa ikoko dzainogadzirwa mu“mafekitari” aiva pedyo.

Nzira ingangodaro yaishandiswa muGarireya yekare kuti hove dzisaora ndiyo ichiri kushandiswa mune dzimwe nzvimbo. Hove dzinotanga kutumburwa, dzogezwa mumvura. Bhuku rinonzi Studies in Ancient Technology rinorondedzera zvinozoitwa richiti: “Munyu wemagodo unobva wazorwa madzinofema namo, mumukanwa uye mumakwande. Dzimwe hove nemunyu zvinoiswa pamusoro pedzokutanga, zvovharwa nemashizha akasonanidzwa. Dzinozogara dzakadaro kwemazuva 3 kusvika ku5, dzopindurudzwa, dzopedzazve mazuva akafanana dzakadaro. Padzinenge dzichiomeswa seizvi, mvura inobuda uye hove dzinonyatsonwirira munyu. Kana dzaomeswa seizvi, hadzizotyoki-tyoki.”

Hazvizivikanwi kuti hove dzaizogara kwenguva yakareba sei kana dzaomeswa seizvi. Asi pfungwa yokuti vaIjipiti vekare vaitengesera Siriya hove dzavaiomesa inoratidza kuti nzira dzavaishandisa dzaibudirira.