BANTU banji balizyi kuti ntumbu ncecibelesyo cakulembela ncobakali kubelesya kapati mu Egepita yansiku. Ba Giriki abana Roma abalo bakali kulembela antumbu. * Pele mbasyoonto ibazyi kuti ntumbu zyakali kubelesyegwa akupanga mato.

Myaka iinda ku 2,500 yainda, musinsimi Isaya wakalemba kuti bantu ibakali kukkala “mucooko camilonga yaku Etiopiya” bakatuma “batumwa aalwizi, mumato aantumbu atala aamaanzi manji.” Kumbele, musinsimi Jeremiya wakasinsima kuti munzi wa Babuloni waakusaalwa abana Medi a Persia, bakali kuyoowumpa “mato aantumbu” aabana Babuloni kutegwa batatiji.—Is. 18:1, 2; Jer. 51:32.

Bbaibbele lyakasololelwa a Leza, aboobo tacibagambyi basikwiiya Bbaibbele kuti zintu zyakavwukkulwa zitondezya kuti kaindi ntumbu zyakali kubelesyegwa ncobeni kupanga mato. (2Tim. 3:16) Ino ncinzi cakajanwa? Basikuvwukkula zyakaindi bakajana bumboni ibutondezya kuti mato aantumbu akali kupangwa mu Egepita.

Muzyuumbwe zyamu Egepita, kwakali zintu zyakapentedwe alimwi akuzekaulwa kubwaanda izitondezya bantu mbobakali kuzijana ntumbu alimwi akuzibelesya kupanga mato. Bantu bakali kutema ntumbu, kuzyaanga mutulwi mpoonya akutwaanga tulwi ooto antoomwe. Zisiko zyantumbu zijisi makkona otatwe. Aboobo ciindi nozyakali kwaangwa antoomwe, zilwi zyakali kujatana akuyuma kapati. Kweelana abbuku litegwa A Companion to Ancient Egypt, mato aantumbu akali kukonzya kulampa mamita aayinda ku 17, alimwi abusena bukkwana zyakukwasuzya mato zili 10 naa 12.

Ntumbu zyakali kujanika kapati mu Kkuti lya Nile. Alimwi buya, cakali cuuba-uba kapati kupanga mato aantumbu. Nociba ciindi mapulanga naakatalika kubelesyegwa kapati kupanga mato mapati, kulibonya kuti bazubi banswi alimwi abavwimi bakazumanana kubelesya tukwepe alimwi amato masyoonto aantumbu.

Kwamyaka minji, bantu bakazumanana kubelesya mato aantumbu. Kweelana amulembi muna Giriki Plutarch, iwakapona akati kamwaanda wamyaka wakusaanguna alimwi awabili C.E., zikwepe zyantumbu zyakalizyibidwe kuli basikubala kuciindi ncaakali kupona.