Umbhalo Wesandla Oyisibonelo WeBhayibheli LesiHeberu

NGAPHAMBI kokutholakala kwemiQulu yasoLwandle Olufile ngo-1947, imibhalo yesandla yakuqala eyaziwayo yeBhayibheli lesiHeberu—ngaphandle kwezingxenye ezimbalwa—yayisukela ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesi-9 kuya ekhulwini le-11 leminyaka C.E. Lokho kucishe kube yiminyaka eyinkulungwane edlule. Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi ngaphambi kuka-1947 umbhalo wesiHeberu weBhayibheli wawungaqinisekile? Futhi kungani kwakunemibhalo yesandla yesiHeberu yasendulo embalwa kangaka?

Ukucabangela lowombuzo wokugcina kuqala, ngaphansi kwesimiso sobuJuda sabadla ngoludala, noma yimuphi umbhalo wesandla weBhayibheli lesiHeberu owawubhekwa njengosuguge kakhulu ukuba uqhubeke usetshenziswa wawukhiyelwa kuyigenizah, indlu yokugcina izimpahla esinagogeni. Kamuva, imibhalo yesandla egugile eyayinqwatshelanisiwe yakhishwa futhi yambelwa. AmaJuda enza lokhu ukuze avikele imiBhalo yawo ekonakalisweni nasekusetshenzisweni kabi. Kungani? Ngoba yayineTetragrammaton, izinhlamvu zesiHeberu ezimelela igama elingcwele likaNkulunkulu, ngokuvamile ngesiZulu elimelelwa ngokuthi “Jehova.”

“UMqhele”

Ngokuvamile, umbhalo wesiHeberu wasendulo uye wadluliselwa ngokwethembeka kusukela ezikhathini zakudala. Ngokwesibonelo, kwakunombhalo wesandla wesiHeberu obalulekile, obizwa ngokuthi iKeter, “uMqhele,” ekuqaleni owawunayo yonke imiBhalo yesiHeberu, noma “iTestamente Elidala.” Wawulondolozwe esinagogeni elidala kakhulu lomphakathi omncane wamaJuda wasendulo, owawuhlala eAleppo, eSyria, idolobha eligcwele amaSulumane. Ekuqaleni, lombhalo wesandla wawushiywe kumaJuda angamaKaraite eJerusalema, kodwa wathathwa abantu abalwa iziMpi Zenkolo ngo-1099. Kamuva, lombhalo wesandla wabuye watholakala futhi wayiswa eCairo Endala, eGibithe. Wafika eAleppo okungenani ngekhulu le-15 leminyaka futhi ngemva kwalokho waziwa ngokuthi iAleppo Codex. Lombhalo wesandla, owawuhlehlela emuva okungenani ku-930 C.E., wawubhekwa njengomqhele wezazi zeMasora, njengoba negama lawo lisikisela. Uyisibonelo esihle sokubonisa ukunakekela okuye kwenziwa ekudluliselweni kombhalo weBhayibheli futhi ngempela wawuyisibonelo sombhalo wesandla wesiHeberu.

Ezikhathini zanamuhla zamuva kakhulu, abalondolozi balombhalo wesandla omuhle kakhulu, ngenxa yokukholelwa ezeni babesaba ukungcoliswa kwento yabo engcwele, babengavumi ukuba usetshenziswe yizazi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba kuyikhasi elilodwa kuphela elathathwa isithombe, uhlelo olufana nsé lwalungenakukhishwa ukuba lufundwe.

Lapho abantu baseBrithani bephuma ePalestine ngo-1948, eAleppo kwagqashuka izibhelu ngokumelene namaJuda. Isinagoge lawo lashiswa; icodex eyigugu yanyamalala futhi kwacatshangwa ukuthi ibhujisiwe. Khona-ke, yeka isimangaliso okwakuyiso, eminyakeni engaba yishumi kamuva, ukuthola ukuthi cishe izingxenye zayo ezintathu kwezine zaziye zasinda futhi zashushumbiswa zisuswa eSyria zayiswa eJerusalema! Ekugcineni ngo-1976 kwakhishwa uhlelo oluhle olufana nsé lwamakhophi angu-500 anombala ogqamile.

Umsebenzi WeNgcweti

Kungani lombhalo wesandla ubaluleke kangaka? Kungenxa yokuthi umbhalo wawo wokuqala wongwaqa walungiswa futhi wafakelwa izimpawu zenkulumo cishe ngo-930 C.E. nguAaron ben Asher, omunye wezazi ezihlonishwa kakhulu owaqeqeshwa ekukopisheni nasekudluliseni iBhayibheli lesiHeberu. Ngakho-ke wawuyicodex eyisibonelo, ibeka indinganiso yamakhophi esikhathi esizayo enziwa ababhali abanekhono elincane.

Ekuqaleni wawunamafolio angu-380 (amakhasi angu-760) futhi ngokuvamile wawubhalwe ngezinhlu ezintathu emaphepheni esikhumba. Manje unamafolio angu-294 futhi awunazo eziningi zeziNcwadi Zokuqala Ezinhlanu nengxenye yokugcina, ehlanganisa isiLilo, isiHlabelelo SeziHlabelelo, uDaniyeli, uEsteri, uEzra, noNehemiya. KuyiNew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—Reference Bible ucashunwe ngokuthi yi“Al” (Joshuwa 21:37, umbhalo waphansi). UMoses Maimonides (oboniswe lapha), isazi esiwumJuda esidumile sekhulu le-12 leminyaka C.E., wabiza iAleppo Codex ngokuthi ingengcono kakhulu ayeseke wayibona.a

Umbhalo wesiHeberu owakopishwa ngesandla kusukela ngekhulu le-13 kuze kube ele-15 leminyaka wawuyinhlanganisela ethathwe ezinhlotsheni ezimbili eziyinhloko zombhalo iMasora, okaBen Asher nokaBen Naphtali. Ekhulwini le-16 leminyaka, uJacob ben Hayyim waveza umbhalo weBhayibheli lesiHeberu elinyathelisiwe owasuselwa kulenhlobo eyinhlanganisela, futhi lona waba isisekelo cishe sawo wonke amaBhayibheli esiHeberu anyatheliswa eminyakeni engu-400 eyalandela.

Njengoba kwaba nohlelo lwesithathu ngo-1937 kweBiblia Hebraica (umbhalo wesiHeberu onyathelisiwe), umbhalo kaBen Asher wahlolwa njengoba wawulondolozwe embhalweni wesandla owawugcinwe eRussia, owaziwa ngokuthi iLeningrad B 19^A. ILeningrad B 19^A ihlehlela emuva ku-1008 C.E. IYunivesithi yesiHeberu eJerusalema ihlela ukukhipha umbhalo weAleppo wesiHeberu uphelele ngemva kwesikhathi esithile, kanye nezincwadi ezivela kuyo yonke eminye imibhalo yesandla ebalulekile nezinguqulo, kuhlanganise neMiqulu YasoLwandle Olufile.

Umbhalo weBhayibheli esiwusebenzisayo namuhla unokwethenjelwa. Waphefumlelwa ngokwaphezulu futhi wadluliswa emakhulwini eminyaka abakopishi abangababhali ababesebenza ngekhono elinokucophelela. Ukuqaphela okukhulu kwalabakopishi kubonakala ekutheni ukuqhathaniswa komqulu kaIsaya owatholakala eduze koLwandle Olufile ngo-1947 nombhalo iMasora kubonisa ukwehluka okumbalwa ngokumangalisayo, ngisho nakuba uMqulu WasoLwandle Olufile umdala ngeminyaka engaphezu kweyinkulungwane kuneBhayibheli lesiMasora elidala kakhulu elisekhona. Ngaphezu kwalokho, manje njengoba izazi seziyithola iAleppo Codex, iyonikeza ngisho nesizathu esengeziwe sokwethembela ebuqinisweni bombhalo wemiBhalo YesiHeberu. Ngokuqinisekile, “izwi likaNkulunkulu wethu limi kuze kube-phakade.”—Isaya 40:8.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 28]

Bibelmuseum, Münster

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 29]

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