ICodex YaseWashington YeeVangeli
NGODISEMBA 1906, umninimzi-mveliso nomqokeleli wemisebenzi yobugcisa osisityebi waseMerika, uCharles L. Freer, wathenga imibhalo-ngqangi emidala kumrhwebi womArabhu ogama linguAli, eGiza, eYiputa. UAli wathi yayivela kuMzi Woonongendi Omhlophe kufutshane neSohâg, kodwa ngokunokwenzeka yafunyanwa kumabhodlo oMzi Woonongendi woMlimi-zidiliya, kufutshane nengcwaba lokumkani waseYiputa (pyramid) lesithathu eliseGiza ekungeneni kweNtlambo yomNayile eLwandle.
UFreer wanikwa imibhalo-ngqangi emithathu kunye “nembumba eyonakeleyo, neyenziwe mnyama yezintsu ngaphandle iqine yaye inkumenkume okwentlaka.” Le mbumba yayiziisentimitha ezili-17 ubude, iisentimitha ezili-11 ububanzi, neesentimitha ezine ubungqingqwa yaye yathengiswa nale mibhalo-ngqangi kuphela nje kuba yayinxulumene nayo, kungacingelwa ukuba yona yayixabisekile nangayiphi na indlela. Yayingumsebenzi ofuna inyameko enkulu nofuna ubuchule ukwahlukanisa loo mbumba yamacwecwe amaphepha, kodwa ekugqibeleni kwafumaneka angama-84, onke ingawecodex yeencwadi zikaPawulos zenkulungwane yesihlanu okanye yesithandathu yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo.
Omnye waloo mibhalo-ngqangi mithathu iseleyo wawungowencwadi yeDuteronomi nekaYoshuwa. Omnye wawungoweeNdumiso, uthatyathwe kwinguqulelo yeSeptuagint yesiGrike. Noko ke, owesithathu nongowona ubalulekileyo kuyo yonke, yayingumbhalo-ngqangi weeVangeli ezine.
Lo mbhalo-ngqangi weeVangeli ezine ebunjwe yimisongo yezintsu eli-187 esukwe yathamba, ubukhulu becala yayiyeyesikhumba segusha, ibhalwe ngoonobumba abakhulu abakekelisiweyo besiGrike. Kungenkankulu ukuba ufumane iziphumlisi, kodwa kusoloko kukho izithutyana phakathi kwamabinzana. Imiqukumbelo yalo mbhalo-ngqangi yonakele kakhulu, kodwa inkoliso yoko kubhaliweyo iye yalondolozwa. Kamva yanikezelwa kwiNdlu eBonisa Ngemisebenzi Yobugcisa kaFreer yeZiko iSmithson, eWashington, D.C. Ekubeni yayibizwa ngokuba yiCodex yaseWashington yeeVangeli, yanikwa unobumba wokuyahlula ongu “W.”
Lo mbhalo-ngqangi wezintsu kuye kwathiwa ungowasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesine okanye ungowethuba lasekuqaleni kweyesihlanu yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, ukuze ungabi ngemva kakhulu kwimibhalo-ngqangi emithathu ebalulekileyo owaseSinayi, owaseVatican nowaseAlexandriya. Ezi Vangeli (ziphelele ngaphandle kwamaphepha amabini) zilandelelana ngendlela efane ibizwe ngokuba yeyaseNtshona kaMateyu, uYohane, uLuka noMarko.
Ukufundwa kwalo mbhalo-ngqangi kutyhila iindlela ezahlukahlukeneyo zokubhala, nganye ilicandelo elikhulu elide. Kubonakala ngathi wakhutshelwa ngokusuka kumasuntswana emibhalo-ngqangi eliqela eyasindayo, ngalinye libhalwe ngokwahlukileyo kwelinye. Unjingalwazi H. A. Sanders uthi oku kusenokuba kwenzeka emva phayaa ngexesha lokutshutshiswa ngesiquphe kwamaKristu nguMlawuli uDiocletian ngonyaka wama-303 C.E., ekwathi ngomthetho wakhe yonke imibhalo yeZibhalo kwayalelwa ukuba itshiswe esidlangalaleni. Siyazi ngokusuka kwiingxelo zembali ukuba eminye imibhalo-ngqangi yafihlwa ngelo xesha. Kuyabonakala ukuba, kwiminyaka engamashumi kamva umntu ongaziwayo wakhuphela iinxalenye ezasindayo zemibhalo-ngqangi eyahlukeneyo ukuvelisa umbhalo weCodex yaseWashington. Kamva, inxalenye yokuqala yemisongo ebumba incwadi kaYohane (Yohane 1:1 kuse kwesesi–5:11) yalahleka ngathuba lithile yaye kwafuneka ibuye ibhalwe kwinkulungwane yesixhenxe yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo.
Kukho izinto ezithile ezahlukeneyo nezibangel’ umdla kwindlela ekubhalwe ngayo nesihlomelo esingaqhelekanga, kodwa esithandabuzekayo kuMarko isahluko 16 mhlawumbi esavela njengombhalo oseludinini. Ixabiso elikhethekileyo lalo mbhalo-ngqangi lisekuvisisaneni kwawo neenguqulelo ezindala zesiLatin kunye nezibhalwe ngolwimi lwaseSiriya. Amachaphaza ekhandlela awawela kulo mbhalo-ngqangi wezintsu abonisa ukuba wawusetyenziswa kakhulu.
Phezu kwayo nje intshutshiso nenkcaso nomonakalo obangelwa lithuba elide lexesha, iBhayibhile siye sayilondolozelwa ngokumangalisayo ngemibhalo-ngqangi emininzi. Enyanisweni, “ilizwi leNkosi lihleli ngonaphakade.”—1 Petros 1:25; Isaya 40:8.
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 15]
Courtesy of Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution