BIBONEKA ko kuva kera na rindi, abakenyezi bamye bitaho cane ivyo kwiryohora. Amashusho yo ku mva za kera, ibicapo vyo ku mpome be n’amashusho agizwe n’utuntu bagiye baraterateranya, vyose birerekana ko ivyo kwisiga vyagirwa n’abantu benshi mu Misiri no muri Mezopotamiya ya kera. Harabonetse amashusho yariko Abanyamisirikazi bisize cane amarangi ku maso ku buryo amaso yabo amera nk’umuzingi w’irigi; ukwo kuntu Abanyamisirikazi bikora, hariho abantu babikunze cane.

Tuvuge iki ku bijanye n’Abisirayeli? Abisirayelikazi ba kera boba barisiga? Nimba barabigira, bisiga ibiki? Ni ivy’ukuri yuko ata mashusho yo ku mva canke ibicapo vyo ku mpome vyubuwe muri Isirayeli ya kera umuntu yomenyerako ivy’ico kibazo. Mugabo inkuru zimwezimwe zo muri Bibiliya hamwe n’ibintu vy’utugenegene vyacukuwe mu turere tuvugwa muri Bibiliya biraduha iciyumviro gitoyi c’ukuntu abantu bo mu bihe vya Bibiliya bakoresha ivyo kwisiga.

Hari ibintu bitari bike bifitaniye isano no kwisiga be no kwimotesha vyazukuruwe mu gihugu cose ca Isirayeli. Muri ivyo bintu bubuye hari harimwo udusahani dupfukuye n’utudapfukuye tubajwe mw’ibuye twakoreshwa mu gusya no mu kuvanga ivyo kwisiga; hari harimwo n’uducupa tureture tujamwo utuntu two kwimotesha, udukarabo tw’amavuta ya alabasitironi, be n’ivyirore vyo mu maboko bikozwe mu mujumpu unoye. Barubuye n’akayiko gakozwe mu masenge, ku ruhande rumwe rw’aho bafata kakaba kari gashishimuweko amashami y’ibigazi, ku rundi na ho kariko umutwe w’umugore ukikujwe n’utunuma.

Biboneka ko abatunzi benshi bashira ivyo kwisiga mu biruka bisharije. Mu Misiri no mu bibanza vy’i Kanani harubuwe utuyiko dutoduto twakoreshwa mu vyo kwisiga dukozwe mu masenge canke mu giti, tumwetumwe muri utwo tukaba twari dufise imero y’umwigeme ariko aroga mu mazi be n’izindi mero zihinguye mu buryo buhanitse. Ivyo bimenyamenya vyose birerekana ko abagore b’ico gihe bakoresha cane ivyo kwisiga.

Bibiliya ivuga ko umwe mu bakobwa ba Yobu yitwa “Kereni-hapuki.” Mu giheburayo, iryo zina rishobora gusobanura ngo “Ihembe rigenewe irangi ryirabura (ryo gusiga ku maso),” ni ukuvuga agakoresho canke agasandugu babikamwo ivyo kwikora, kumbure bakaba bakabikamwo agafu ko kwirabuza ku maso. (Yobu 42:14) Iryo zina rishobora kuba ryashaka kwerekana ubwiza yari afise muri rusangi, ariko kandi risa n’iryerekana ko abantu b’ico gihe bari bazi ivyo kwisiga.

Biri n’ico bivuze kubona igihe cose Bibiliya ivuze ivyo kwisiga irangi ku maso iba iriko ivuga abagore  bazwi nabi, nk’akarorero wa mwamikazi w’umunyamayeri Yezebeli be na Yeruzalemu yahemutse, iyo umuhanuzi Yeremiya na Ezekiyeli bagereranije n’umumaraya. (2 Abami 9:30; Yeremiya 4:30; Ezekiyeli 23:40) Umuntu afatiye kuri ivyo bintu umuyoro bazukuruye bigizwe n’ivyirore be n’udusandugu duhinguwe mu mabuye turimwo udukoresho two gusigisha agafu ko kwirabuza ku maso, aca abona neza ko abakenyezi benshi bo muri isirayeli yari yarahemutse, na canecane abo mu muryango wa cami be n’abatunzi, bari basigaye bigana abapagani mu kwikora birenze urugero bakoresheje ako gafu be n’ivyo kwisiga vy’ubundi bwoko.

Kuva kera na rindi, muri Isirayeli bamye bahingura bakongera bagakoresha ibintu vyo kumotesha bikozwe mu mavuta y’umwelayo. Igitabu co muri Bibiliya citwa Kuvayo kirerekana ukuntu hahingurwa amavuta meranda amota neza abaherezi bakoresha ku rusengero. Rwari uruvange rw’igiti c’umudarasini, imira be n’ibindi biterwa bimota. (Kuvayo 30:22-25) Abacukuzi b’ivya kera barubuye i Yeruzalemu ikibanza biyumvira ko mu kinjana ca mbere G.C. (G.C. bisobanura “mu Gihe Cacu”) ari co cahingurirwamwo ibintu vyo kumotesha be n’imibavu vyakoreshwa ku rusengero.  Muri Bibiliya hariho imirongo myinshi ivuga ivyerekeye amavuta amota neza yakoreshwa mu bikorwa vyeranda no mu buzima bwa misi yose.​—2 Ngoma 16:14; Luka 7:37-46; 23:56.

Kubera ko muri ico gice c’isi bitari vyoroshe kuronka amazi, amavuta amota yarafasha mu bijanye n’isuku rya misi yose. Amavuta ntibayisiga gusa kugira ngo bakingire urukoba mu gihe c’ubushuhe, ariko kandi bayakoresha kugira ngo biryohore. (Rusi 3:3; 2 Samweli 12:20) Imbere y’uko wa mwigeme w’Umuyudakazi Esiteri arenguka imbere y’Umwami Ahasuwerusi, yabanje kumara amezi 6 asigwa amavuta y’imira, hanyuma amara yandi 6 asigwa amavuta y’umusomozo.​—Esiteri 2:12.

Ibintu vyo kumotesha be n’amavuta amota neza vyari bifise agaciro nk’inzahabu n’ifeza. Igihe wa mwamikazi w’i Sheba yagira urugendo rurerure agiye kuraba Umwami Salomo, mu ngabirano yazanye harimwo inzahabu, amabuye y’agaciro n’amavuta y’umusomozo. (1 Abami 10:2, 10) Igihe Umwami Hezekiya yereka intumwa zavuye i Babiloni itunga ry’inzu yiwe, yaraberetse aryohewe cane “amavuta y’umusomozo n’amavuta meza,” ayabereka ari kumwe n’ifeza, inzahabu n’ububiko bw’ibirwanisho vyiwe vyose.​—Yesaya 39:1, 2.

Amavuta bakura mu mashurwe atandukanye, ivyamwa, amababi, ibirirarira vy’ibiti canke ibishishwa vy’ibiti wasanga ari make cane. Bibiliya iravuga amazina y’ibintu bimota bitari bike vyava mu biterwa; amwe muri ayo mazina ni: umubazibazi, umusomozo, budeliyo, ikibingo kimota neza, umubagabaga, umudarasini, imibavu ya olibani, imira, izafarani na narada. Bimwe muri ivyo vyari kavukire, bikaba vyaboneka mu Mwonga wa Yorodani. Ibindi na vyo vyakurwa mu Buhindi, mu Bumanuko bwa Arabiya, n’ahandi, bigaca mu nzira zari zizwi cane bacishamwo imibavu.

Nk’uko twamaze kubibona, amavuta y’umusomozo aravugwa mu nkuru zo muri Bibiliya zivuga ivyerekeye Umwamikazi Esiteri, umwamikazi w’i Sheba n’Umwami Hezekiya. Mu 1988, hari agakarabo k’amavuta kubuwe mw’isenga hafi y’ahitwa Qumrân, ku nkengera yo mu burengero y’Ikiyaga c’Umunyu. Nya gakarabo karavyuye ibibazo vyinshi. Amavuta karimwo yoba yari ya mavuta y’umusomozo yavugangwa cane? Yoba yari yo mavuta ya nyuma y’umusomozo? Abashakashatsi ntibararonka inyishu itomoye y’ivyo bibazo. Gushika n’uyu musi, abarimyi baracagerageza gusubizaho imirima yahoze ivugangwa cane y’ibiterwa vyavamwo amavuta y’umusomozo.

Hariho ibimenyamenya bisa n’ivyerekana yuko ibiterwa vyavamwo amavuta y’umusomozo avugwa muri Bibiliya vyarimwa hafi y’i Eni-gedi. Abacukuzi b’ivya kera barubuye amafuru, udukarabo, n’ibindi bintu bitandukanye bikozwe mu vyuma no mu magufa vyo mu kinjana ca gatandatu B.G.C. (B.G.C. bisobanura “imbere y’igihe cacu”). Ivyo bintu bubuye birasa n’ivyakoreshwa mu tundi turere mu guhingura ibintu vyo kumotesha. Abahinga benshi biyumvira yuko agati k’amavuta y’umusomozo kakomotse muri Arabiya canke muri Afrika. Ayo mavuta amota yahingurwa mu mazi avuye muri ico giterwa. Amavuta y’umusomozo yari afise agaciro kanini cane ku buryo ubuhinga bwo kurima ico giterwa no kugihinguramwo amavuta bwagirwa ibanga.

Amavuta y’umusomozo yaranakoreshwa mu kurondera inyungu za politike. Nk’akarorero, nk’uko bivugwa na Josèphe umuhinga mu vya kahise, umunyapolitike w’Umuroma yitwa Marc Antoine yarironkeje umurima wose w’ibiterwa vyavamwo ayo mavuta aca abigabira umwamikazi wo mu Misiri yitwa Cléopâtre. Umuhinga mu vya kahise w’Umuroma yitwa Pline yavuze yuko mu Ntambara y’Abayuda yabaye mu kinjana ca mbere G.C., abarwanyi b’Abayuda bagerageje guturira imirima yose y’ibiterwa vyavamwo amavuta y’umusomozo kugira ngo Abaroma nibabatsinda ntibayigarurire.

Turavye ivyo Bibiliya ivuga n’ivyo abacukuzi b’ivya kera bubuye, turashobora kugira iciyumviro gitoyi c’ukuntu abantu bo mu bihe vya Bibiliya bakoresha ivyo kwisiga. Bibiliya ntibuza kwisiga canke kwishariza, ahubwo ishimika ku vy’uko bikwiye kugirwa mu rupfasoni no mu kurorana kw’umuzirikanyi. (1 Timoteyo 2:9) Intumwa Petero yarerekanye yuko igifise “agaciro kanini mu maso y’Imana” ari “umutima utekereje kandi witonda.” Turavye ukuntu imideri igenda irahindagurika, nta gukeka ko iyo ari impanuro nziza cane ku bakobwa be n’abakenyezi bakirisu.​—1 Petero 3:3, 4.