Ngaphansi koMbuso waseRoma baningi ababa yizigqila ngenxa yokunqotshwa kwezizwe zakubo noma ukuthunjwa. Labo ababethunjwa babethengiswa futhi ngokuvamile bangaphinde babuyele emizini yabo noma babone imindeni yabo.

Izigqila eziningi zazigqilazwa kakhulu ezimayini, ezazisebenza kangcono yilezo ezazithunyelwa emasimini nezazisebenza emizini. Isigqila sasingase sigqokiswe ngenkani umgexo wensimbi onombhalo othembisa umklomelo kunoma ubani ozosiphindisela kumniniso uma kwenzeka esithola sibalekile. Lezo ezazizama ukubaleka ngokuphindaphindiwe zazibekwa uphawu u-F esiphongweni olusho ukuthi fugitivus (umbaleki).

Incwadi yeBhayibheli kaFilemoni ilandisa ngokuphindisela kukamphostoli uPawulu isigqila esibalekile u-Onesimu, kumniniso uFilemoni. Ngisho noma uFilemoni ayenelungelo elingokomthetho lokumjezisa kanzima u-Onesimu, uPawulu wacela uFilemoni ukuba ‘amamukele ngomusa’ ngenxa yothando nobuhlobo obuseduze ababenabo.—Filemoni 10, 11, 15-18.

IFenike, esendaweni okukhona kuyo iLebanon namuhla yayaziwa ngodayi wayo obizwa ngokuthi i-Tyrian purple, owaqanjwa ngomuzi waseThire. INkosi uSolomoni yakwa-Israyeli wasendulo yahlobisa ithempeli layo “ngoboya obudaywe baba nsomi” obabenziwa umuntu waseThire onekhono. (2 IziKronike 2:13, 14)

Udayi obizwa ngokuthi i-Tyrian purple wawuyigugu kunabo bonke odayi ngaleso sikhathi, ngenxa yomsebenzi owawuhilelekile ekuwenzeni. Okokuqala, abadobi babeqoqa iminenke eminingi olwandle ebizwa ngokuthi i-murex shellfish. * Kwakusetshenziswa engaba ngu-12 000 ukuze kwenziwe udayi wengubo eyodwa. Ngemva kwalokho, le minenke yayikhishwa emagobolondweni ayo ukuze kukhishwe lokho okusezakhini zayo okwenziwa ngakho udayi. Abenzi bakadayi babehlanganisa lokho okukhishwe eminenkeni nosawoti, bese bebeka leyo ngxube endaweni enomoya nelanga izinsuku ezintathu. Emva kwalokho babehlanganisa leyo ngxube namanzi asolwandle bayivalele emphongolweni izinsuku eziningana.

Kwaphela amakhulu eminyaka abantu baseFenike behweba futhi bekhiqiza lo dayi ngosizo lwezentengiselwano namakoloni. Ubufakazi bokwenziwa kwalo dayi buye batholakala eduze noLwandle LwaseMedithera nasentshonalanga eCádiz, eSpain.