EKapadokiya—Apho Abantu Bahlala Kwizindlu Ezixonxwe Ngumoya Namanzi

UMPOSTILE uPetros wakhankanya iKapadokiya. Phakathi kwabantu awababhalelayo kwileta yakhe yokuqala ephefumlelweyo ‘yayingabemi bokwexeshana abachithachitheke eKapadokiya.’ (1 Petros 1:1) Yayikummandla onjani iKapadokiya? Kwakutheni ukuze abemi bakhona bahlale kwizindlu ezixonxwe ematyeni? Badibana njani nobuKristu?

Umkhenkethi waseBritani uW. F. Ainsworth owatyelela eKapadokiya ngeminyaka yee-1840 wathi: “Ngequbuliso sazibona sesiphakathi kwezindlu ezininzi ezinamaphahla atsolo neentsika zamatye.” Loo mmandla ungaqhelekanga usazothusa nangoku iindwendwe zale mihla ezityelele lo mmandla waseTurkey. Phakathi kweentili zaseKapadokiya, kukho “imifanekiso eqingqiweyo” eyenziwe ngamatye ngokungathi lijoni elime bhunxe nelingathethiyo. Eminye yayo injengeetshimini ezinkulu neziziimitha ezingama-30 okanye ngaphezulu ubude. Ezinye zazo zinjengamatye amade atsolo asetyenziswa njengeebhakane okanye amakhowa.

Hayi indlela emihle ngayo le mifanekiso iqingqiweyo enemibalabala xa ibethwa lilanga ebudeni bemini! Ekuphumeni kwelanga iba ngathi ipinki. Ize emini emaqanda ibe ngathi imbatshile ize itshintshe ibe ngathi ilubhelu ekujikeni kwalo. Yintoni le yayila “ezi ntsika zamatye zininzi kangaka”? Yaye kwakutheni ukuze abantu balo mmandla baqalise ukuhlala kuzo?

Ukuxonxwa Ngumoya Namanzi

IKapadokiya isembindini woSingasiqithi waseAnatolia, odibanisa iAsia neYurophu. Lo mmandla wawuza kuba lithafa ukuba apho kwakungazange kubekho iintaba-mlilo ezimbini. Kumawaka eminyaka adlulayo, iintaba-mlilo ezinkulu zawugubungela lo mmandla ngeendidi ezimbini zamatye—ilitye elilukhuni ekuthiwa yibasalt nelithambileyo ekuthiwa yitufa, ilitye elimhlophe eliyilwe luthuthu lwentaba-mlilo oluqinileyo.

Njengokuba ilitye elithambileyo letufa laliqalisa ukutyiwa yimilambo, imvula nomoya, kwakuvuleka imiwonyo. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, amanye amawa awayengqonge le miwonyo ayeqalisa ukwahlukahlukana esiba ziintsika ezininzi zamatye atsolo, nto leyo eyayibangela ukuba kweli lizwe kubekho imifanekiso eqingqiweyo engekhoyo kwenye indawo emhlabeni wonke. Amanye amatye anemigxuma emininzi kangangokuba anjengamakhaphela obusi. Abantu basekuhlaleni bazixonxela izindlu phakathi kula matye athambileyo yaye babesongeza amagumbi angakumbi njengokuba intsapho iya ikhula. Yaye babezifumanisa ezi zindlu zipholile ehlotyeni yaye zifudumele ebusika.

Ukuhlala Kwindawo Edibanisa Iimpucuko Ezahlukeneyo

Abantu abahlala emiqolombeni eKapadokiya mhlawumbi  ngebayekwa ubukhulu becala baphila ngendlela yabo ukuba nje babengahlali kwindawo ebalulekileyo edibanisa iimpucuko ezahlukeneyo. Indlela edumileyo yezorhwebo ekuthiwa yiSilk Road eziikhilomitha ezingama-6 500 ehlanganisa uBukhosi baseRoma neTshayina, yayinqumla eKapadokiya. Ukongezelela kubarhwebi, amajoni asePersi, aseGrisi nawaseRoma ayehamba ngale ndlela. Aba bahambi beza neengcamango ezintsha zonqulo.

Ngenkulungwane yesibini ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, eKapadokiya kwakukho iindawo ezazihlala amaYuda. Yaye amaYuda ahlala kulo mmandla ayekho eYerusalem ngonyaka wama-33 C.E. Ayeze apho kuMthendeleko wePentekoste. Ngenxa yoko, umpostile uPetros washumayela kumaYuda aseKapadokiya emva kokuthululwa komoya oyingcwele. (IZenzo 2:1-9) Kubonakala ukuba abanye basamkela isigidimi sakhe baza bagoduka nezi nkolelo zintsha zonqulo. Ngenxa yoko, uPetros wathetha namaKristu aseKapadokiya kwileta yakhe yokuqala.

Noko ke, ekuhambeni kweminyaka, amaKristu aseKapadokiya aqalisa ukwamkela iintanda-bulumko zobuhedeni. Yaye iinkokeli ezintathu eziphambili zeecawa zaseKapadokiya zayithethelela ngamandla imfundiso kaBathathu Emnye engasekelwanga kwiZibhalo. Lo yayinguGregory waseNazianzus, uBasil Omkhulu nomninawa wakhe uGregory waseNyssa.

Kwakhona uBasil Omkhulu wakhuthaza indlela yokuphila yokuzibandeza uyolo. Izindlu ezincinane zaseKapadokiya ezazixonxwe ematyeni zaziyifanele le ndlela yokuphila engenabuyokoyoko. Njengokuba abantu abaphila ngale ndlela babesiya besanda, kwakhiwa iicawa phakathi kwamanye amatye amakhulu atsolo. Ngenkulungwane ye-13, kwakuxonxwe iicawa ezinokuba ngamakhulu amathathu phakathi kuloo matye. Uninzi lwazo zisalondoloziwe unanamhlanje.

Nangona ezi zindlu zeecawa nezoonongendi zingasasetyenziswa, indlela yokuphila yabantu ayitshintshanga kangako ekuhambeni kweminyaka. Imiqolomba emininzi iseziindawo zokuhlala. Abantu abaninzi abatyelela eKapadokiya bayamangaliswa kukubona indlela aba bantu balapha abangamachule abawaguqula ngayo la matye okwemvelo bawenza amakhaya amahle.

[Imaphu ekwiphepha 24, 25]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

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