UChristophe Plantin—Omnye Wabasunguli Bokushicilelwa KweBhayibhile

UJOHANNES GUTENBERG (owaphila malunga nowe-1397-1468) udume ngokuvelisa iBhayibhile yokuqala eshicilelweyo. Kodwa bambalwa abantu abamaziyo uChristophe Plantin. Waba ngumsunguli wokushicilela owaba negalelo elikhulu ekwenzeni iincwadi neeBhayibhile zifumaneke kwihlabathi lonke kwiminyaka ye-1500.

UChristophe Plantin wazalwa malunga nowe-1520 eSaint-Avertin, eFransi. Ngenxa yokuthanda indawo enabantu abakwaziyo ukunyamezela iimbono ezahlukeneyo zonqulo namathuba amahle ezoqoqosho kuneFransi, xa wayemalunga neminyaka engama-28 ubudala, uPlantin wafudukela eAntwerp kwiMimandla Esemazantsi.a

UPlantin waqala ukusebenza ngokudibanisa iincwadi nezinto zesikhumba. Izinto zodidi awayezenza ngesikhumba zazithengwa zizinhanha. Noko ke, ngowe-1555 kwehla into eyamtsho wawuyeka loo msebenzi wakhe. Wahlaselwa kwisitrato saseAntwerp, ngoxa wayesisa ibhokisi yesikhumba eyayifunwe ngumlawuli walapho, uKumkani Philip II waseSpeyin. Waxatyelwa emagxeni ngekrele ngamanxila. Nakuba waphilayo kwelo nxeba, zange aphinde akwazi ukwenza umsebenzi wakhe wezandla kwaza kwafuneka awuyeke. Encedwe ngemali nguHendrik Niclaes, inkokeli yeqela ekuthiwa yiAnabaptist, uPlantin waqalisa ukushicilela.

“Zibhokoxe Uze Uzingise”

Indawo yakhe yokushicilela wayibiza ngokuba yiDe Gulden Passer (IKhampasi Ebugolide). Uphawu lwenkampani lwabonisa ikhampasi yokuyila eyayinombhalo othi “Labore et Constantia,” othetha ukuthi “Zibhokoxe Uze Uzingise.” Olu phawu lwasifanela gqitha eso siquququ sendoda.

Ekubeni ngelo xesha kwakukho ukungazinzi konqulo nezopolitiko eYurophu, lo kaPlantin wazama ukuphepha iinkathazo. Into eyayibalulekile kuye ngumsebenzi wokushicilela. Nakuba wayehambisana noHlaziyo lwamaProtestanti, umbhali uMaurits Sabbe uthi, uPlantin “wafihla intloko engafuni kuvela ukuba umi phi kwicala lonqulo.” Ngenxa yoku, kwathi saa amarhe okuba ushicilela iincwadi ezinxamnye nonqulo. Ngokomzekelo, ngowe-1562 kwanyanzeleka ukuba abhacele eParis ixesha elingaphezu konyaka.

Ukubuyela kwakhe eAntwerp ngowe-1563, wazibandakanya nezinhanha zabarhwebi, uninzi lwabo besaziwa ngokulandela uCalvin. Kwiminyaka emihlanu ekunye nabo, washicilela iincwadi ezahlukahlukeneyo ezingama-260. Phakathi kwazo kwakukho iBhayibhile yesiHebhere, eyesiGrike nayesiLatin kunye neenguqulelo ezintle ezimenyezelayo yimibala yesilivere negolide zeDutch Catholic Louvain Bible.

“Owona Msebenzi Wokushicilela Wakha Wanempumelelo”

Ngowe-1567, xa kwakusanda ukuvukelwa kolawulo lweSpeyin kwiMimandla Esemazantsi, uKumkani Philip II waseSpeyin wathumela isiDwangube saseAlba ukuze sibe yirhuluneli apho. Sinikwe igunya elipheleleyo ngukumkani, esi sidwangube sasizimisele ukuyisiphula nengcambu imvukelo yamaProtestanti eyayikhula apho. UPlantin waqalisa umsebenzi omkhulu awayenethemba lokuba wawuya kuyiphelisa into yokurhanelwa kwakhe. Wayenqwenela ukushicilela inguqulelo yeBhayibhile yezifundiswa kwiilwimi eyayibhalwe ngazo ekuqaleni. Kule nguqulelo intsha, uPlantin wakwazi ukufumana inkxaso kaPhilip II. Ukumkani wamthembisa ngemali waza wathumela nengcali uArias Montano waya kuba ngumhleli waloo msebenzi.

UMontano wayenesiphiwo sokuyazi kakuhle le nto kuthiwa lulwimi, ibe wayesebenza iiyure ezili-11 ngosuku. Wayencediswa ziingcali zolwimi lwesiSpanish, isiBelgian nesiFrentshi. Injongo yabo yayikukuvelisa inguqulelo esemagqabini iComplutensian Polyglotb (umbhalo weBhayibhile oqulethe iilwimi ezininzi). Ukongezelela kwiVulgate yesiLatin, iSeptuagint yesiGrike nemibhalo yantlandlolo yesiHebhere, le nguqulelo intsha kaPlantin yayiquka iTargum yesiAramiki nePeshitta yesiAramiki saseSiriya, kunye neenguqulelo zesiLatin.

Lo msebenzi mkhulu wokushicilela waqaliswa ngowe-1568 waza wagqitywa ngowe-1573. Wakhawuleziswa gqitha xa ucinga ngoko kwakufuneka ngezo mini. Kwileta awayibhalela uKumkani Philip II, uMontano wathi: “Mninzi umsebenzi owenziwa apha ngenyanga kunomsebenzi owenziwa eRoma ngonyaka.” UPlantin washicilela imibhalo eli-1 213 yaloo Polyglot Bible intsha, nganye inemiqulu esibhozo emikhulu. Kwiphepha elinomxholo kwakukho umfanekiso wengonyama, inkunzi yenkomo, ingcuka nemvana zisitya ngoxolo kumkhombe omnye, kuzekeliswa oko kutshiwo kuIsaya 65:25. Xa ingekadityaniswa ibe ngumqulu, le nguqulelo yayixabisa iiguilder ezingama-70—imali eninzi gqitha, kuba ngoko intsapho yayidla ngokwamkela iiguilder ezingama-50 ngonyaka. Inguqulelo epheleleyo yale Bhayibhile yayibizwa ngokuba yiAntwerp Polyglot. Yayibizwa nangokuba yiBiblia Regia (IBhayibhile YaseBukhosini) kuba yayixhaswe nguKumkani Philip II ngemali.

Nakuba ekuqaleni uPopu Gregory XIII wayamkelayo le Bhayibhile, uArias Montano wagxekwa kanobom ngomsebenzi wakhe. Esinye sezizathu kukuba uMontano wayegqala izibhalo zantlandlolo zesiHebhere njengezona zinegunya kuneVulgate yesiLatin. Olona tshaba lwakhe yayinguLeón de Castro, umfundi wezakwalizwi waseSpeyin owayejonga iVulgate yesiLatin njengeyona inegunya. Ude Castro watyhola uMontano ngokonakalisa imibhalo ngokufaka izinto ezinxamnye nemfundiso kaBathathu Emnye. Ngokomzekelo, ude Castro wabonisa ngokukhethekileyo ukuba kweyoku-1 kaYohane 5:7, iPeshitta yesiAramiki saseSiriya iyalishiya ibinzana lobuxoki elifakelweyo elithi, “emazulwini, uBawo, uLizwi noMoya Oyingcwele: ibe bobathathu aba banye.” (ngokweKing James Version) Noko ke, iNkundla Yokuncina Amakholwa YaseSpeyin yamfumana emsulwa kuzo zonke izityholo awayebekwa zona uMontano. Abanye iAntwerp Polyglot bayigqala “njengowona msebenzi wokushicilela wakha wanempumelelo nowenziwe ngumshicileli omnye kwinkulungwane ye-16.”

Iingenelo Zayo Ezingapheliyo

Inkoliso yabashicileli belo xesha babesiba noomatshini ababini nabathathu bokushicilela kuphela. Kodwa, abakaPlantin bamele ukuba ubuncinane babengama-22 nabasebenzi abali-160. Kuzo zonke iindawo ezitheth’ iSpanish, waduma njengoyena mshicileli uphum’ izandla.

Ngelo xesha lwaluya luvukelwa ngamandla ulawulo lweSpeyin kwiMimandla Esemazantsi. IAntwerp yangena zwabha kolo ngquzulwano. Ngowe-1576, amajoni aseSpeyin angazange ahlawulwe umvuzo wawo avukela aza asiphanga eso sixeko. Kwatshiswa izindlu ezingaphezu kwama-600, kwaza kwabulawa amawaka abantu balapho. Abarhwebi basaba kweso sixeko. Oku kwakuthetha ilahleko enkulu kuPlantin. Ngaphezulu, wanyanzelwa ukuba ahlawule abo bavukeli phantse imali ephindwe kasithoba kunaleyo yayihlawulwa ngabanye abantu balapho.

Ngowe-1583, uPlantin wafudukela eLeiden, isixeko esimalunga neekhilomitha ezili-100 kumantla eAntwerp. Apho waqalisa ukushicilela ibe wenziwa umshicileli kwiYunivesithi yaseLeiden, iziko elasekwa ngabalandeli bakaCalvin. Zavuka phantsi izityholo zokungathembeki kwakhe kwiCawa yamaKatolika. Wabuyela eAntwerp ekupheleni kowe-1585, ngokukhawuleza nje emva kokuba eso sixeko sibuyele kulawulo lweSpeyin. Ngelo xesha wayeneminyaka engaphezu kwama-60, ibe kwiKhampasi Ebugolide kwakusele abasebenzi abane nje kuphela nomatshini omnye. Waqala phantsi ukushicilela. Noko ke, umsebenzi wakhe awuzange ubuyele kubuhandiba bawo, ibe yena wafa ngoJulayi 1, 1589.

Kwiminyaka engama-34, uChristophe Plantin washicilela iincwadi ezahlukahlukeneyo ezili-1 863, phantse umlinganiselo wezingama-55 ngonyaka. Nanamhlanje, elo ibiya kuba linani elikhulu kumshicileli ozimeleyo! Nakuba wakuphephayo ukulumela phandle unqulo, umsebenzi wakhe awuzange ube luncedo nje ekushicileleni, waba luncedo olungathethekiyo nasekufundisiseni iZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo. (2 Timoti 3:16) Ngokwenene, uPlantin noogxa bakhe baba negalelo elikhulu ekwenziweni kweBhayibhile ifumaneke kubantu abaqhelekileyo.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

IMYUZIYAM KAPLANTIN NOMORETUS

Ngowe-1877, eAntwerp kwavulwa eso sakhiwo wayehlala yaye esebenzela kuso uPlantin nenzala yakhe saba yimyuziyam kawonkewonke. Ayikho enye indawo yokushicilela esekhoyo yelo xesha. Apho kukho umboniso woomatshini bokushicilela abasusela kwinkulungwane ye-17 neye-18. Eminye emibini—eyona midala yaziwayo ehlabathini—isusela kwixesha likaPlantin. Kule myuziyam kukho iizixhobo ezili-15 000 ezazisetyenziswa ukubhala oonobumba, ezili-15 000 zokubhala kwiplanga neepleyiti zobhedu ezingama-3 000 ezikroliweyo zokuzoba. Kwithala lale myuziyam kukho imibhalo-ngqangi engama-638 esusela kwinkulungwane yesi-9 ukusa kweye-16 ubudala kunye neencwadi ezili-154 ezashicilelwa ngaphambi konyaka we-1501. Zona ziquka iBhayibhile kaGutenberg yantlandlolo esusela ngaphambi kowe-1461 nenye yeeBhayibhile ezidumileyo zikaPlantin iAntwerp Polyglot Bibles.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

UArias Montano

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

IAntwerp Polyglot iqulethe umbhalo wesiHebhere, “iVulgate,” yesiLatin “neSeptuagint,” yesiGrike kuquka “iPeshitta” yesiAramiki saseSiriya neTargum yesiAramiki kunye neenguqulelo zesiLatin

[Inkcazelo]

By courtesy of Museum Plantin-Moretus/Stedelijk Prentenkabinet Antwerpen

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

Both images: By courtesy of Museum Plantin-Moretus/Stedelijk Prentenkabinet Antwerpen