NI INGABIRANO bwoko ki woha umuntu ahambaye cane? Mu bihe vya kera, ibimota bimwebimwe vyari bifise agaciro nk’ak’inzahabu ku buryo vyari mu ngabirano zahabwa umwami. * Ni co gituma mu bintu ba bantu baragurira ku nyenyeri bashikaniye “umwami w’Abayuda,” bibiri muri vyo vyari ibimota.—Matayo 2:1, 2, 11.

Bibiliya iravuga kandi yuko igihe umwamikazi w’i Sheba yagendera Salomo, “[yahaye] umwami italanto ijana na mirongo ibiri z’inzahabu, n’amavuta y’umusomozo menshi cane, n’amabuye y’agaciro; ntihari bwaboneke amavuta y’umusomozo nk’ayo umwamikazi wa Sheba yahaye Umwami Salomo.” * (2 Ngoma 9:9) Abami na bo nyene bararungikira Salomo amavuta y’umusomozo ka bugenzi.—2 Ngoma 9:23, 24.

Kubera iki mu bihe vya kera mwene ivyo bintu bimota vyahabwa agaciro cane kandi bikazimba? Ni kubera ko vyakoreshwa mu bintu vyinshi bihambaye, nko mu kwisiga, mu bijanye n’ugusenga, no mu gutegura ikiziga. (Raba uruzitiro ruvuga ngo “ Ingene bakoresha ibimota mu bihe vya kera.”) Vyari bizimvye kubera ko vyaronderwa na benshi. Vyongeye, kugira babizane bongere babigurishe, vyasaba amahera menshi.

Mu bihe vya kera, ibimera bimwebimwe bivamwo ibimota vyaramera mu Kiyaya ca Yorodani muri Isirayeli. Ariko rero ibindi vyava mu mahanga. Muri Bibiliya haravugwa ubwoko butandukanye bw’ibimota. Ibivugwa cane muri vyo ni umuzafarani, imibazibazi, amavuta y’umusomozo, umudarasini, imibavu ya olibani n’imira. Iruhande y’ivyo, hari ivyakunda gukoreshwa mu kumotesha ibifungurwa, nk’ivyitwa kumino, menta na aneto.

Ivyo bimota bidasanzwe vyava hehe? Imibazibazi, umubagabaga, n’umudarasini babikura mu turere twahavuye tuba Ubushinwa, Ubuhindi na Sri Lanka. Nk’akarorero, imira be n’imibavu ya olibani vyava mu biti no mu bimera vyo mu karere k’ubugaragwa kava mu bumanuko bwa Arabiya kagashika muri Somaliya, muri Afrika. Narada na yo yava mu Buhindi gusa, mu misozi yitwa Himalaya.

Ibimota vyinshi vyarinda guca muri Arabiya kugira ngo bishike muri Isirayeli. Nk’uko igitabu kimwe kivuga ivy’ibimota (The Book of Spices) kibisigura, ivyo biri mu vyatumye Arabiya imara ibinjana vyinshi Imbere ya Kristu “yiharije urwo rudandaza rwagirwa hagati y’abantu bo mu Buseruko no mu Burengero.” I Negebu mu bumanuko bwa Isirayeli, turahasanga ibisagara vya kera, ibibanza bikingijwe ibihome be n’ibituro vy’abadandaza b’ingenzi, vyerekana aho abadandaza ibimota bahora baca. Vyongeye, ivyo  bibanza vyose “vyerekana ko higeze kubaho urudandaza rwunguka cane . . . rw’ibintu vyava mu bumanuko bwa Arabiya bija mu karere ka Mediterane,” nk’uko raporo imwe ya UNESCO ibivuga.

Imigwi y’abadandaza b’ibimota, yarakunda kugenda ibilometero nka 1.800 ijabuka Arabiya. (Yobu 6:19) Bibiliya iravuga ivy’umugwi w’ingenzi w’Abishimayeli wari utwaye “ibirirarira bimota neza vy’ibimera, n’umusomozo be n’ibishishwa vy’uburembo” babikuye i Gileyadi babijanye mu Misiri. (Itanguriro 37:25) Abahungu ba Yakobo bagurishije mwene wabo Yozefu kuri abo badandaza ngo abe umuja.

Urudandaza rw’ibimota nka rwose rwaramaze ibinjana n’ibindi rwigaruriwe n’abadandaza bo muri Arabiya. Ni bo bonyene badandaza ibimota biva muri Aziya, nk’umubagabaga n’umudarasini. Kugira ngo babuze abantu bo mu karere ko muri Mediterane kuja kwironderera ibimota mu Buseruko, barakwiragije inkuru z’ikinyoma zerekana ko kuja kubirondera birimwo akaga. Ca gitabu gisigura ivy’ibimota kivuga yuko ibanga ry’aho ivyo bimota vyava “rishobora kuba ari ryo banga ry’urudandaza ryanyegejwe gusumba ayandi yose.”

Ni inkuru nyabaki ba badandaza b’Abarabu bakwiragije? Umuhinga mu vya kahise w’Umugiriki yitwa Herodote wo mu kinjana ca gatanu Imbere ya Kristu, yariganye inkuru z’abo badandaza zavuga ibinyoni biteye ubwoba vyubakisha ivyari vyazo ibishishwa vy’umudarasini, bikavyubaka kw’isonga ry’imanga. Yanditse yuko ngo abaja kurondera ivyo bimota vy’agaciro bashira ibipande bininibinini vy’inyama ku mucamo w’imanga. Umunoho w’izo nyoni waratuma zitwara inyama nyinshi mu vyari vyazo gushika aho  bisambukira hasi. Baca birukanga rero kwegeranya nya bishishwa vy’umudarasini, bagaca baja kubigurisha ku badandaza. Izo nkuru z’ibinyoma zarakwiragiye rwose. Kubera ko “vyavugwa yuko kuja kurondera [umudarasini] vyarimwo akaga, barawuzimbako cane.” Ukwo ni ko ca gitabu kibandanya kivuga.

Amaherezo, rya banga ry’Abarabu ryaramenyekanye, ntibaba baciharije urudandaza rw’ibimota. Mu kinjana ca mbere Imbere ya Kristu, i Alegizandiriya mu Misiri haracitse ikivuko kinini n’igisagara gihambaye kidandarizwamwo ibimota. Abatwara amato y’Abaroma bamaze kumenya ukuntu imiyaga yo mw’Ibahari Indiyano imeze, barava ku bivuko vyo mu Misiri bakaja mu Buhindi. Ivyo vyatumye ibimota vy’agaciro birushiriza kugwira no kuzimbuka.

Muri iki gihe, nta wogereranya ibimota n’inzahabu. Vyongeye, nta wobona ko ibimota ari ingabirano yoha umwami. Yamara, abantu amamiliyoni hirya no hino kw’isi baracabandanya gukoresha ibimota mu guhingura ibintu vyo kwimotesha n’imiti, bakanabikoresha mu kumotesha imfungurwa no mu kuzongerereza akanovera. Vy’ukuri, akamoto kavyo karatuma abantu benshi muri iki gihe babikunda, nk’uko babikunda haraheze imyaka ibihumbi.