INO inga mwasala cipego cili buti kutegwa mupe muntu uulemekwa kapati? Lyansiku, tununkilizyo tumwi twakali tuyandisi kapati mbubwenya mbuli ngolida—twakali kuyandika kapati cakuti twakali kweelela kutolwa kumwami kacili cipego. * Nkakaambo kaako misyobo yobilo yazipego eezyo basikupandulula bweende bwanyenyeezi nzyobakaleta ‘kumwami waba Juda’ zyakali kubikkilizya atununkilizyo tununkilila kapati.—Matayo 2: 1, 2, 11.

Ibbaibbele lyaamba kuti ciindi mwami mukaintu waku Sheba naakaswaide Solomoni, “wakapa mwami matalenta aangolida aali 120 amafwuta aamabbona manji alimwi amabwe mayandisi. Kunyina nokwakaletedwe mafwuta aamabbona manji boobu mbuli yaayo mwami mukaintu waku Sheba ngaakaletela Mwami Solomoni.” * (2 Makani 9:9) Kuyungizya waawo, Bami bakali kumutumina Solomoni mafwuta aamabbona kacili cipego buyo cakumwaanzya.—2 Makani 9:23, 24.

Nkaambo nzi tununkilizyo tuli boobo alimwi azintu zimwi zili boobo ncozyakali kuyandika akudula kapati lyansiku? Nkaambo zyakali kubelesyegwa milimo iiyandika kapati, mbuli ciindi nozyakali kubelesyegwa mukubotya lukanda, kubelesyegwa mubukombi, alimwi aciindi cakuzikka. (Amubone kabbokesi kakuti, “ Mbotwakali Kubelesyegwa Tununkilizyo Lyansiku.”) Kunze lyakuti bantu bakali kutuyanda kapati, tununkilizyo ootu twakali kudula kapati akaambo kambotwakali kuletwa alimwi ambotwakali kuulwa.

Lyansiku, zisyango zimwi zyatununkilizyo zyakali kumena mu Kkuti lya Jordano. Nokuba boobo, tununkilizyo tumwi twakali kuletwa kuzwa kumasi aambi. Mu Bbaibbele kulaambwa misyobo iindene-indene yatununkilizyo. Akati kamisyobo yatununkilizyo iizyibidwe kapati kuli, saferone, aloye, mabbona, sinamoni, tununkilizyo itwakali kubelesyegwa kutuula, alimwi amuro. Kunze lyatootu, kwakali atumwi mbuli kumini, mint, alimwi a dill itwakali kubikkwa mucakulya.

Ino tununkilizyo itwatakazyibidwe kapati twakali kuzwa kuli? Tununkilizyo twa aloye, kasiya, alimwi asinamoni twakali kuzwa kuzisi mazuba aano ziitwa kuti China, India, alimwi a Sri Lanka. Tununkilizyo mbuli muro atununkilizyo tumbi twakali kuzwa kuzisamu alimwi azivwuna izyakali kumena munkanda ya Arabia nkoili kumusanza kutozya ku Somalia mu Africa. Tununkilizyo twa nardo itwatakali kubonwa-bonwa twakali kuzwa mu Himalayas kucisi ca India.

Kutegwa tusike mucisi ca Israyeli, tununkilizyo tunji twakali kwiinzyigwa mucisi ca Arabia. Akaambo kaceeci, mumyaka yakuma 2000 kusikila ku 1000 B.C.E., cisi ca Arabia cakaba “ncecisi icakali kumbele kunyamuna zintu akati kazisi zya Kujwe azisi zya Kumbo,” kweelana ambolyaamba bbuku lyakuti The Book of Spices. Madolopo aakaindi, minzi iiyakilidwe malambo, alimwi amasena aakulyookezyela aabasambazi aajanika ku Negev  Israyeli nkoili kumusanza nkozyakali kwiinda nzila zyabasambazi batununkilizyo. Mbunga ya World Heritage Centre of UNESCO yakaamba kuti masena aaya alimwi “atondezya makwebo aakali ampindu kapati . . . kuzwa kumusanza wa Arabia kuya ku Mediterranean.”

Makamu aabasimakwebo aakali kunyamuna tununkilizyo tununkilila ootu akali kweenda lyoonse misinzo yakali kutola makkilomita aasika ku 1,800 kuya ku Arabia. (Jobu 6:19) Ibbaibbele lilaamba kujatikizya nkamu yabana Isimayeli basimakwebo iyakanyamwide tununkilizyo ‘twamafwuta aanunkilila aalabbudamu amabbona amakwa aajisi bulimbo bununkilila’ kuzwa ku Gileadi kuya ku Egepita. (Matalikilo 37:25) Bana ba Jakobo basankwa bakasambala Josefa mwanookwabo mbuli muzike kuli basimakwebo aaba.

Basimakwebo bana Arabia mbabakali kweendelezya makwebo aatununkilizyo kwamyaanda yamyaka iili mbwiibede. Basimakwebo aaba mbabakazyibidwe kapati kusambala tununkilizyo kuzwa ku Asia, itununkilizyo mbuli twa kasiya alimwi atwasinamoni. Kutegwa batyompye bantu baku Mediterranean kuti batajani nzila zigaminide zyakucita makwebo abantu bakuzisi zya Kujwe, bana Arabia bakamwaya makani aakuyeeyela kujatikizya ntenda yakaliko mukujana tununkilizyo. Bbuku lyakuti The Book of Spices lyakaamba kuti, busena bwini-bwini ikwakali kuzwa tununkilizyo “ambweni mbobusena bwamakwebo bwamaseseke kwiinda.”

Ino makani nzi ngobakamwaya bana Arabia? Herodotus, syaazibwene mumakani aakaindi iwamumwaanda wamyaka wasanu B.C.E. imu Greek, wakapandulula makani aakuyeeyela kujatikizya bayuni bayoosya kapati ibakali kuyaka ziteente zyamakwa aacisamu casinamoni mumajeleele aayoosya. Kutegwa batujane tununkilizyo ootu tuyandisi, basikubwezelela bakali kubikka  zituli zyanyama zipati jeleele mpolili aansi. Mpoonya bayuni bakali kutola nyama inji muziteente zyabo cakuti ziteente zyakali kuloka ansi. Kumane bantu bakali kufwambaana kuyakwaabweza makwa aacisamu casinamoni akwaasambala kuli basimakwebo. Makani aali boobu akamwaika kapati. Aboobo, akaambo “kantenda yakali kwaambwa kutegwa muntu aijane sinamoni, yakali kusambalwa amuulo waatala kapati,” oobu mbolyaamba bbuku lyakuti The Book of Spices.

Mukuya kwaciindi, maseseke aabana Arabia akayubunuka alimwi tiibakacili balikke ibakali kwaacita makwebo aaya. Kuzoosika mumwaanda wamyaka wakusaanguna B.C.E., busena bwamu Egepita ibwiitwa kuti Alexandria, bwakaba busena budumide bwakucitila makwebo aatununkilizyo. Ciindi basikweenzya mato nobakazyiba mboyuunga myuwo mu Indian Ocean, bana Roma bakali kweenda mubwato kuzwa kunkomwe zyaku Egepita kuya ku India. Akaambo kaceeco, tununkilizyo twiinda kubota twakavwula kapati alimwi myuulo yakayaansi.

Mazuba aano bulemu bwatununkilizyo tabukonzyi kweelanisyigwa abulemu bwangolida. Alimwi kunyina notunga twaamba kuti tununkilizyo nzipego izyeelela kupa mwami. Nokuba boobo, mamiliyoni aabantu nyika yoonse bazumanana kutubelesya mumafwuta aanunkilila, mumisamu, alimwi amuzyakulya zyabo kutegwa zinone. Masimpe, kununkilila ikukwelelezya kwatununkilizyo kwapa kuti bantu banji batuyande kapati mazuba aano, mbubwenya mbobakali kutuyanda zyuulu zyamyaka zyainda.