Yiyiphi Eyona Nyaniso NgemiSongo YoLwandle Olufileyo?

Ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-50 eyadlulayo, ilitye elalahlwa ngumalusi ongumBedou emqolombeni lakhokelela koko abanye bakubiza ngokuba yeyona nto inkulu eyakha yafunyanwa kwizinto zakudala ezembiweyo kwinkulungwane yama-20. Lo mBedou weva ilitye liqhekeza ingqayi yodongwe. Xa ephengulula, wafumana umsongo wokuqala waleyo yabizwa ngokuba yimiSongo YoLwandle Olufileyo.

LE MISONGO iye yatsala ingqalelo yaye kuye kwaphikiswana ngayo ziimfundimani nakumajelo eendaba. Abantu bona babebhidekile yaye bengafumani nkcazelo ichanileyo. Kwasasazeka amarhe okuba iyafihlwa, nto leyo eyabangelwa kukoyika ukuba le misongo ityhila iinyaniso ezinokusingela phantsi ukholo lwamaKristu namaYuda ngokufanayo. Kodwa yintoni intsingiselo yokwenyaniso ngale misongo? Emva kweminyaka engaphezu kwama-50, ngaba iinyaniso zinokwaziwa?

Iyintoni ImiSongo YoLwandle Olufileyo?

ImiSongo yoLwandle Olufileyo yimibhalo-ngqangi yamandulo yamaYuda, inkoliso yayo yayibhalwe ngesiHebhere, eminye ngesiAmariki yaye embalwa ngesiGrike. Uninzi lwale misongo nenxalenye yayo ingaphezu kweminyaka engama-2 000 ubudala, ukususela ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaYesu. Phakathi kwemisongo yokuqala eyafumaneka kumaBedou yayiyimibhalo-ngqangi emide esixhenxe eyonakele ngendlela engafaniyo. Njengoko kwakukhangelwa kwimiqolomba engakumbi, kwafunyanwa eminye imisongo namawaka eenxalenye zemisongo. Phakathi kweminyaka yowe-1947 nowe-1956, kwafunyanwa isimbuku semiqolomba eli-11 enemisongo kufuphi neQumran kuLwandle Olufileyo.

Yathi yakuba yonke le misongo neenxalenye zayo ilungelelaniswe kakuhle, yaba yimibhalo-ngqangi emalunga nama-800. Malunga nesahlulo sesine, okanye ngaphezu kwemibhalo-ngqangi engama-200, yimibhalo yeenxalenye zemibhalo yeBhayibhile yesiHebhere. Imibhalo-ngqangi eyongezelelekileyo imela imibhalo yamandulo yamaYuda engeyoyaBhayibhile, iiNcwadi Ezingaphefumlelwanga neeNcwadi Ezabhalwa ngabantu.a

Eminye yemisongo eyabangela imincili ngakumbi kubaphengululi yayiyimibhalo engaziwayo. Le iquka ukuguqulelwa kwemibandela yomthetho wamaYuda, imithetho engqalileyo yehlelo loluntu olwaluhlala eQumran, imibongo neengoma zonqulo, kwakunye neencwadi ezingemfundiso yezinto zemihla yokugqibela ezibonisa iimbono ngokuzaliseka kwesiprofeto seBhayibhile nemihla yokugqibela. Kukwakho neenkcazelo ezikhethekileyo zeBhayibhile, ezandulela amavandlakanya ale mihla emibhalo yeBhayibhile.

Ngubani Owabhala ImiSongo YoLwandle Olufileyo?

Iindlela ezahlukahlukeneyo zokuchaza umhla wamaxwebhu amandulo zibonisa ukuba le misongo yayikhutshelwe okanye yaqanjwa phakathi kwenkulungwane yesithathu ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo nenkulungwane yokuqala kwiXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Abanye abaphengululi baye bathi imisongo yayifihlwe kwimiqolomba ngamaYuda avela eYerusalem ngaphambi kokutshatyalaliswa kwetempile ngowama-70 C.E. Noko ke, inkoliso yabaphengululi abaphanda ngemisongo bafumanisa ukuba le mbono ayivisisani noko kuqulethwe yile misongo. Uninzi lwemisongo lubonisa iimbono namasiko aphikisanayo neencwadi zonqulo eziseYerusalem. Le misongo ithetha ngoluntu olwalukholelwa ukuba uThixo wabacekisa ababingeleli nenkonzo yetempile yaseYerusalem nokuba wayelujonga unqulo lolo hlelo olwalusentlango njengoluthabatha indawo yenkonzo yasetempileni. Akubonakali ukuba abasemagunyeni betempile yeYerusalem babenokufihla ingqokelela yezinto eziqulethe imisongo enjalo.

Nangona kusenokwenzeka ukuba kwakukho iqela labakhupheli eQumran, mhlawumbi uninzi lwemisongo lwaqokelelwa kwezinye iindawo lwaza lwaziswa apho ngabantu abakholwayo. Ngamany’ amazwi, imiSongo yoLwandle Olufileyo yingqokelela enkulu yomzi wogcino-zincwadi. Njengawo nawuphi na umzi wogcino-zincwadi, ingqokelela inokuquka iingcinga ezininzi, kungathethi ukuba ityhila iimbono zonqulo zabafundi bazo. Noko ke, loo mibhalo eyayikho kwimibhalo emininzi yayityekele ekuboniseni umdla neenkolelo ezikhethekileyo zelo qela.

Ngaba Abahlali BaseQumran BabengamaEssene?

Ukuba le misongo yayikumzi wogcino-zincwadi waseQumran, ngoobani ababehlala apho? UNjingalwazi uEleazar Sukenik, owafumanela iYunivesithi yesiHebhere eYerusalem imisongo emithathu ngowe-1947, wayengowokuqala owathi le misongo yayiyeyabantu abangamaEssene.

AmaEssene ayeluhlelo lwamaYuda elikhankanywa ngababhali benkulungwane yokuqala uJosephus, uPhilo waseAlexandria noPliny Omkhulu. Imvelaphi ethe ngqo yamaEssene ngumbandela nje wentelekelelo, kodwa kubonakala ukuba avela ngexesha lesiphithiphithi esaba semva kwemvukelo kaMaccabean kwinkulungwane yesibini ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo.b UJosephus wachaza ngobukho bawo ebudeni belo thuba, njengoko echaza iinkcukacha ngendlela iimbono zabo zonqulo ezahluke ngayo kwezo zabaFarisi nabaSadusi. UPliny wachaza indawo awayehlala kuyo amaEssene kufuphi noLwandle Olufileyo phakathi kweYeriko ne-Engedi.

UNjingalwazi uJames VanderKam, umphengululi wemiSongo yoLwandle Olufileyo, uthi “amaEssene awayehlala eQumran ayeyinxalenye nje encinane yeqela elikhulu lamaEssene,” elo uJosephus wayeqikelela ukuba lingamawaka amane. Nangona inkcazelo yayo ingafani ngqo, loo nkcazelo evela kwimibhalo yaseQumran ibonakala ifana namaEssene kunalo naliphi na iqela elaziwayo lamaYuda elo xesha.

Abanye baye bathi ubuKristu baqala eQumran. Sekunjalo, kukho umahluko omkhulu onokubonwa phakathi kweembono zonqulo zehlelo lweQumran namaKristu okuqala. Imibhalo yeQumran ibonisa imimiselo engqongqo yeSabatha nokuxhalaba kakhulu ngokucoceka kwezithethe. (Mateyu 15:1-20; Luka 6:1-11) Kunokuthethwa into efanayo ngokuphathelele ukuzahlula kwamaEssene kwibutho labantu, ukukholelwa kwawo kwilishwa nokungafi komphefumlo, kwakunye nokugxininisa kwawo ekungatshatini neengcamango zokuba wona anqula neengelosi. Oku kubonisa ukuba awavumelani neemfundiso zikaYesu nezo zamaKristu okuqala.—Mateyu 5:14-16; Yohane 11:23, 24; Kolose 2:18; 1 Timoti 4:1-3.

Akukho Mfihlo, Akukho MiSongo Efihliweyo

Kwiminyaka emva kokufunyanwa kwemiSongo yoLwandle Olufileyo, kwaveliswa iimpapasho ezahlukahlukeneyo ezabangela ukuba leyo yayifumaneke kuqala ifunyanwe ngabaphengululi emhlabeni wonke. Kodwa amawaka eenxalenye avela komnye wemiqolomba, obizwa ngokuba nguMqolomba 4, aba yingxaki enkulu. Ezi zazikwiqela elincinane labaphengululi lazwenibanzi elasekwa eMpuma Yerusalem (eyayiyinxalenye yeYordan) kwiPalestine Archaeological Museum. Abekho abaphengululi bamaYuda okanye amaSirayeli ababekweli qela.

Eli qela lamisela umthetho owawungavumeli bantu ukuba babone imisongo de lipapashe imiphumo esemthethweni yophando lwalo. Inani labaphengululi kweli qela lalilinganiselwe. Xa ilungu leqela lisifa, kwakungena ilungu elinye kuphela ukuze lithabathe indawo yalo. Umsebenzi wawufuna iqela elikhulu, yaye kwezinye iimeko, wawufuna ubuchule besiHebhere nesiAramiki samandulo. UJames VanderKam uthi: “Amawaka ezigidi eenxalenye zale misongo ayengenakusingathwa ziingcali ezingaphezu kwesibhozo, enoba zazinobuchule obungakanani na.”

Ngenxa yeMfazwe Yeentsuku Ezintandathu ngowe-1967, iMpuma Yerusalem nemisongo yayo yaba phantsi kwegunya lamaSirayeli, kodwa akuzange kumiselwe mthetho umtsha kwiqela lophando. Njengoko kwadlula amashumi eminyaka ngaphambi kokuba kupapashwe imisongo evela kuMqolomba 4, abaphengululi abaninzi baqhankqalaza. Ngowe-1977, uNjingalwazi uGeza Vermes weYunivesithi yaseOxford wakubiza oko njengelona hlazo lezifundiswa libalaseleyo lenkulungwane yama-20. Kwaqala ukusasazeka amarhe okuba iCawa yamaKatolika yayiyifihla ngabom, ifihla inkcazelo yemisongo enokutshabalalisa ubuKristu.

Ngeminyaka yee-1980, ekugqibeleni eli qela landa laba ngabaphengululi abangama-20. Kwandula ke, ngowe-1990, phantsi kolwalathiso lomhleli oyintloko walo omtsha, uEmanuel Tov, weYunivesithi yesiHebhere eYerusalem, eli qela landa laba ngabaphengululi abangama-50. Kwasekwa inkqubo engqongqo yokupapasha zonke iintlelo zabaphengululi bemisongo eseleyo.

Ngowe-1991 kwenzeka into engalindelekanga. Okokuqala kwapapashwa iA Preliminary Edition of the Unpublished Dead Sea Scrolls. Oku kwadityaniswa ngoncedo lwekhompyutha kusetyenziswa umbhalo wesalathi-magama esasenziwe lelo qela. Kamva, iHuntington Library eSan Marino, eKhalifoniya, yabhengeza ukuba iza kulungiselela ukuba mphengululi ngamnye afumane iseti epheleleyo yemifanekiso yemisongo. Kungabanga thuba lide, ngencwadi ethi A Facsimile Edition of the Dead Sea Scrolls imifanekiso yemisongo eyayingapapashwanga ngaphambili yafumaneka lula.

Ngoko ke kwiminyaka elishumi edlulileyo, yonke imiSongo YoLwandle Olufileyo ibikho ukuze ihlolisiswe. Uphando lutyhila ukuba kwakungekho mfihlo; kwakungekho misongo ifihliweyo. Njengoko kuye kwapapashwa iintlelo zokugqibela zemisongo, uhlolisiso olupheleleyo lunokuqalisa. Kukho iqela elitsha labaphengululi bemisongo. Kodwa ngaba olu phando lunayiphi intsingiselo kubafundi beBhayibhile?

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 3]

Le miqolomba iphakathi kwemiqolomba ekufuphi noLwandle Olufileyo ekwafunyanwa kuyo imisongo yamandulo

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 3]

Scroll fragment: Pages 3, 4, and 6: Courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 5]

Courtesy of Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem