Enye ingcitshi ethiwa nguLionel Casson elolwazi oluphathelane lemikhumbi yasendulo ichasisa okwakusenziwa ngababelungisa imikhumbi ngezikhathi zamaRoma nxa sebehlanganise amapulanka abo. Ithi babejayele “ukuhuqa lapho okuhlangana khona amapulanka kumbe ngaphandle komkhumbi wonke besebenzisa ithara [eyingcino] kumbe inhlaka kanye lengcino, besebeyihuqa laphakathi.” Kodwa lokhu akuqalisanga ngamaRoma. Ama-Akkadia asendulo kanye lamaBhabhiloni babevele besebenzisa ithara eyingcino ukuze amanzi angangeni emikhunjini yabo.

Ukuhuqwa kwemikhumbi kukhulunywa ngakho laseMibhalweni yesiHebheru kuGenesisi 6:​14. Kusegcekeni ukuthi evesini le, ibala lesiHebheru elihunyutshwe ngokuthi ‘inhlaka’ lichaza ithara eyingcino, ephuma ku-petroleum egejwa phansi emhlabathini.

Ithara ikabili​—kuleyingcino leqinileyo. Ababelungisa imikhumbi endulo babesebenzisa eyingcino nxa behuqa imikhumbi yabo. Yayisithi ingafakwa yome iqine. Lokhu kwakusenza ukuthi amanzi angangeni emikhunjini.

Ithara eyingcino yayigcwele ezindaweni okukhulunywa ngazo eBhayibhilini. ESigodi saseSidimi, oLwandle Lwesawudo ‘kwakugcwele imigodi yengcino.’​—UGenesisi 14:10.

Lasekadeni, inhlanzi zaziyikudla okuqakathekileyo. Abanye abaphostoli bakaJesu babengabagoli benhlanzi oLwandle lwaseGalile bengakabi ngabalandeli bakhe. (UMathewu 4:18-22) Ezinye inhlanzi ezazibanjwa lapho zazilungiswa “emafekithali” ayeseduze loLwandle.

Okwakungabe kusenziwa eGalile yasendulo ukuze inhlanzi zingaboli kulokhu kusenziwa lakwezinye izindawo lamuhla. Inhlanzi zaziqala zidatshulwe zikhutshwe okuphakathi besezigeziswa ngamanzi. Ibhuku okuthiwa yi-Studies in Ancient Technology lichaza okwakusenziwa ngemva kwalokho: “Isawudo lamatshe lalifakwa emaxolweni azo, emlonyeni, lalapho eziphefumula ngakhona. Kwakuvuvuzelwa elinye isawudo besekufakwa ezinye phezulu zigadaniswa njalo njalo, besekuvalwa ngamahlamvu. Ngemva kwamalanga amathathu kusiya kwamahlanu zaziphendulwa ziyekelwe futhi okwamalanga wonalawo.” Lokhu kwakusenza ukuthi isawudo lingene enhlanzini lokuthi zome ziqine nko.

Akwaziwa ukuthi inhlanzi lezi zazihlala okwesikhathi esinganani nxa sezonyisiwe. Kodwa kukhanya kwakubasebenzela sibili ngoba kuthiwa amaGibhithe asendulo ayethumela inhlanzi ezonyisiweyo eSiriya.