ICodex YaseWashington YamaVangeli
NGODECEMBER 1906, uCharles L. Freer, usozimboni ocebile waseMelika noqoqa imisebenzi yobuciko, wathenga imibhalo yesandla emidala embalwa kumthengisi ongumArabhu obizwa ngokuthi uAli, eGiza, eGibithe. UAli wathi yayivela eWhite Monastery eduze naseSohâg, kodwa kubonakala kunokwenzeka ukuthi yatholwa emanxiweni esiGodlo Sezindela saseVinedresser, eduze nombhoshongo wesithathu ongunxa-ntathu waseGiza lapho umfula iNayili ungenela khona elwandle.
UFreer wanikwa imibhalo yesandla emithathu kanye “nesigaxa sesikhumba esize saba mnyama, esesonakele esilukhuni nesome njengenhlaka ngaphandle.” Yayingamasentimitha angaba ngu-17 ubude, ububanzi bungamasentimitha angu-11, ugqinsi lungamasentimitha angu-4 futhi yathengiswa nemibhalo yesandla ngenxa nje yokuthi yayihlanganiswe nayo, kungekhona ukuthi kucatshangelwa ukuthi inenzuzo ethile. Kwakuwumsebenzi odinga isineke, nekhono ukuhlukanisa isigaxa esinamathelene sezimvuthu zamakhasi, kodwa ekugcineni kwambulwa angu-84 awo, onke evela kuyicodex yezincwadi zikaPawulu zekhulu leminyaka lesihlanu noma lesithupha C.E.
Omunye wemibhalo yesandla emithathu esasele kwakungowezincwadi uDuteronomi noJoshuwa. Omunye kwakungowamaHubo, ovela enguqulweni yesiGreki iSeptuagint. Nokho, owesithathu nobaluleke kakhulu kunayo yonke, kwakuwumbhalo wesandla wamaVangeli amane.
Lombhalo wesandla wamuva unamakhasi angu-187 esikhumba esihle, ngokuvamile isikhumba semvu, ubhalwe ngamauncial (osonhlamvukazi) besiGreki abalukeke. Izimpawu zenkulumo azivamile, kodwa kuhamba kuba nezikhala ezincane phakathi kwemisho. Onke amachopho alombhalo wesandla ayonakele kabi, kodwa okuningi kokubhaliwe kuye kwalondolozeka. Kamuva wanikelwa eNdaweni yoMbukiso Wezobuciko kaFreer yeNhlangano kaSmithson, eWashington, D.C. Ubizwa ngokuthi iCodex yaseWashington yamaVangeli, wanikwa uhlamvu oluwubonakalisayo u“W.”
Lesikhumba sasihlehlela emuva ekupheleni kwekhulu leminyaka lesine noma ekuqaleni kwelesihlanu C.E., okwenza singabi semuva kakhulu kunemibhalo yesandla emithathu ebalulekile iSinaiticus, iVaticanus, neAlexandrinus. AmaVangeli (aphelele ngaphandle kwamakhasi amabili alahleka) ahlelwe ngokwalokho okubizwa ngokuthi uhlelo lwaseNtshonalanga okunguMathewu, uJohane, uLuka, noMarku.
Ukufundwa kombhalo wesandla kwambula ukuxutshaniswa okungavamile kwezinhlobo zemibhalo, ngalunye lumelelwe izingxenye ezinkulu, eziqhubekayo. Kubonakala sengathi wakopishwa eziqeshini ezasala zemibhalo yesandla eminingana, ngasinye sinohlobo oluhlukile lombhalo. UProfesa H. A. Sanders wasikisela ukuthi lokhu kungase kuhlehlele emuva ekushushisweni okuzumayo kwamaKristu nguMbusi uDiocletian ngonyaka ka-303 C.E., okwathi ngesimemezelo sakhe kwashiswa obala onke amakhophi emiBhalo. Siyazi ngokwemibhalo egciniwe ukuthi eminye imibhalo yesandla yafihlwa ngalesosikhathi. Kubonakala sengathi umuntu ongaziwa eminyakeni eyishumi kamuva wakopisha izingxenye ezasala zemibhalo yesandla ehlukahlukene ukuze enze umbhalo weCodex yaseWashington. Kamuva umqulu wokuqala kaJohane (Johane 1:1 kuya ku–5:11) walahleka esikhathini esithile futhi kwadingeka ubuye ubhalwe ngekhulu leminyaka lesikhombisa C.E.
Kukhona ushintsho oluthile oluthakazelisayo kulombhalo kanye nesenezelo esingavamile, kodwa esinganakwa, kuMarku isahluko 16 ngokunokwenzeka esaqala njengombhalo oseceleni. Ukubaluleka okukhethekile kwalombhalo wesandla kusekuhlanganeni kwawo nezinguqulo ezindala zesiLatin nezesiSiriya. Amabala ekhandlela elaliconsela esikhunjeni abonisa ukuthi wawusetshenziswa kakhulu.
Naphezu kokushushiswa nokuphikiswa kanye nokudlula kwesikhathi, iBhayibheli liye lalondolozelwa thina ngokumangalisayo ngezinhlobo eziningi zemibhalo yesandla. Kuyiqiniso, “izwi leNkosi limi kuze kube-phakade.”—1 Petru 1:24; Isaya 40:8.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 15]
Courtesy of Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution