Ukubheka Imicebo KaChester Beatty

“UNENDATHANE yemicebo yezizukulwane eziningi ezingasekho, . . . imifanekiso ekhexisayo emincanyana nemidwebo.” Wafingqa kanjalo uR. J. Hayes owayekade engumphathi woMtapo Wolwazi KaChester Beatty oseDublin, e-Ireland. Lo mtapo unenqwaba yezinto zakudala zenani elikhulu, izinto zobuciko zekhethelo, nezincwadi nemibhalo yesandla eyivelakancane futhi enenani elikhulu ngale ndlela. Wayengubani uChester Beatty lona? Futhi imiphi imicebo ayeyiqongelela?

U-Alfred Chester Beatty, owazalwa ngo-1875 eNew York, e-U.S.A., wayenegazi leziKoshi, lamaNgisi, nelabase-Ireland. Lapho eneminyaka engu-32 ubudala, wayeseyinginga, engunjiniyela nochwepheshe wezezimayini. Kukho konke ukuphila kwakhe, wasebenzisa ingcebo yakhe enkulu ukuze aqongelele izinto ezinhle nezibizayo. Lapho efa ngo-1968 eneminyaka engu-92 ubudala, konke ayekuqongelele uBeatty wakushiyela abantu base-Ireland.

Wayeqongelelani?

Izinto uBeatty ayeziqongelela ziningi futhi zihlukahlukene. Nganoma isiphi isikhathi kuboniswa cishe eziyiphesenti elilodwa kuphela. Wayeqongelela izinto eziyivelakancane neziyigugu zezinkathi nemiphakathi eminingi ehlukahlukene eqhelelene ngezinkulungwane zeminyaka—ezaseYurophu ngeNkathi Ephakathi nangeNkathi Yempucuko nezasemazweni amaningi ase-Asia nawase-Afrika. Ngokwesibonelo, iqoqo lakhe lemifanekiso yekhethelo yaseJapane eqoshwe okhunini libhekwa njengelihle kunawo wonke emhlabeni.

Into ehluke ngokuphelele ezintweni zobuciko yiqoqo lakhe elihlaba umxhwele lezibhebhe zobumba zaseBhabhiloni nezaseSumer ezingaphezu kwekhulu ezinombhalo wasendulo we-cuineform. Abantu ababehlala eMesophothamiya eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-4 000 edlule babeqopha imidanti yokuphila kwabo ezibhebheni zobumba ezisemanzi, bese bezifaka emlilweni. Ziningi izibhebhe ezinjalo ezisekhona namuhla, okusinika ubufakazi obucacile bokuthi ukubhala kwaqala kudala kakhulu.

Ukukhangwa Izincwadi

UChester Beatty kubonakala sengathi babumkhanga ubuciko bokwenza izincwadi ezinhle. Waqongelela izinkulungwane zemiqulu yenkolo neminye, kanye namakhophi eKoran ahlotshiswe ngobunyoninco. Omunye umlobi uthi “kwakumhlaba umxhwele ukuma kwezinhlamvu zesi-Arabhu, . . . futhi uthando lwakhe lwemibala lwaluthintwa yindlela imibhalo yobuciko eyayihlotshiswa ngayo ngongcwecwe wegolide nowesiliva namanye amatshe akhanyayo.”

Itshe i-jade wayelikhonzile uChester Beatty, njengoba kwakunjalo nangabanye bababusi baseChina emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambili. Babebheka i-jade enhle njengetshe eliyigugu kunawo wonke, elinenani elikhulu kakhulu kunegolide. Laba babusi babethuma izingcweti ukuba zakhe ongcwecwana ababushelelezi nge-jade eyisigaxa. Izingcweti zokudweba ezinesiphiwo zazibe seziqopha kula makhasi e-jade imibhalo yobuciko nemifanekiso zikufake igolide, kanjalo zakhe ezinye zezincwadi ezikhexisa kunazo zonke ezake zenziwa. Iqoqo likaBeatty lalezi zincwadi lidume umhlaba wonke.

Imibhalo Yesandla YeBhayibheli Enenani Elikhulu

Kubathandi beBhayibheli, imicebo kaChester Beatty ebaluleke kakhulu yiqoqo lakhe elinentilibathwa yemibhalo yesandla yeBhayibheli yasendulo neyangeNkathi Ephakathi. Imibhalo enjalo emihle ehlotshiswe ngamagugu ibonisa isineke nobuciko bababhali ababeyikopisha ngesandla. Izincwadi ezinyatheliswe ngomshini zibonisa ubuciko nobungoti babahlanganisi bezincwadi nabanyathelisi bakudala. Ngokwesibonelo, i-Biblia Latina yanyatheliswa eNuremberg ngo-1479 ngu-Anton Koberger, owayephila cishe ngesikhathi sikaJohannes Gutenberg futhi ochazwa ngokuthi “omunye wabanyathelisi bakudala owayebaluleke kakhulu nowayekhiqiza kakhulu.”

Ikhethelo eMtatsheni Wolwazi KaChester Beatty umbhalo wesandla wasekuqaleni kwekhulu lesine leminyaka osesikhumbeni i-vellum owenziwa ngu-Ephraem, isazi saseSiriya. U-Ephraem ucaphuna kaningi encwadini ethile yekhulu lesibili okuthiwa i-Diatessaron. Kuleyo ncwadi umlobi uTatian wahlanganisa ukulandisa okune kwamaVangeli kokuphila kukaJesu Kristu, wakwenza indaba eyodwa evumelanayo. Abalobi bakamuva babebhekisela kuyi-Diatessaron, kodwa awasekho amakhophi ayo namuhla. Ezinye izazi zekhulu le-19 zazingabaza ngisho nokuthi yake yaba khona. Kodwa ngo-1956, uBeatty wathola umbhalo ka-Ephraem okhulumela i-Diatessaron kaTatian—okwanezela ebufakazini obabukhona vele bokuthi iBhayibheli liyincwadi eyiqiniso.

Iqoqo Lomcebo Wemibhalo Yesandla Ye-papyrus

UBeatty waqongelela nenqwaba yemibhalo yesandla ye-papyrus, eyenkolo neminye. Kunama-codex e-papyrus angaphezu kwangu-50 okuthiwa ngawangaphambi kwekhulu lesine C.E. Amanye ala ma-papyrus ávundululwa ezingqumbini ze-papyrus—ngokuyisisekelo ezindaweni zikadoti oyiphepha—ezase zinamakhulu eminyaka zingaziwa ogwadule lwaseGibhithe. Izincwadi eziningi ze-papyrus zaziyizicucwana lapho zithengiswa. Abathengisi babefika namabhokisi agcwele izicucu ze-papyrus. Umphathi wamaQoqo Asentshonalanga oMtapo Wolwazi KaChester Beatty, uCharles Horton, uthi: “Labo ababenesithakazelo sokuzithenga babevele bafake isandla bakhiphe ucezu olukhulu kunazo zonke nolubhalwe kakhulu kunazo zonke.”

UHorton uthi: “Into emangalisa kunazo zonke eyatholwa” uBeatty kwakungama-codex eBhayibheli ayigugu “ayenamakhophi amadala kakhulu kwaziwayo eThestamente Elidala neThestamente Elisha lamaKristu.” Kungenzeka ukuthi abathengisi ababazi ukuthi la ma-codex anenani elikhulu kangakanani babewadabula bawathengisele abantu abahlukene eyizicucu ezihlukene. Nokho, uBeatty wakwazi ukuwathenga cishe wonke. Abaluleke kangakanani ngempela nje la ma-codex? USir Frederic Kenyon uchaza ukutholakala kwawo ngokuthi “kubaluleke kakhulu kunakho konke” kusukela uTischendorf athola iCodex Sinaiticus ngo-1844.

La ma-codex kuthiwa ngawaphakathi kwekhulu lesibili nelesine C.E. Phakathi kwezincwadi zemiBhalo YesiHebheru ezisenguqulweni i-Septuagint yesiGreki kunamakhophi amabili kaGenesise. UKenyon uthi la makhophi abaluleke ngokukhethekile “ngoba cishe yonke le ncwadi [kaGenesise] ayikho kuyiVaticanus nakuyiSinaiticus,” okuyimibhalo yesandla yekhulu lesine leminyaka ekuyi-vellum. Ama-codex amathathu anezincwadi zemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki. Enye inengxenye enkulu yamaVangeli womane neziningi zezahluko zencwadi yezEnzo. I-codex yesibili, enamakhasi engeziwe uBeatty awathola kamuva, inekhophi ecishe iphelele yezincwadi zomphostoli uPawulu, kuhlanganise naleyo ayibhalela amaHebheru. I-codex yesithathu cishe inengxenye eyodwa kwezintathu zencwadi yesAmbulo. NgokukaKenyon, la ma-papyrus aye “asiqinisa kakhulu isisekelo—esiqine kakhulu vele—sokuwethemba kwethu umbhalo weThestamente Elisha njengoba unjalo manje.”

Ama-papyrus eBhayibheli kaChester Beatty abonisa ukuthi amaKristu aqala kudala kakhulu ukusebenzisa i-codex, noma incwadi enamakhasi, esikhundleni somqulu owawuphenyeka kanzima, cishe ngaphambi kokuphela kwekhulu lokuqala C.E. La ma-papyrus abonisa nokuthi njengoba izinto zokubhala zaziswelekile, abakopishi babevame ukusebenzisa amaphepha amadala e-papyrus asesebenzile. Ngokwesibonelo, omunye umbhalo wesandla wamaCopt onengxenye yeVangeli likaJohane ulotshwe “entweni okungathi incwadi yesikole enezibalo zesiGreki.”

Lezi zincwadi ze-papyrus azizinhle kangako, kodwa zinenani elikhulu ngendlela eyisimanga. Ziwubufakazi obubonakalayo nobuphathekayo benkathi yokufufusa kobuKristu. UCharles Horton, uthi: “Khona lapha phambi kwakho, ungabona uhlobo lwezincwadi ezazisetshenziswa eminye yemiphakathi yamaKristu yakudala kakhulu—izincwadi [amaKristu] ayezazisa kakhulu.” (IzAga 2:4, 5) Uma uthola ithuba lokubuka eminye yale micebo eseMtatsheni Wolwazi KaChester Beatty, ngeke udumazeke.

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Umfanekiso waseJapane osokhunini owaqoshwa uKatsushika Hokusai

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I-“Biblia Latina” yayingenye yamakhophi eBhayibheli akudala kakhulu anyatheliswe ngomshini

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Umbhalo ka-Ephraem okhulumela i-“Diatessaron” kaTatian uqinisekisa ukuba yiqiniso kweBhayibheli

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IChester Beatty P45, i-“codex” endala kunawo wonke emhlabeni, inengxenye enkulu yamaVangeli womane neziningi zezahluko zencwadi yezEnzo emqulwini owodwa

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Reproduced by kind permission of The Trustees of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin

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All images: Reproduced by kind permission of The Trustees of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin