Ukuba ngummi waseRoma kwakumnika amalungelo athile ubani naphi na apho aya khona kubukhosi baseRoma. Ummi walapho wayengalawulwa ngumthetho wamaphondo kunoko wayephantsi komthetho waseRoma. Xa etyholwa, wayenokuvuma ukuba ityala lakhe lixoxwe ekuhlaleni, ukanti wayesenokukhetha ukuba lixoxwe ngumgwebi waseRoma. Ukuba uye wagwetywa kwinkundla yephondo akulo, wayenelungelo lokubhenela kumlawuli waseRoma.

Xa wayebhekisela kula malungelo, uCicero owayekuburhulumente baseRoma bamandulo wathi: “Lityala ukubopha ummi waseRoma, ukumohlwaya ngesibetho bubungendawo, ukumbulala kona kuphantse kufane nokubulala igazi lakho.”

Ekubeni umpostile uPawulos wayeshumayela ubukhulu becala kuBukhosi baseRoma, wasebenzisa amalungelo akhe okuba ngummi waseRoma izihlandlo ezithathu: (1) Wazisa inkundla yaseFilipi ukuba bamphathe ngokungavumelaniyo namalungelo akhe ngokuthi bamkatse. (2) Wazichaza njengommi waseRoma ukuze angatywatyushwa eYerusalem. (3) Ityala lakhe walisa kuKesare, umlawuli waseRoma ukuze ligwetywe nguye ngenkqu.—IZenzo 16:37-39; 22:25-28; 25:10-12.

Usolusapho uYakobi wolusa umhlambi kamalume wakhe uLabhan iminyaka eyi-20. Kwiminyaka eyi-14 yokuqala, uYakobi wasebenzela ukuzeka iintombi ezimbini zikaLabhan, waza kwiminyaka eyi-6 yokugqibela wahlawulwa ngemfuyo. (Genesis 30:25-33) Imagazini iBiblical Archaeology Review ithi: “Kufanele ukuba ababhali bantlandlolo, nabafundi bemibhalo yeBhayibhile babeqhelene nezivumelwano ezifana nesikaLabhan noYakobi.”

ENuzi, eLarsa nakwezinye iindawo eziseIraq kuye kwavunjululwa izivumelwano zantlandlolo ezinje ngezi. Isivumelwano esiqhelekileyo sasidla ngokuqala xa kuchetywa iigusha size siphele xa zichetywa kwakhona kunyaka olandelayo. Abelusi babesalusa inani eliqingqiweyo lezilwanyana ngokweminyaka nangokohlobo lwazo, enoba ngamaduna okanye amathokazi. Xa kuphela loo nyaka, umninimhlambi wayefumana uboya, izinto ezenziwe ngobisi, amatakane nezinye izinto ngokwesivumelwano, zize eziseleyo ziye kumalusi.

Ukwanda kwakuxhomekeke kwinani lamathokazi oluswa nguloo malusi. Ngokuqhelekileyo kwakulindeleke ukuba amathokazi alikhulu abe namatakane ayi-80. Xa kungenjalo, umalusi wayehlawuliswa ngelahleko. Ngenxa yoko, umalusi wayeyikhathalela imfuyo esesandleni sakhe.