Umbhalo-ngqangi WeBhayibhile WesiHebhere Ongumzekelo

NGAPHAMBI kokufunyanwa kwemisongo yoLwandle Olufileyo ngowe-1947, imibhalo-ngqangi yeBhayibhile yesiHebhere yokuqala eyayisaziwa—ngaphandle kweziqwenga ezimbalwa—yayisusela ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-9 ukuya kweye-11 C.E. Oku akuyiyo neminyaka eliwaka edluleyo. Ngaba oku kuthetha ukuba ngaphambi kowe-1947 imibhalo yeBhayibhile yesiHebhere kwakungenakuqinisekwa ngayo? Yaye kwakutheni ukuze imibhalo-ngqangi yesiHebhere yamandulo ibe mbalwa kangaka?

Xa siqwalasela lo mbuzo wokugqibela kuqala, phantsi kwenkqubo yobuOthodoki yamaYuda, nawuphi na umbhalo-ngqangi weBhayibhile wesiHebhere owawujongwa njengongenakuphinda usebenze kuba udlakadlaka wawutshixelwa kwigenizah, uvimba okwindlu yesikhungu. Kamva, loo mfumba yaloo mibhalo-ngqangi yayikhutshwa ize ingcwatywe. AmaYuda ayekwenza oku ukuze iZibhalo zawo zingaphathwa ngokungenantlonelo okanye zisetyenziswe kakubi. Ngoba? Kuba zazineTetragrammaton, oonobumba besiHebhere abamela igama elingcwele likaThixo, elaziwa esiXhoseni ngokuqhelekileyo ngegama elithi “Yehova.”

“Isithsaba”

Ubukhulu becala, umbhalo wesiHebhere wamandulo ubukhutshelwa ngokuthembeka ukususela kumaxesha amandulo. Ngokomzekelo, kwakukho umbhalo-ngqangi wesiHebhere obalulekileyo owawubizwa ngokuthi yiKeter, “Isithsaba,” kuqala owawunazo zonke iZibhalo zesiHebhere, okanye “iTestamente Endala.” Wawulondolozwe kweyona ndlu yesikhungu indala, yebutho lamaYuda elincinane lamandulo elalihlala eAleppo, eSiriya, idolophu eyayilawulwa ngamaSilamsi. Ekuqaleni, lo mbhalo-ngqangi washiywa kumaYuda angamaKariate eYerusalem, kodwa wathinjwa ngamaJoni Omnqamlezo ngowe-1099. Kamva, lo mbhalo-ngqangi wabuya wafunyanwa wasiwa kwiCairo yaMandulo, eYiputa. Wafikelela eAleppo ubuncinane ngenkulungwane ye-15 yaye kamva waziwa njengeAleppo Codex. Lo mbhalo-ngqangi, wowama-930 C.E., wajongwa njengesithsaba sophengululo lweeMasora, njengokuba igama lawo lithetha oko. Ungumzekelo omhle wokubonisa inyameko eyathatyathwayo ekukhutshelweni kombhalo weBhayibhile yaye, ngokwenene, yayingumbhalo wombhalo-ngqangi wesiHebhere ongumzekelo.

Kumaxesha anamhla, abo balondoloza lo mbhalo-ngqangi ubalaseleyo, ngenxa yeenkolo besoyika ukungcoliswa kwento yabo engcwele, abavumi ukuba abaphengululi bawujonge. Ngaphezu koko, ekubeni iliphepha elinye kuphela elakhutshelwayo, uhlelo olukhutshelweyo olufanayo alunakupapashwa luze lufundwe.

Xa iBritani yarhoxayo ePalestina ngowe-1948, kwaqhambuka izidubedube nxamnye namaYuda eAleppo. Indlu yawo yesikhungu yatshiswa; umbhalo-ngqangi oxabisekileyo walahleka yaye kwacingwa ukuba utshatyalalisiwe. Hayi indlela ekwaba ngummangaliso ngayo kwiminyaka enokuba lishumi kamva, ukuva ukuba malunga nesithathu kwisine sayo sasinda yaye sakhutshwa ngoondlela mnyama eSiriya sasiwa eYerusalem! Ngowe-1976 uhlelo olunemibala olukhutshelwe kakuhle lwemibhalo engama-500 lwakhutshwa ekugqibeleni.

Umsebenzi Wengcaphephe

Kutheni lo mbhalo-ngqangi ubaluleke kangaka? Kungenxa yokuba umbhalo wokuqala ofana nawo walungiswa waza wafakwa iziphumlisi malunga nowama-930 C.E. nguAaron ben Asher, omnye wabona baphengululi badumileyo owaqeqeshelwa ukukhuphela iBhayibhile yesiHebhere. Ngoko ke yaba ngumbhalo-ngqangi, ongumzekelo kwimibhalo yexesha elizayo ebhalwe ngababhali abangenabuchule bungako.

Kuqala wawuneefolio ezingama-380 (amaphepha angama-760) yaye wawubhalwe ngokuqhelekileyo kwimihlathi emithathu kumacwecwe enziwe ngezintsu. Ngoku ineefolio ezingama-294 yaye ayinayo inkoliso yeePentatiki nenxalenye yokugqibela, equka IZililo, INgoma Yazo IiNgoma, uDaniyeli, uEstere, uEzra noNehemiya. Icatshulwe ngokuthi “Al” kwiNew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—Reference Bible (Yoshuwa 21:37, umbhalo osemazantsi). UMoses Maimonides (oboniswe apha), umphengululi ongumYuda owayephila ngamaxesha aphakathi ngenkulungwane ye-12 C.E., wayichaza iAleppo Codex njengowona mbalo-ngqangi ubalaseleyo kwawakha wayibona.a

Umbhalo wesiHebhere owawukhutshelwe ngesandla ukususela ngenkulungwane ye-13 ukuya kweye-15 wawungumxube othatyathwe kwimibhalo emibini eyintloko yeeMasora, iBen Asher neBen Naphtali. Ngenkulungwane ye-16, uJacob ben Hayyim wavelisa umbhalo oshicilelweyo weBhayibhile yesiHebhere owawuvela kulo mxube wembali yamandulo, yaye oku kwaba sisiseko sazo phantse zonke iiBhayibhile zesiHebhere ezashicilelwayo kwiminyaka engama-400 eyalandelayo.

Ngowe-1937 uhlelo lwesithathu lweBiblia Hebraica (umbhalo wesiHebhere oshicilelweyo), umbhalo wamandulo iBen Asher waqwalaselwa njengoko wawugcinwe kumbhalo-ngqangi owawubekwe eRashiya, owawusaziwa njengeLeningrad B 19^A. ILeningrad B 19^A isusela kowe-1008 C.E. IYunivesithi yesiHebhere eseYerusalem ekuhambeni kwethuba iceba ukupapasha umbhalo wesiHebhere waseAleppo opheleleyo, kunye nezinye iingcaciso ezivela kuyo yonke eminye imibhalo-ngqangi neenguqulelo, kuquka neMisongo yoLwandle Olufileyo.

Umbhalo weBhayibhile esiwusebenzisayo namhla unokuthenjwa. Waphefumlelwa nguThixo waza ekuhambeni kwethuba wakhutshelwa ngababhali ababesebenza ngononophelo. Unonophelo olubalaseleyo lwaba babhali lubonwa kwisibakala sokuba xa kuthelekiswa umsongo kaIsaya owafunyanwa kuLwandle Olufileyo ngowe-1947 nombhalo weMasora zimbalwa gqitha izinto ezingafaniyo, nakubeni uMsongo woLwandle Olufileyo umdala ngaphezu kwewaka leminyaka kuneyona Bhayibhile indala yeeMasora ekhoyo. Ngaphezu koko, njengokuba ngoku iAleppo Codex ifumaneka kubaphengululi, iya kubangela intembelo engakumbi kubunyaniso bombhalo weZibhalo zesiHebhere. Enyanisweni, “ke lona ilizwi likaThixo wethu liya kuma ngonaphakade.”—Isaya 40:8.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 28]

Bibelmuseum, Münster

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 29]

Jewish Division/The New York Public Library/Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations