Bukhu lamakedzana la Washington la Mauthenga Abwino

MU DECEMBER 1906, Charles L. Freer, mwamuna wa ku America wokhupuka ndi wosokhanitsa zopangapanga za luso lamanja, anagula malembo apamanja akale kwa wamalonda Wachiluya wotchedwa Ali, mu Giza, Igupto. Ali ananena kuti iwo anachokera mu White Monastery pafupi ndi Sohâg, koma zikuwoneka kuti anapezedwa m’mabwinja a Monastery ya Vinedresser, pafupi ndi pyramid yachitatu ya Giza mu Nile Delta.

Freer anapatsidwa malembo apamanja atatu ndi “chidutswa cha chikopa chakuda choola, cholimba ndi chouma kunja monga glue.” Icho chinali cha masentimita 17 muutali, masentimita 11 muufupi, ndi masentimita 4 muukulu ndipo chinagulitsidwa limodzi ndi malembo apamanja kokha chifukwa chakuti chinagwirizanitsidwa nawo, osati kaamba ka phindu lolingaliridwa lirilonse la mwa icho chokha. Inali ntchito yoŵaŵitsa, yosamalitsa kukanganula unyinji woumirira wa zidutswa za masamba, koma pomalizira pake 84 a iwo anavumbulidwa, onse a m’bukhu lamakedzana la makalata a Paulo la m’zaka za zana la chisanu kapena la chisanu ndi chimodzi C.E.

Imodzi ya malembo apamanja atatu otsalawo inali ya mabukhu a Deuteronomo ndi Yoswa. Ina inali ya Masalmo, ya kutembenuza kwa Greek Septuagint. Komabe, yachitatu ndipo yofunika kwambiri pa onse, inali malembo apamanja a Mauthenga Abwino anayiwo.

Malembo apamanja otchulidwa potherawa ali ndi masamba 187 a chikopa chofeŵa, unyinji wa iwo a chikopa cha nkhosa, olembedwa m’zilembo Zachigiriki zopendeka zosavuta kuŵerenga (zazikuluzikulu). Zizindikiro zosiyanitsa mawu nzapatali patali, koma kaŵirikaŵiri muli timipata ting’onoting’ono pakati pa mawu. M’mbali mwa malembo apamanjawo munaola kotheratu, koma unyinji wa zolembedwazo wasungidwa. Iwo pambuyo pake anaperekedwa ku Freer Gallery of Art of the Smithsonian Institution, mu Washington, D.C. Potchedwa Bukhu Lamakedzana la Washington la Mauthenga Abwino, linapatsidwa chizindikiro cha “W.”

Chikopacho chaikidwa deti la kothera kwa zaka za zana la chinayi kapena koyambirira kwa zaka za zana lachisanu C.E., kotero kuti sichikhala chotsika kwambiri m’kufunika pochiyerekeza ndi malembo apamanja atatu a Sinai, Vatican, ndi Alexandria. Mauthenga Abwinowo (okwanira kusiyapo masamba otaika aŵiri okha) ali m’dongosolo lotchedwa Lakumadzulo la Mateyu, Yohane, Luka, ndi Marko.

Kuŵerenga malembo apamanjawo kumavumbula kusakanizana kwachilendo kwa mitundu ya malemba, uliwonse ukuimiridwa ndi magawo aakulu, aatali. Amawoneka kukhala anajambulidwa ku zidutswa zotsala za malembo apamanja zoŵerengeka, aliwonse okhala ndi malemba a mtundu wosiyana. Profesa H. A. Sanders anapereka lingaliro lakuti amenewa angakhale akale kufika ku chizunzo cha Akristu cha mwadzidzidzi chochitidwa ndi Wolamulira Diocletian m’chaka cha 303 C.E., amene analamula kuti makope onse a Malemba atenthedwe poyera. Timadziŵa kuchokera ku zolembera zam’mbiri kuti malembo apamanja ena anabisidwa panthaŵiyo. Kukuwoneka kuti munthu wosadziŵika zaka makumi pambuyo pake anajambula mbali zotsala za malembo apamanja osiyanasiyana kupanga malemba a Bukhu Lamakedzana la Washington. Pambuyo pake, mpukutu wa Yohane (Yohane 1:1 mpaka 5:11) unataika pa nthaŵi ina ndipo unalembedwanso m’zaka za zana la chisanu ndi chiŵiri C.E.

Pali kusiyanasiyana kosangalatsa m’malembawo ndi zowonjezedwa, zachilendo koma zosaŵerengeredwa mu Marko chaputala 16 zimene mwina zinachokera ku mawu ambali. Phindu lapadera la malembo apamanjawo liri m’chigwirizano chake ndi zolembedwa za Chilatini ndi Chisyria. Madontho opangidwa ndi madzi a kandulu odonthera pa chikopacho amasonyeza kuti chinagwiritsiridwa ntchito kwambiri.

Mosasamala kanthu za chizunzo ndi chitsutso ndi ngozi za nthaŵi, Baibulo lasungidwa mozizwitsa kaamba ka ife m’malembo apamanja a mitundu yambiri. Zowonadi, “Mawu a Mulungu akhala chikhalire.”​—1 Petro 1:25; Yesaya 40:8.

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 15]

Courtesy of Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution