Yasinda Kanjani Lencwadi?
Izincwadi zasendulo zazinezitha zemvelo—umlilo, umswakama, isikhutha. IBhayibheli lalingavikelekile ezingozini ezinjalo. Umlando wokuthi liye lasinda kanjani ekuphathweni kabi isikhathi eside ukuze libe incwadi etholakala kalula kunazo zonke uvelele ezincwadini zakudala. Lowo mlando kufanele uqashelwe ngokujulile.
ABALOBI beBhayibheli abazange baqophe ukulandisa kwabo ematsheni; noma bakubhale ezibhebheni zobumba eziqinile. Ngokusobala babhala ukulandisa kwabo ezintweni ezonakalayo—i-papyrus (eyakhiwa ngesitshalo sase-Egypt esinegama elifanayo) nesikhumba esishukiwe (sezilwane).
Kwenzekani ezincwadini zokuqala? Cishe zabola kudala, eziningi zazo kwa-Israyeli wasendulo. Esinye isazi u-Oscar Paret siyachaza: “Zombili lezi zinto okwakubhalelwa kuzo [i-papyrus nesikhumba] zonakaliswa ngendlela efanayo umswakama, isikhutha nomuhlwa onhlobonhlobo. Sazi kokuhlangenwe nakho kwethu kwansuku zonke ukuthi iphepha ngisho nesikhumba esiqinile konakala ngokushesha uma kungavikelekile noma kusegumbini elinomswakama.”1
Uma zingasekho ezokuqala, lokho abalobi beBhayibheli abakuloba kwasinda kanjani kwaze kwaba sosukwini lwethu?
Kwalondolozwa Abakopishi Abacophelelayo
Ngokushesha ngemva kokubhalwa kwezincwadi zokuqala, kwenziwa amakhophi abhalwe ngesandla. Empeleni ukukopisha imiBhalo kwaba umsebenzi ofundelwayo kwa-Israyeli wasendulo. (Ezra 7:6; IHubo 45:1) Kodwa amakhophi nawo abhalwa ezintweni ezonakala kalula. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kwadingeka kwenziwe amanye amakhophi abhalwe ngesandla. Lapho izincwadi zokuqala zingasekho, lamakhophi aba isisekelo semibhalo yesandla yesikhathi esizayo. Ukukopisha amakhophi kwaqhubeka amakhulu amaningi eminyaka. Ingabe amaphutha abakopishi ababelokhu bewenza emakhulwini eminyaka awushintsha kakhulu umbhalo weBhayibheli? Ubufakazi buthi akunjalo.
Abakopishi abangochwepheshe babezinikele ngempela. Babenenhlonipho ejulile ngamagama ababewakopisha. Babecophelela benjalo nje. Igama lesiHeberu elithi so·pherʹ, elihunyushwe ngokuthi ‘umkopishi,’ libhekisela ekubaleni nasekubhaleni imininingwane. Ukuze ubone ukunemba kwabakopishi, cabanga ngamaMasorete.a Ngokuphathelene nawo, isazi uThomas Hartwell Horne siyachaza: “Babala ukuthi yiluphi uhlamvu oluphakathi nendawo lwe-Pentateuch [izincwadi ezinhlanu zokuqala zeBhayibheli], ukuthi imuphi umshwana ophakathi nendawo wencwadi ngayinye, nanokuthi uhlamvu ngalunye lukankamisa [wesiHeberu] luvela kangaki kuyo yonke imiBhalo YesiHeberu.”3
Ngakho, abakopishi abanekhono basebenzisa izindlela eziningi zokuhlola imithombo ehlukahlukene. Ukuze bagweme ukweqa ngisho nohlamvu olulodwa embhalweni weBhayibheli, abazange nje babale amagama kuphela kodwa baze babala ngisho nezinhlamvu ngokwazo. Cabanga ngokucophelelisisa okwakudingeka babenakho: Kubikwa ukuthi babala izinhlamvu ezingu-815 140 emiBhalweni YesiHeberu!4 Umzamo onjalo wenkuthalo waqinisekisa ukuthi imibhalo iba seqophelweni eliphezulu lokunemba.
Nakuba kunjalo, abakopishi babenawo amaphutha. Ingabe bukhona ubufakazi bokuthi naphezu kokukopisha kaninginingi okwenziwa emakhulwini eminyaka, umbhalo weBhayibheli uye wahlala usesimweni esinokwethenjelwa?
Isisekelo Esiqinile Sokuqiniseka
Kunesizathu esihle sokukholelwa ukuthi iBhayibheli liye ladluliselwa kithi lingenaphutha. Ubufakazi buyimibhalo yesandla ekhona—ilinganiselwa ku-6 000 imiBhalo YesiHeberu ephelele noma izingxenye zayo kanye nemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki engu-5 000. Phakathi kwalemibhalo kunomBhalo wesandla wesiHeberu owatholakala ngo-1947 oyisibonelo sokuthi ukukopishwa kwemiBhalo kwakwenziwa ngokucophelela okungakanani. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi uye wabizwa ngokuthi “umbhalo wesandla ongcono kunayo yonke eyake yatholakala yezikhathi zanamuhla.”5
Lapho eluse umhlambi wakhe ngasekuqaleni kwalowo nyaka, umelusi osemncane ongumBedouin wathola umhume eduze koLwandle Olufile. Kuwona wathola izitsha eziningi zobumba, eziningi zazo zingenalutho. Nokho, kwesinye salezo zitsha, esasivalwe ngcí, wathola umqulu wesikhumba owawusongwe ngobunono ngendwangu yelineni futhi unencwadi yeBhayibheli ephelele ka-Isaya. Lomqulu owawugcinwe kahle kodwa usugugile wawubonisa izimpawu zokuchitshiyelwa. Lomelusi omncane wayengaqapheli ukuthi lomqulu wasendulo ayewuphethe, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi wawuyoqashelwa emhlabeni wonke.
Yini eyayiphawuleka kangaka ngalombhalo wesandla? Ngo-1947 imibhalo yesandla ephelele yesiHeberu emidala kakhulu yayihlehlela emuva ekhulwini leshumi C.E. Kodwa lomqulu wawuhlehlela ekhulwini lesibili B.C.E.b—eminyakeni engaphezu kweyinkulungwane edlule.c Izazi zazinesithakazelo esikhulu sokuthola ukuthi lomqulu uqhathaniseka kanjani nemibhalo yesandla eyabhalwa kamuva kakhulu.
Kokunye ukuhlola, izazi zaqhathanisa u-Isaya isahluko 53 oseMqulwini WasoLwandle Olufile kanye nombhalo wamaMasorete owabhalwa eminyakeni eyinkulungwane kamuva. Incwadi ethi A General Introduction to the Bible, ichaza imiphumela yalokho kuhlola: “Emagameni angu-166 aku-Isaya 53, izinhlamvu eziyishumi nesikhombisa kuphela ezazingabazisa. Kweziyishumi kulezi zinhlamvu, kwakumane kwenzeke iphutha ekubhaleni, okungawuthinti umqondo. Ezinye izinhlamvu ezine zaziyizinguquko ezincane zendlela yokubhala, njengezihlanganiso. Ezinye izinhlamvu ezintathu zazihlanganisa igama elithi ‘ukukhanya,’ elenezelwe evesini 11, futhi elingayishintshi kangako incazelo. . . . Ngaleyo ndlela, esahlukweni esisodwa esinamagama angu-166, kunegama elilodwa (elinezinhlamvu ezintathu) elingabazisayo ngemva kokuba lombhalo usudluliswe inkulungwane yeminyaka—futhi leli gama aliwushintshi kakhulu umqondo walelo vesi.”7
UProfesa Millar Burrows, osebenze iminyaka eminingi ngemiqulu, ehlaziya lokho ekuqukethe, wafinyelela esiphethweni esifanayo: “Okuningi kokungafani okukhona phakathi . . . komqulu ka-Isaya nombhalo wamaMasorete kungachazwa njengamaphutha okukopisha. Ngaphandle kwalokhu, kunokuvumelana okuphawulekayo nombhalo otholakala emibhalweni yesandla yeNkathi Ephakathi. Ukuvumelana okunjalo embhalweni wesandla omdala kangaka kunikeza ubufakazi obuqinisekisayo bokunemba okukhulu kombhalo oqashelwayo wesizwe.”8
“Ubufakazi obuqinisekisayo” bungase bunikezwe nangokukopishwa kwemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki. Ngokwesibonelo, iCodex Sinaiticus eyatholakala ngekhulu le-19 leminyaka, ewumbhalo wesandla osesikhumbeni esingashukiwe ehlehlela ekhulwini lesine C.E., yasiza ekuqinisekiseni ukunemba kwemibhalo yesandla yemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki eyabhalwa emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka kamuva. Isicucu se-papyrus seVangeli LikaJohane, esatholakala esifundeni saseFaiyūm, eGibithe, sihlehlela engxenyeni yokuqala yekhulu lesibili C.E., iminyaka engaphansi kwengu-50 ngemva kokubhalwa kowokuqala. Kwase kuphele amakhulu eminyaka sigcinwe esihlabathini esomile. Lombhalo uvumelana nalokho okwatholakala emibhalweni yesandla yakamuva kakhulu.9
Khona-ke ubufakazi buqinisekisa ukuthi abakopishi empeleni babecophelelisisa kakhulu. Nakuba kunjalo, bawenza amaphutha. Awukho umbhalo wesandla okungathiwa awunaphutha—kuhlanganise noMqulu WasoLwandle Olufile ka-Isaya. Nakuba kunjalo, izazi ziye zakwazi ukuthola nokulungisa lokho okungekho embhalweni wokuqala.
Ukulungisa Amaphutha Abakopishi
Ake sithi kucelwa abantu abayikhulu ukuba babhale ikhophi ethile yombhalo omude. Ngokungangabazeki bakhona abakopishi abebengawenza amaphutha. Nokho, ngeke bonke benze amaphutha afanayo. Uma ubungawathatha wonke lamakhophi ayikhulu bese uwaqhathanisa ngokucophelela, ubungakwazi ukuthola amaphutha futhi uthole ukuthi umbhalo wokuqala ubunjani ngempela, ngisho nakuba ungakaze uwubone.
Kungokufanayo nangabakopishi beBhayibheli, abazange benze amaphutha afanayo bonke. Njengoba manje kunezinkulungwane zemibhalo yesandla yeBhayibheli engase iqhathaniswe ngenjongo yokuhlaziya, izazi zemibhalo ziye zakwazi ukuthola amaphutha, ukuthola ukuthi umbhalo wokuqala wawufundeka kanjani, nokwenza ukulungisa okudingekayo. Ngenxa yalokho kuhlolisisa, izazi zemibhalo ziye zenza imibhalo yezilimi zokuqala engenaphutha okungase kwenziwe ngayo amanye amakhophi. Lezi zinguqulo ezilungisiwe zemibhalo yesiHeberu neyesiGreki zisebenzisa amagama abaningi abavumelana ngawo njengayesetshenziswa ekuqaleni, ngokuvamile emibhalweni yaphansi zifaka amanye amagama anomqondo ofanayo noma afundeka ngendlela ehlukile okungenzeka asetshenziswe kweminye imibhalo yesandla. Lezi zinguqulo esezilungisiwe zezazi zemibhalo zisetshenziswa abahumushi beBhayibheli ukuba bahumushele iBhayibheli ezilimini zanamuhla.
Ngakho lapho ufunda inguqulo yesimanje yeBhayibheli, kunezizathu ezanele zokuqiniseka ukuthi imibhalo yesiHeberu neyesiGreki esekelwe kuyo, ngobuqotho imelela amazwi abalobi bakuqala beBhayibheli.d Umlando wendlela iBhayibheli elasinda ngayo ekukopishweni kaninginingi izinkulungwane zeminyaka uyamangalisa ngempela. Khona-ke, uSir Frederic Kenyon, umphathi onesikhathi eside weBritish Museum wayengase athi: “Akunakuba ukugomela okweqisayo ukuthi ngokomongo umbhalo weBhayibheli uqinisekile . . . Lokhu akunakushiwo nganoma iyiphi enye incwadi yasendulo emhlabeni.”10
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a AmaMasorete (okusho ukuthi “Izingcweti Zesiko”) ayengabakopishi bemiBhalo YesiHeberu ababephila phakathi nekhulu lesithupha neleshumi C.E. Amakhophi emibhalo yesandla abawenza abizwa ngokuthi imibhalo yamaMasorete.2
b U-B.C.E. usho ukuthi “Ngaphambi Kwenkathi Evamile.” U-C.E. usho ukuthi “iNkathi Evamile,” ngokuvamile ebizwa ngokuthi A.D., okungukuthi Anno Domini, okusho ukuthi “ngonyaka weNkosi.”
c I-Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, ka-Emanuel Tov, ithi: “Ngosizo lokuhlola nge-carbon 14, i-1QIsaa [uMqulu Ka-Isaya Wasolwandle Olufile] manje ihlehlela emuva phakathi kuka-202 no-107 BCE (isikhathi esatholakala ngokuhlola imibhalo yasendulo: 125-100 BCE) . . . Lendlela yokuhlola imibhalo yasendulo okukhulunywe ngayo, eye yathuthukiswa eminyakeni yamuva, futhi eyenza kutholakale usuku oluqondile ngokuqhathanisa ukuma kwezinhlamvu nendawo ezikuyo nemithombo engaphandle enjengezinhlamvu zemali ezibhalwe izinsuku neziqoshwe okuthile, iye yabonakala iyindlela enokwethenjelwa.”6
d Yiqiniso, abahumushi ngabanye bangase banamathele ngokuqinile emibhalweni yokuqala yesiHeberu neyesiGreki noma banganamatheli.
[Isithombe ekhasini 8]
IBhayibheli lalondolozwa abakopishi abanekhono
[Izithombe ekhasini 9]
UMqulu WasoLwandle Olufile ka-Isaya (umfanekiso wawo) ufana ncamashí nombhalo wamaMasorete owabhalwa eminyakeni eyinkulungwane kamuva