AKE uzicabange usendaweni egcwele izintaba elingana neSpain ngobukhulu. Umangazwa ukuthola inqwaba yezizwe ezihlukahlukene, ngasinye sinolimi lwaso. Phela, kwezinye izindawo abantu abahlala ezigodini ezakhelene abezwani lapho bekhuluma! Kumelwe ukuba izazi zendawo zenkathi ephakathi zamangala ngendlela efanayo, ngoba esinye sazo sachaza indawo enjalo—iCaucasus—ngokuthi “intaba yezilimi.”

Njengoba izungezwe iziNtaba zaseCaucasus futhi iphakathi kolwandle Olumnyama nolwandle iCaspian, le ndawo ilapho kuhlangana khona amazwekazi nempucuko yawo, okuye kwayenza yaba nomlando omude namasiko amaningi. Abantu bakhona badume ngokuhlonipha abantu abadala, ukuthanda ukudansa nomoya wokungenisa izihambi. Kodwa okujatshulelwa izivakashi eziningi ngeCaucasus, ubuningi bamaqembu ezilimi nezinhlanga ezihlukahlukene—empeleni, inezilimi eziningi kunanoma iyiphi enye indawo yaseYurophu elingana nayo.

Ngekhulu lesihlanu B.C.E., isazimlando esingumGreki sabika: “ECaucasus kuhlala izizwe eziningi zazo zonke izinhlobo.” Ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu lokuqala C.E., esinye isazimlando esingumGreki, uStrabo, sabhala ngezizwana ezingu-70 ezikule ndawo. Isizwana ngasinye sasinolimi lwaso futhi sasize ngokuzohweba eDioscurias, indawo osekwakhiwe kuyo idolobha laseSukhumi, oLwandle Olumnyama. Emashumini eminyaka kamuva, uPliny Omdala, isazi esingumRoma, wabhala ukuthi amaRoma ayedinga abahumushi abangu-130 ukuze akwazi ukuhweba eDioscurias.

Namuhla, iCaucasus iseyikhaya labantu bezinhlanga ezingaphezu kuka-50. Ngalunye lwazo lunosiko-mpilo lwalo futhi ngokuvamile lunendlela yalo yokugqoka ehlukile, ezobuciko nendlela yokwakha. Kukhulunywa cishe izilimi zomdabu ezingu-37 kule ndawo—ezinye zikhulunywa izigidi zabantu kuyilapho ezinye zikhulunywa ezigodini ezithile nje kuphela. Ingxenye enezilimi eziningi kakhulu kule ndawo, iRussia’s Dagestan Republic, inezinhlanga ezingaba ngu-30. Kuze kube manje, akukaqondakali ukuthi zonke lezi zilimi zihlobana kanjani zizodwa nokuthi zihlobana kanjani namanye amaqembu ezilimi.

 Ungathanda yini ukubona ukuthi zinjani izilimi zaseCaucasus? Ingosi ye-Internet yoFakazi BakaJehova ethi www.mr1310.com, ikhipha izincwadi ngezilimi ezingaphezu kuka-400. Phakathi kwazo kunezinye ezikhulunywa eCaucasus, indawo ehlaba umxhwele ebizwa ngokufanele ngokuthi “intaba yezilimi.”