Codex yeWashington yeEvhangeri
MUNA DECEMBER 1906, Charles L. Freer, wamabhizimisi okugadzira zvinhu nomuunganidzi wezviyevwa akapfuma weAmerica, akatenga manyoro ekare kumutengesi weArab ainzi Ali, muGiza, Egipita. Ali akataura kuti akanga abva kuWhite Monastery pedyo neSohâg, asi kunoratidzika kuva kunobvira zvikuru kuti iwo akawanwa mumatongo eMonastery of the Vinedresser, pedyo nepiramidhi yechitatu yeGiza muNile Delta.
Freer akagamuchidzwa manyoro matatu uye “mupumburu wamakanda emhuka okunyorera wakasviba, wakaora wakaomarara panze seguruu.” Iwoyu wakanga wakareba masendimita 17, wakafara masendimita 11, uye wakakora masendimita 4 uye wakatengeswa namanyoro acho nemhaka bedzi yokuti wakanga wakabatanidzwa nawo, kwete nokuda kwoukoshi hupi nohupi hunofungidzirwa hwao umene. Rakanga riri basa rokungwarira, rakaoma kuparadzanisa mashizha akadambuka-dambuka akaomarara, asi pakupedzisira 84 awo akaziviswa, ose omucodex yomuzana ramakore rechishanu kana rechitanhatu N.V. retsamba dzaPauro.
Rimwe ramanyoro matatu akasara rakanga riri ramabhuku aDheuteronomio naJoshua. Rimwe rakanga riri raMapisarema, kubva mushanduro yeSeptuagint yechiGiriki. Yechitatu uye inokosha zvikurusa yaose, zvisinei, yakanga iri manyoro eEvhangeri ina.
Aya manyoro apashure akaumbwa namashizha 187 amakanda emhuka okunyorera akaisvonaka, zvikurusa makanda amakwai, akanyorwa namabhii makuru echiGiriki akatsveyamiswa. Kuisa makoma, masemi koroni, mafurusitopu hakuwanzowanikwa, asi kazhinji kazhinji mune nzvimbo duku pakati pezvitsama zvamashoko. Micheto yamanyoro yakanga yakaora zvakashata yose, asi kuzhinjisa kwokunyora kwakachengetwa. Gare gare akapiwa kuFreer Gallery of Art of the Smithsonian Institution, muWashington, D.C. Inonzi Codex yeWashington yeEvhangeri, yakapiwa vara rinozivisa “W.”
Makanda acho emhuka okunyorera akapiwa musi unosvikira kukupera kwezana ramakore rechina kana kuti pakuvamba kwerechishanu N.V., zvokuti haasi shure zvikuru noutatu hunokosha hwemanyoro eSinai, Vatican, uye Alexandria. Evhangeri (dzakakwana kunze kwamashizha maviri akarasika) ari munhevedzano inonzi yokuMadokero yaMateo, Johane, Ruka, uye Marko.
Kuraviwa kwamanyoro acho kunowadzanyura muvhenganiswa wechienzi wamarudzi orugwaro, rumwe norumwe rwakamirirwa nezvikamu zvikuru, zvinopfuurira. Anoratidzika kuva akanyorwa achibva muzvisarira zvakapukunyuka zvamanyoro anoverengeka, mamwe namamwe ane rudzi rwakasiana rworugwaro. Purofesa H. A. Sanders akakarakadza kuti ikoku kungadzokera shure kusvikira kukutambudzwa kwakamwe kamwe kwamaKristu kwakaitwa naMambo Diocletian mugore ra 303 N.V., nomurairo wake makopi ose aMagwaro akarairwa kupiswa pachena. Tinoziva kubva muzvinyorwa zvenhau kuti mamwe manyoro akavanzwa panguva iyoyo. Kunoratidzika kuti munhu asingazivikanwi Makumi amakore gare gare vakakopa mativi akapona amanyoro akasiana-siana kuti abudise rugwaro rweCodex yeWashington. Gare gare, mapepa okutanga aJohane (Johane 1:1 kusvikira ku 5:11) akarasika pane imwe nguva uye aifanira kunyorwazve muzana ramakore rechinomwe N.V.
Pane misiano inofadza iri murugwaro rwacho newedzero yechienzi, asi inozvidzwa, kuna Marko ganhuro 16 iyo zvimwe yakavamba samashoko omumucheto. Ukoshi chaihwo hwamanyoro acho huri mukubatanidzwa kwao neshanduro dzechiLatin chekare nechiSiria. Zviratidzo zvakasakiswa nomuto wekenduru wakadonhera pamakanda emhuka okunyorera zvinoratidzira kuti akasanoshandiswa.
Pasinei zvapo nechitambudzo nechishoro uye kuparadza kwenguva, Bhaibheri rakatichengeterwa nenzira inoshamisa muzvimiro zvakawanda zvamanyoro. Zvirokwazvo, “kutaura kwaJehovha kunotsungirira nokusingaperi.”—1 Petro 1:25, NW; Isaya 40:8.
[Vakatipa Mufananidzo uri papeji 15]
Courtsey of Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution