Twihweze ubutunzi bwarondewe na Chester Beatty

“BWUZUYEMWO ubutunzi bwerekana akaranga kazimanganye k’intara nyinshi za kera, . . . bugakayanganira ku bwiza bw’amasanamu n’amashusho ari muri bwo”. Ukwo ni ko uwahoze ajejwe kubungabunga utugenegene ndangakaranga ari we R. J. Hayes yadondoye muri make Ububiko bw’ibitabu bwitiriwe Chester Beatty bw’i Dublin, muri Irilande. Ubwo bubiko bubitse ibintu vyinshi cane vyatororokanijwe vyo mu bihe vya kera cane, utugenegene duhinguwe mu buryo budasanzwe, be n’ibitabu hamwe n’ivyandiko vy’iminwe vy’imbonekarimwe, bisa n’uko ata woronka agaciro abiha. None Chester Beatty yari nde? Kandi ni ubutunzi ubuhe yatororokanije?

Alfred Chester Beatty, uwavukiye i New York muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika mu 1875, mu bo akomokako harimwo Abanya Ekose, abanya Irilande be n’Abongereza. Ashikanye imyaka 32 y’amavuko, yari amaze kuronka itunga ryinshi ari umuhinga akaba n’umuhanuzwajambo mu vy’ubutare. Mu buzima bwiwe bwose, yarakoresheje itunga ryiwe rinini mu gutororokanya ibintu vy’akaroruhore kandi vy’agaciro ntangere. Igihe Beatty yapfa mu 1968, afise imyaka 92 y’amavuko, yarasigiye abantu bo muri Irilande ibintu vyiwe yari yaratororokanije vyose uko bingana.

Ni ibiki yatororokanije?

Ivyo Beatty yatororokanije birimwo ibintu vyinshi cane kandi bitandukanye. Igihe cose hagize uwushaka kubiratira ijisho haza harerekanwa nk’ic’ijana gusa cavyo. Yaratororokanije ibintu vy’imbonekarimwe kandi vy’agaciro vyo mu biringo vyinshi bitandukanye be n’ivyo mu mico kama myinshi itandukanye, vyo kuva mu myaka ibihumbi bitari bike: ni ukuvuga ivyo mu Buraya bwo muri ca kiringo co hagati y’ikinjana ca 6 n’ica 16 be n’ubwo muri ca kiringo co gukerebuka co hagati y’ikinjana ca 14 n’ica 17, gushiramwo n’ibintu vyo mu bihugu vyinshi vyo muri Aziya no muri Afirika. Nk’akarorero, ivyo yatororokanije vy’akaroruhore bigizwe n’ibicapo bishushanijwe ku tubaho mu buryo budasanzwe vyo mu Buyapani, bibonwa ko ari bimwe mu bintu bikoranywe ubuhinga cane kuruta ibindi vyose vyatororokanijwe kw’isi.

Ibintu bitandukanye rwose n’utugenegene tw’irangi be n’utwo mu biti, ni ivyatororokanijwe bitangaje bigizwe n’ibisate vyo mw’ibumba birenga ijana vy’Abanyababiloni n’Abanyasimeriya biriko inyandiko ya kera igizwe n’utumenyetso tumeze nk’imisumari. Abantu baba i Mezopotamiya ubu hakaba haciye imyaka irenga 4.000, baranditse inkuru y’ido n’ido y’ubuzima bwabo ku bisate vy’ibumba ribisi, baraheza barabiturira. Mwene ivyo bisate vyinshi vyararokotse bishika muri iki gihe cacu, bikaba biduha ikimenyamenya gitomoye c’uko inyandiko yabayeho kuva kera na rindi.

Yarashimishwa n’ibitabu

Bisa n’uko Chester Beatty yakwegerwa n’ubuhinga bujanye n’utugenegene bwakoreshwa mu guhingura ibitabu vyizavyiza. Yaratororokanije ibitabu ibihumbi n’ibihumbi bisanzwe be n’ivy’idini, harimwo n’amakopi amwamwe ya Korowani asharijwe mu buryo busiga ubwenge. Umwanditsi umwe avuga yuko Beatty “yari yagomwe ukuntu igisomwa c’icarabu canditswe mu buryo buri ku giharuro, . . . kandi ukuntu yakunda ibijanye n’amabara kwarakabuwe n’ubwiza bw’inyandiko inoboye y’iminwe iri ku tubabi tw’inzahabu n’ifeza be n’utwo mu bundi butare buboneka neza”.

Utubuyenge twitwa jade twarakwegera Chester Beatty, nk’uko nyene twakwegera bamwebamwe mu bami b’abami b’Ubushinwa mu binjana vya kera cane. Abo bami babona ko mwene utwo tubuyenge tunoboye ari two dufise agaciro mu mabuye y’agaciro yose, agaciro karuta kure n’iyo ak’inzahabu. Abo batware barashinga abantu b’abahinga igikorwa co gufata ibisate vy’utwo tubuyenge bakabibata bikavamwo utuntu tubase tunoboye neza tw’intimba ntoya. Abahinguzi b’utugenegene bari bafise ingabirano idasanzwe baraheza bakuzuza kuri utwo tubate dukozwe muri utwo tubuyenge inyandiko n’amashusho biryoheye ijisho bikozwe mu nzahabu, muri ubwo buryo bagakora bimwebimwe mu bitabu bitangaje kuruta ivyigeze guhingurwa. Ivyo bitabu Beatty yatororokanije vyarabaye rurangiranwa mw’isi.

Ivyandiko vya Bibiliya vy’iminwe vy’agaciro ntangere

Ku bakunda Bibiliya, ubutunzi bwa Chester Beatty buhambaye kuruta ubundi bwose, buri mu vyo yatororokanije bitagira uko bingana bigizwe n’ivyandiko vya Bibiliya vy’iminwe vya kera cane n’ivyo muri ca kiringo co hagati y’ikinjana ca 6 n’ica 16. Ivyandiko vy’iminwe bisharije mu buryo bw’akaroruhore birerekana ukwihangana n’ubuhanga mu vy’utugenegene abimuzi bavyimuye n’iminwe bari bafise. Ibitabu bicapuye biragaragaza ubuhanga be n’ubushobozi bwo kuryohora abahinguzi b’ibitabu be n’abacapuzi b’ibitabu ba kera bari bafise. Nk’akarorero, Bibiliya yitwa Biblia Latina yacapuriwe i Nuremberg mu 1479 n’uwitwa Anton Koberger, uno akaba yabayeho nko mu gihe kimwe na Johannes Gutenberg, adondorwa ko yari “umwe mu bacapuzi ba kera bahambaye kandi b’abanyamwete kuruta abandi”.

Ikintu kidasanzwe cerekanwa muri bwa Bubiko bw’ibitabu bwitiriwe Chester Beatty ni ivyandiko vy’iminwe vyanditswe ku rushato vyo mu ntango z’ikinjana ca kane vy’uwitwa Ephraem, akaba ari incabwenge y’Umunyasiriya. Ephraem arasubiramwo kenshi amajambo yo mu gitabu citwa Diatessaron co mu kinjana ca kabiri. Muri ico gitabu, umwanditsi Tasiyano yarasukiranije inkuru ziri muri za Njili zine zivuga ubuzima bwa Yezu Kirisitu azikuramwo inkuru imwe ikurikirana neza. Abanditsi bo hanyuma baravuze ivyerekeye Diatessaron, mugabo nta makopi y’ico gitabu yabandanije kubaho. Mbere incabwenge zimwezimwe zo mu kinjana ca 19 zarakekeranya ku vy’uko coba carabayeho. Ariko rero, mu 1956 Beatty yarubuye amajambo Ephraem yavuze kuri ca gitabu Diatessaron ca Tasiyano, iryo yubura rikaba ryarongereje ikimenyamenya cari gisanzwe kiriho c’uko Bibiliya ivuga ukuri kandi ko ari iyo kwizigirwa.

Icegeranyo c’ivyandiko vy’iminwe vyo ku nkorogoto vy’agaciro ntangere

Beatty yaratororokanije kandi igitigiri amahero c’ivyandiko vyo ku nkorogoto vyandikishijwe iminwe, ivy’Imana hamwe n’ibisanzwe. Ibitabu vyo mu nkorogoto vyandikishijwe iminwe birenga 50 bivugwa ko vyabayeho imbere y’ikinjana ca kane G.C. Bimwebimwe muri ivyo bitabu vyakuwe mu birundo binini vy’ivyandiko vyo ku nkorogoto, ahanini bikurwa mu mayarara y’ibipapuro vyari vyaratawe, vyamaze ibinjana n’ibindi bitaruburwa mu bugaragwa bwa Misiri. Ivyandiko vyinshi vyo ku nkorogoto vyaba ari ibipandepande igihe vyagurishwa. Abadandaza bavyo wasanga bazana amakarato yuzuye ibipandepande vy’ivyandiko vy’iminwe vyo ku nkorogoto. “Ababa bipfuza kubigura barasura muri nya makarato maze bakanoba igipande kinini kuruta ibindi caba kiriko igisomwa kinini”. Ivyo bivugwa na Charles Horton, uwari ajejwe kubungabunga utugenegene ndangakaranga two mu bihugu vy’i Buraya twegeranirijwe muri bwa Bubiko bw’ibitabu bwitiriwe Chester Beatty.

Horton avuga yuko “ibintu bidasanzwe kuruta ibindi vyose [Beatty] yubuye”, vyari bigizwe n’ibitabu vyandikishijwe iminwe vy’agaciro vya Bibiliya “vyarimwo amakopi amwamwe ya kera kuruta ayandi yari azwi y’ibitabu vy’abakirisu vy’Isezerano rya Kera be na Rishasha”. Abadandaji b’ibitabu bari bazi agaciro k’ivyo bitabu bashobora kuba barabitabagura kugira ngo bagurishe ibihimbahimba bitakiri kumwe, bakabigurisha ku baguzi batandukanye. Ariko rero, Beatty yarashoboye kugura vyinshi cane muri vyo. None ivyo bitabu vyandikishijwe iminwe bihambaye ku rugero rungana iki? Umushingantahe Frederic Kenyon adondora iyuburwa ryavyo ko “rihambaye kuruta ayandi yose” kubera ko Tischendorf yubuye ca candiko candikishijwe iminwe ari co Codex Sinaiticus mu 1844.

Ivyo bitabu vyandikishijwe iminwe bivugwa ko vyabayeho hagati y’ikinjana ca kabiri n’ica kane G.C. Mu bitabu vy’Ivyanditswe vy’igiheburayo vyo muri ya mpinduro ya Bibiliya y’ikigiriki yitwa Septante harimwo amakopi abiri y’igitabu c’Itanguriro. Ayo makopi arafise agaciro kadasanzwe “kubera yuko igice kinini c’ico gitabu [c’Itanguriro] ata kiri muri vya vyandiko vyandikishijwe iminwe [vyanditswe ku nsato vyo mu kinjana ca kane] vyitwa vaticanus na Sinaiticus”. Ivyo bivugwa na Kenyon. Ibitabu bitatu vyandikishijwe iminwe birimwo ibitabu vy’Ivyanditswe vy’ikigiriki vya gikirisu. Kimwe kirimwo igice kinini ca za Njili zine be n’igice kinini c’igitabu c’Ivyakozwe n’intumwa. Igitabu kigira kabiri, hamwe n’izindi mpapuro Beatty yaronse mu nyuma, kirafise ikopi isa n’iyikwiye y’amakete Paulo yanditse, tudasize inyuma ca cete yandikiye Abaheburayo. Igitabu kigira gatatu kirimwo nk’ica gatatu c’igitabu c’Ivyahishuriwe. Twisunze ivyo Kenyon yavuze, ivyo vyandiko vyandikishijwe iminwe vyo ku nkorogoto “vyarakomeje bimwe bifadika ishingiro ryari risanzwe rikomeye ry’ukwizigira dufitiye igisomwa c’Isezerano Rishasha dufise ubu”.

Ivyo vyandiko vya Bibiliya vyandikishijwe iminwe ku nkorogoto vya Chester Beatty vyerekana yuko abakirisu batanguye gukoresha codex canke igitabu kigizwe n’impapuro kuva kera cane mu gishingo c’umuzingo ugoye gukoresha, bikaba bishoboka cane ko ari imbere y’impera z’ikinjana ca mbere G.C. Nya vyandiko vyerekana kandi yuko kubera ibikoresho vyo kwandika vyari bikeyi, abimuzi akenshi bakoresha impapuro zo mu nkorogoto zaba zarakoze. Nk’akarorero, icandikano kimwe candikishijwe iminwe co mu rurimi rwitwa copte, c’igihimba c’Injili ya Yohani, canditswe “mu kintu kiboneka yuko ari igitabu c’imyimenyerezo bakoresha mw’ishure kirimwo ibiharuro vy’Abagiriki”.

Ivyo vyandikano vyandikishijwe iminwe ku nkorogoto ntibiryoheye ijisho, mugabo birafise agaciro ntangere. Ni ibintu biboneka, bifadika bidushikana ku ntango nyezina y’ubukirisu. Charles Horton avuga ati: “Aho, imbere y’amaso yawe bwite, urashobora kubona ubwoko bw’ibitabu vyakoreshwa mu bibano bimwebimwe vya kera cane vy’abakirisu, bikaba ari ibitabu bafatana agaciro” (Imigani 2:4, 5). Niwaronka akaryo ko kwihweza bumwebumwe muri ubwo butunzi muri bwa Bubiko bw’ibitabu bwitiriwe Chester Beatty, ntuzokwicuza.

[Ifoto ku rup. 31]

Igicapo gishushanijwe ku kabaho co mu Buyapani cashushanijwe n’uwitwa Katsushika Hokusai

[Ifoto ku rup. 31]

“Biblia Latina” yari mu makopi yacapuwe ya kera kuruta ayandi yose ya Bibiliya

[Ifoto ku rup. 31]

Ivyo Ephraem yavuze ku gitabu “Diatessaron” ca Tasiyano vyararushirije gushigikira ivy’uko Bibiliya ivuga ukuri

[Ifoto ku rup. 31]

Chester Beatty P45, codex ya kera kuruta izindi zose mw’isi, irimwo igice kinini ca za Njili zine be n’igice kinini c’igitabu c’Ivyakozwe n’intumwa, bikaba biri mu gitabu kimwe

[Abo dukesha ifoto ku rup. 29]

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

[Abo dukesha ifoto ku rup. 31]

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