USHATSE guha umuntu ukomeye impano wamuha iki? Mu bihe bya kera, hari ibirungo byari bifite agaciro nk’aka zahabu, ku buryo babihaga umwami ho impano. * Ni yo mpamvu ebyiri mu mpano abantu baragurishaga inyenyeri bahaye “umwami w’Abayahudi,” zari ibirungo bihumura neza.—Matayo 2:1, 2, 11.

Nanone Bibiliya ivuga ko igihe umwamikazi w’i Sheba yasuraga Salomo, “yahaye [uwo] mwami italanto 120 za zahabu, amavuta ahumura atagira ingano n’amabuye y’agaciro. Nta kindi gihe hongeye kuboneka amavuta ahumura menshi nk’ayo uwo mwamikazi yatuye Umwami Salomo” (2 Ibyo ku Ngoma 9:9). * Hari abandi bami bohererezaga Salomo amavuta ahumura, kugira ngo bashimangire ubucuti babaga bafitanye.—2 Ibyo ku Ngoma 9:23, 24.

Kuki mu bihe bya kera ibyo birungo n’ibindi bintu bimeze nka byo byagiraga agaciro kandi bigahenda? Ni ukubera ko byakoreshwaga cyane, urugero nko mu kunoza uburanga, mu mihango y’idini n’iy’ihamba. (Reba agasanduku kavuga ngo “ Uko bakoreshaga ibirungo mu bihe bya kera.”) Uretse kuba byaragurwaga cyane, nanone byarahendaga kuko kubigeza ku isoko no kubicuruza bitari byoroshye.

Mu bihe bya kera, hari ibimera byavagamo ibirungo byeraga mu Kibaya cya Yorodani, ibindi bikava hanze. Muri Bibiliya havugwamo amoko menshi y’ibyo bimera. Mu bivugwa cyane harimo habaseleti, imisagavu, amavuta ahumura neza, sinamomu, ububani n’ishangi. Nanone hari ibirungo byashyirwaga mu byokurya, urugero nka kumino, menta na aneto.

Ibirungo byihariye byavaga he? Imisagavu, kesiya na sinamomu byaturukaga mu Bushinwa, mu Buhindi no muri Siri Lanka. Ishangi n’ububani byavaga mu biti bitandukanye byo mu karere k’ubutayu katurukaga mu majyepfo ya Arabiya, kakagera muri Somaliya muri Afurika. Agati kitwa narada, kabonekaga gusa mu Buhindi mu misozi ya Himalaya.

Ibirungo byinshi babigezaga muri Isirayeli babinyujije muri Arabiya. Hari igitabo cyavuze ko ku ruhande rumwe, byatumye mu kinyagihumbi cya kabiri n’icya mbere Mbere ya Yesu, Arabiya “yiharira isoko ry’ibyo bicuruzwa hagati y’ibihugu by’iburasirazuba n’iby’iburengerazuba” (The Book of Spices). Imigi ya kera, ibihome n’uduce ingamiya zikoreraga ibicuruzwa zaruhukiragamo mu karere ka Negevu mu majyepfo ya Isirayeli, bigaragaza aho abacuruzi banyuzaga ibyo birungo. Nanone hari raporo  yavuze ko utwo duce “tugaragaza ukuntu ubwo bucuruzi bwakorwaga hagati y’amajyepfo ya Arabiya na Mediterane bwunguraga abantu cyane.”—World Heritage Centre of UNESCO.

Iyo izo ngamiya zabaga zikoreye ibyo birungo zakoraga urugendo rw’ibirometero 1.800, zambukiranyije Arabiya (Yobu 6:19). Bibiliya ivuga iby’ingamiya z’Abishimayeli zatwaraga ibyo birungo, urugero nk’ “umubavu n’umuti womora n’ibishishwa by’ibiti bivamo ishangi,” zibivanye i Gileyadi zikabijyana muri Egiputa (Intangiriro 37:25). Bene Yakobo bagurishije umuvandimwe wabo Yozefu n’abo bacuruzi ngo abe umucakara.

Abacuruzi bo muri Arabiya bamaze imyaka ibarirwa mu magana bihariye isoko ry’ibirungo. Ni bo bonyine bagemuraga ibirungo byo muri Aziya, urugero nka kesiya na sinamomu. Kugira ngo abaturage bo mu karere k’inyanja ya Mediterane na bo batabicuruza, babacaga intege bakwirakwiza imigani iteye ubwoba ivuga ukuntu kubona ibyo birungo byari biteje akaga. Hari igitabo cyavuze ko ibanga ry’ahantu nyakuri ibyo birungo byaturukaga, ari ryo “banga rishobora kuba ryarabitswe neza kuruta andi yose.”—The Book of Spices.

Ni iyihe migani abacuruzi bo muri Arabiya bakwirakwizaga? Umuhanga mu by’amateka w’umugiriki witwaga Hérodote wo mu kinyejana cya gatanu Mbere ya Yesu, yavuze iby’inyoni ziteye ubwoba zubakaga ibyari mu bishishwa bya sinamomu mu bihanamanga bigoye kugeramo. Yavuze ko kugira ngo abantu babone ibyo birungo by’agaciro, bashyiraga intongo nini z’inyama mu manga. Noneho izo nyoni zajyanaga  izo nyama mu byari byazo, maze ibyo byari bigasambukira hasi. Hanyuma abo bantu bakusanyaga bya bishishwa bya sinamomu bakajya kubigurisha. Iyo migani yari yarakwirakwiriye hose. Cya gitabo cyavuze ko “ibyo birungo byagurishwaga ku giciro gihanitse” kuko “kubikusanya byari biteje akaga.”

Amaherezo iryo banga ry’abacuruzi bo muri Arabiya ryaramenyekanye, ntibaba bacyihariye isoko ry’ibyo birungo. Mu kinyejana cya mbere Mbere ya Yesu, icyambu kinini cya Alegizandiriya muri Egiputa, ni cyo cyabaye ihuriro ry’abacuruzi b’ibirungo. Igihe abasare bamenyaga gukora ingendo mu gihe cy’imiyaga yo mu nyanja y’u Buhindi, amato y’Abaroma yatangiye kwambuka avuye ku byambu bya Egiputa. Ibyo byatumye ibirungo byahendaga cyane biboneka ku bwinshi maze ibiciro biragabanuka.

Muri iki gihe, ibiciro by’ibirungo ntaho bihuriye n’ibya zahabu, kandi nta watinyuka kubiha umwami ho impano. Ariko abantu babarirwa muri za miriyoni bo hirya no hino ku isi baracyabyifashisha mu gukora za parufe, imiti no kongera uburyohe n’impumuro mu byokurya. Koko rero, impumuro nziza y’ibirungo ituma bikoreshwa cyane, nk’uko byari bimeze mu myaka ibarirwa mu bihumbi ishize.