Isihlahla “Esikhalayo” “Nezinyembezi” Zaso Ezinemisebenzi Eminingi

‘Thatha ibhalisamu ngenxa yobuhlungu,’ kusho uJeremiya 51:8. Ukufuna omunye wemithombo yalolu ketshezi oludambisa ubuhlungu nolwelaphayo kusiletha esiqhingini saseChios, e-Aegean Sea.

NGASEKUQALENI kwehlobo, abalimi baseChios balungiselela ukuvuna ngendlela engavamile neze. Ngemva kokushanela phansi, bendlala ubumba olumhlophe luzungeze izihlahla ezihlale ziluhlaza okuthiwa yizihlahla ze-mastic. Abalimi babe sebeziqhumbuza lezi zihlahla, okuzenza “zikhale.” Kuphuma “izinyembezi” ezimhloshana eziyinhlaka. Ngemva kwamasonto amabili noma amathathu, la maconsi enhlaka ayajiya bese abalimi bewaqoqa, khona esiqwini ngokuqondile noma phansi obumbeni. Lezi “zinyembezi,” ezibizwa ngokuthi yi-gum mastic, ziye zasetshenziselwa ukwenza ibhalisamu.

Nokho, ngaphambi kokuvuna kudingeka isineke nomsebenzi okhandlayo. Lezi zihlahla ezinesiqu esimpunga nesisontekile zikhula kancane kakhulu. Kuthatha iminyaka engu-40 kuya ku-50 ukuba isihlahla sikhule ngokugcwele—ngokuvamile sibe ngamamitha amabili kuya kwamathathu ukuphakama.

Ngaphandle komsebenzi wokuqhumbuza iziqu nokuqoqa “izinyembezi,” kunomunye futhi umsebenzi odingekayo ukuze kwenziwe i-mastic. Ngemva kokuba abalimi sebeqoqe “izinyembezi” ze-mastic, bayazihlunga, bazigeze bese bezihlukanisa ngobukhulu nangobuhle. Kamuva, i-mastic iyaphinda ihlanzwe, ngemva kwalokho isingasetshenziselwa izinto eziningi.

Umlando Wesitshalo Esiyigugu

Igama lesiGreki elithi “mastic” lihlobene negama elisho ‘ukuququda amazinyo.’ Leli gama lisikisela ukuthi kusukela endulo, inhlaka eyi-mastic yayiyinhlaka ehlafunwayo eyayenza umlomo unuke kahle.

Ukwaziswa okudala kunakho konke mayelana ne-mastic sikuthola kuHerodotus, isazi-mlando esingumGreki sekhulu lesihlanu B.C.E. Nabanye abalobi nodokotela basendulo—kuhlanganise no-Apollodorus, uDioscorides, uTheophrastus noHippocrates—bakhuluma ngokusetshenziswa kwe-mastic ekwelapheni. Nakuba izihlahla ze-mastic zimila kulo lonke uGu LweMedithera, kusukela cishe ngo-50 C.E., ukukhiqizwa kwe-mastic kuye kwenziwa cishe eChios kuphela. Futhi i-mastic yayiyilona wozawoza kulabo abanqoba iChios, kuqala ngamaRoma, kube ngabaseGenoa bese kuba ngama-Ottoman.

I-mastic Enemisebenzi Eminingi

Odokotela basendulo baseGibithe babesebenzisa i-mastic ekwelapheni izifo ezihlukahlukene, kuhlanganise nohudo nesifo sokuqaqamba kwamalunga. Babeyisebenzisa nanjengempepho, beyisebenzisela nokomisa izidumbu. Isihlahla se-mastic kungenzeka sasingomunye wemithombo ‘yebhalisamu  lakwaGileyadi,’ eliphawuleka ngezici zalo zokwelapha eBhayibhelini nangokusetshenziselwa kwalo ukuzimonyonga nokugqumisa. (Jeremiya 8:22; 46:11) Kuye kwasikiselwa ngisho nokuthi isihlahla esikhipha istakite (stacte), okungesinye sezithako zempepho engcwele enamakha eyayisetshenziselwa izinto ezingcwele kuphela, kungenzeka siwuhlobo lwesihlahla se-mastic.—Eksodusi 30:34, 35.

Namuhla, i-mastic itholakala kumavanishi avikela imidwebo kapende onamafutha, ifenisha nezinsimbi zomculo. Isetshenziswa ekuvikeleni izinto nasezikuvimbeleni ukuba zingangenwa ngamanzi, futhi ibhekwa njengenye yezinto ezikahle kakhulu ekwenzeni umbala ungashintshi kodayi bezingubo nakopende babadwebi. I-mastic iye yasetshenziswa nasezintweni zokunamathisela nasekushukweni kwezikhumba. Ngenxa yephunga layo elimnandi nezinye izici zayo, i-mastic iye yasetshenziswa ekwenzeni insipho, izimonyo namakha.

I-mastic iye yachazwa ezinhlwini ezingu-25 ezihlonishwayo zezokwelapha emhlabeni wonke. Isasetshenziswa kakhulu emithini yokwelapha yabomdabu emazweni ama-Arabhu. I-mastic iyasetshenziswa nasekwakhiweni kobumba lwamazinyo nasolwelwesini lwangaphakathi lwamagobongo amaphilisi.

Njengomthombo webhalisamu, “izinyembezi” ezinemisebenzi eminingi zesihlahla se-mastic “esikhalayo” sezinamakhulu eminyaka zidambisa izinhlungu futhi zelapha. Ngakho-ke, isiprofetho sikaJeremiya sisho ngesizathu esihle ukuthi: ‘Thatha ibhalisamu ngenxa yobuhlungu.’

[Izithombe ekhasini 31]

EChios

Ukuvuna i-“mastic”

Izinyembezi ze-“mastic” ziqoqwa ngokucophelela

[Imithombo]

Chios and harvest line art: Courtesy of Korais Library; all others: Kostas Stamoulis