Chester Beatty Jwetrii lɛ Amlikwɛmɔ

“EMLI eyi obɔ kɛ hiŋmɛigbelemɔi srɔtoi babaoo ni tee nɔ yɛ blema beaŋ lɛ ahe jwetri nibii, . . . emli kpɛlɛɔ fɛfɛo kɛ mɛi ahe mfonirii bibii srɔtoi kɛ mfonirii ni atɛŋ.” Nɛkɛ ji bɔ ni R. J. Hayes, ni eji Chester Beatty Library (Chester Beatty Wojiatoohe) ni yɔɔ Dublin yɛ Ireland lɛ tsutsu nɔkwɛlɔ lɛ wie yɛ wojiatoohe nɛɛ he. Eji nitoohe ko ni akɛ blema nibii ni jara wa, nibii ni yɔɔ fɛo jogbaŋŋ ni ŋaalɔi fee, kɛ woji srɔtoi ni amɛnámɔ wa kɛ woji ni akɛ niji ŋmala ni he yɔɔ sɛɛnamɔ waa eto mli. Belɛ, namɔ ji Chester Beatty? Ni mɛɛ jwetrii anaa ebua?

Afɔ́ Alfred Chester Beatty yɛ afi 1875 yɛ U.S.A., ni ewekutɔkpãa jɛ Scotland, Ireland, kɛ England. Beni eyeɔ afii 32 lɛ, no mli ená nii babaoo ákɛ ojarawatɛi atsaa nitsulɔ nukpa kɛ ŋaawolɔ. Ekɛ nii babaoo ni ená yɛ eshihilɛ be fɛɛ mli lɛ tsu nii ni ekɛbua nibii ni yɔɔ fɛo kɛ nibii ni abuɔ akɛ ehi fe fɛɛ lɛ anaa. Beni Beatty gbo yɛ afi 1968, be mli ni eye afii 92 lɛ, nibii fɛɛ ni ebua naa lɛ batsɔ Ireland maŋbii lɛ anɔ.

Mɛɛ Nibii Anaa Ebua?

Beatty bua nibii srɔtoi babaoo anaa. Aaafee nibii nɛɛ 100 mlijaa 1 pɛ anyɛɔ akɛtsɔɔ yɛ be kome mli. Ebua ojarawa nibii ni amɛnámɔ wa ni eye afii akpei abɔ anaa yɛ bei srɔtoi kɛ maji srɔtoi amli—kɛjɛ teŋgbɛ afii lɛ kɛ Nibii Atsakemɔ Be ni tee nɔ yɛ Europa lɛ afii lɛ amli, kɛ agbɛnɛ hu kɛjɛ maji ni yɔɔ Asia kɛ Afrika lɛ amli. Ákɛ nɔkwɛmɔnɔ lɛ, abuɔ Japanbii amamai komɛi ni aye samai awo mli ni yɔɔ fɛo waa ni ebua naa lɛ akɛ eji mamai ni yɔɔ fɛo fe fɛɛ yɛ je lɛŋ lɛ ateŋ ekome.

Babilon kɛ Sumeria sũ tɛtaoi ni fe 100 ni akɛ blema tao nɔ niŋmaai eŋmala nɔ nii lɛ ji nibii komɛi ni yɔɔ miishɛɛ ni abua naa ni esoro amɛ kwraa yɛ nibii ni ŋaalɔi fee lɛ ahe. Gbɔmɛi ni hi shi yɛ Mesopotamia aaafee afii 4,000 ni eho lɛ ŋmala amɛwala shihilɛi ahe saji fitsofitso yɛ sũ tɛtaoi ni efɔ anɔ, kɛkɛ lɛ amɛka yɛ hulu nɔ loo amɛkɛwo la mli ni egbi. Tɛtaoi nɛɛ babaoo ehi shi kɛbashi wɔgbii nɛɛ, ni enɛɛmɛi kɛ bɔ ni blema niŋmaai yɔɔ ha lɛ he odaseyeli ni yɔɔ faŋŋ haa wɔ.

Ená Woji Ahe Miishɛɛ Waa

Etamɔ nɔ ni Chester Beatty ná hesaai ni akɛŋmalaa woji kpakpai lɛ ahe miishɛɛ. Ebua je lɛŋ wolokpoi kɛ jamɔŋ wolokpoi akpei abɔ anaa, ni nɔ ni fata he ji Koran srɔtoi ni aye samai hwanyaŋŋ awo sɛɛ. Woloŋmalɔ ko kɛɛ akɛ, “ená bɔ ni ajara Arabik niŋmaai lɛ amli pɛpɛɛpɛ aha lɛ he miishɛɛ waa, . . . ni enya ebaafai lɛ ni akɛ shika tsuru kɛ akɔɔble kɛ ojarawa tɛi krokomɛi ni kpɛ́lɛɔ lɛ asu fee, kɛ emli niŋmaai fɛfɛji lɛ ahe jogbaŋŋ.”

Chester Beatty ná ojarawatɛ ni ale lɛ akɛ jade lɛ he miishɛɛ waa taakɛ eba lɛ yɛ China nɔyelɔi ni hi shi yɛ afii ohai abɔ ni tsɔ hiɛ lɛ agbɛfaŋ lɛ. Amɛbu ojarawatɛ nɛɛ akɛ eji ojarawatɛi lɛ ateŋ nɔ ni jara wa fe fɛɛ, ákɛ ejara wa kwraa fe shika tsuru. Nɛkɛ nɔyelɔi nɛɛ kɛ nitsumɔ wo ŋaalɔi ni he esa waa adɛŋ ni amɛsere ojarawatɛ nɛɛ ekomɛi fɛtɛfɛtɛ tamɔ wolo kɛ ehiɛ trotro fɛfɛo. No sɛɛ lɛ ŋaalɔi ni he esa jogbaŋŋ lɛ ŋmala ojarawatɛ ni akɛfee wolo nɛɛ amli fɛfɛo ni amɛkɛ shika tsuru tɛŋ emli mfonirii lɛ, ni enɛ ha woji nɛɛ bafee woji ni yɔɔ naakpɛɛ fe fɛɛ ni afee pɛŋ lɛ ateŋ ekomɛi. Nɛkɛ woji nɛɛ ni Beatty bua naa lɛ ehe gbɛi yɛ je lɛŋ fɛɛ.

Biblia Woji ni Akɛ Niji Ŋmala ni He Yɔɔ Sɛɛnamɔ Waa

Kɛha mɛi ni sumɔɔ Biblia lɛ, jwetrii ni fe fɛɛ ni Chester Beatty bua naa ji Biblia srɔtoi babaoo ni akɛ niji ŋmala yɛ blema beaŋ kɛ teŋgbɛ afii lɛ amli ni ebua naa lɛ. Woji ni akɛ niji ŋmala ni aye samai awo mli kɛ esɛɛ  fɛfɛo lɛ jieɔ tsuishitoo kɛ hesaai ni woloŋmalɔi ni kɛ amɛniji ŋmala lɛ kɛtsu nii lɛ kpo. Woji ni akala lɛ jieɔ wolokpoi afeelɔi kɛ woji akalalɔi ni hi shi yɛ mra be mli lɛ ahesaai kɛ nitsumɔ mli ŋaalee lɛ kpo. Ákɛ nɔkwɛmɔnɔ lɛ, awie Anton Koberger, ni kɛ Johannes Gutenberg hi shi yɛ be kome mli, ní ekala Biblia Latina yɛ Nuremberg yɛ afi 1479 lɛ he akɛ “efata mra be mli woji akalalɔi ni yɔɔ ekãa ni amɛhe hiaa fe fɛɛ lɛ ahe.”

Nibii ni akɛtsɔɔ yɛ Chester Beatty Wojiatoohe lɛ ateŋ ekome ni sa kadimɔ waa ji wolo ko ni akɛ koolooi ahewolo fee ni Ephraem, ni eji Sirianyo nilelɔ kɛ enine ŋma yɛ afii 400 lɛ shishijee gbɛ lɛ. Ephraem tsɛ́ wiemɔi babaoo ayisɛɛ kɛjɛ wolo ko ni afee yɛ afii 200 lɛ mli ní gbɛi ji Diatessaron lɛ mli. Tatian, ni ji mɔ ni ŋma wolo nɛɛ bua Yesu Kristo shihilɛ he saji ni yɔɔ Sanekpakpai ejwɛ lɛ amli lɛ anaa ni eŋma ewo wolo nɛɛ mli akɛ sane kome. Woloŋmalɔi ni ba yɛ sɛɛ mli lɛ wie Diatessaron lɛ he, shi wolo nɛɛ eko bɛ dɔŋŋ. Nilelɔi komɛi ni hi shi yɛ afii ohai 19 lɛ mli lɛ ayiŋ etɛ̃ɛɛ amɛ akɛ ayɛ wolo ko po nakai. Shi yɛ afi 1956 lɛ, Beatty yana saji ni Ephraem ŋmala yɛ Tatian wolo ni ji Diatessaron lɛ he—nɔ ko ni ana ni maa odaseyeli ni yɔɔ ni tsɔɔ akɛ Biblia lɛ ja ni eji anɔkwale lɛ nɔ mi.

Woji ni Akɛ Adaa Fee ni Akɛ Niji Ŋmala ni He Yɔɔ Sɛɛnamɔ Waa

Beatty bua woji babaoo hu ni akɛ adaa fee ni akɛ niji ŋmala anaa, jamɔŋ nɔ̃ kɛ je lɛŋ nɔ̃ fɛɛ. Ayɛ woji ni fe 50 ni akɛ adaa fee ni akɛ niji ŋmala, ni aŋmala dani afii 400 Ŋ.B. shɛ. Nine shɛ woji ni akɛ adaa fee nɛɛ ekomɛi anɔ kɛjɛ adaa woji ni abua naa ashwie shi babaoo—yɛ he ko ni atsiɔ woji ashwieɔ—ni hi shi yɛ Mizraim shia ŋa lɛ nɔ afii ohai abɔ ni mɔ ko leee lɛ.. Beni ahɔɔ adaa woji nɛɛ lɛ, no mli lɛ pii etsɛrɛ. Mɛi ni yeɔ woji nɛɛ ahe jara lɛ baa kɛ woji adekai ni eyimɔ obɔbɔ kɛ adaa woji ni etserɛ. Charles Horton, ni eji Western Collection of the Chester Beatty Wojiatoohe lɛ nɔkwɛlɔ lɛ kɛɛ akɛ: “Mɛi ni yɔɔ he miishɛɛ akɛ amɛaahe lɛ kɛ amɛniji woɔ adeka lɛ mli ni amɛkɔlɔɔ woji ni etserɛ lɛ ateŋ nɔ ni da fe fɛɛ ni eniŋmaai fa fe fɛɛ lɛ.”

Horton kɛɛ akɛ: “Nibii ni” Beatty “na lɛ ateŋ nɔ ni sa kadimɔ fe fɛɛ” ji Biblia wolokpoi ni akɛ niji ŋmala ni he yɔɔ sɛɛnamɔ waa ni “Kristofoi a-Kpaŋmɔ Momo kɛ Kpaŋmɔ Hee ni etsɛ fe fɛɛ ni ale lɛ ekomɛi fata” he. Mɛi ni yeɔ woji nɛɛ ahe jara ni amɛle sɛɛnamɔ ni yɔɔ wolokpoi ni akɛ niji ŋmala nɛɛ ahe lɛ baanyɛ agbála wolokpoi nɛɛ ni amɛhɔ̃ɔ efã fɛɛ fã amɛha mɔ kroko. Shi kɛlɛ, Beatty nyɛ ehe wolokpoi nɛɛ amli nɔ ni fa. Mɛɛ sɛɛnamɔ yɔɔ wolokpoi nɛɛ ahe? Sir Frederic Kenyon wie wolokpoi ni Beatty kɛ ehefatalɔi lɛ yana nɛɛ ahe akɛ, kɛjɛ beni Tischendorf yana wolokpo ni ji Codex Sinaiticus lɛ yɛ afi 1844 kɛbaa nɛɛ, Beatty nɔ lɛ ji “nɔ ni he yɔɔ sɛɛnamɔ fe fɛɛ.”

Aŋmala Biblia wolokpoi ni akɛ niji ŋmala nɛɛ yɛ afii 200 kɛ afii 400 lɛ amli. Mose Klɛŋklɛŋ Wolo lɛ srɔtoi enyɔ fata Hebri Ŋmalɛi ni yɔɔ Hela Septuagint shishitsɔɔmɔ lɛ mli lɛ he. Kenyon kɛɛ akɛ, enɛɛmɛi ahe yɛ sɛɛnamɔ waa “ejaakɛ wolo lɛ [Mose Klɛŋklɛŋ Wolo lɛ] fã kpotoo bɛ Vaticanus kɛ Sinaiticus,” ni ji woji ni akɛ koolooi ahewolo fee ni akɛ niji ŋmala yɛ afii 400 lɛ mli “lɛ amli.” Kristofoi a-Hela Ŋmalɛi lɛ amli woji yɛ Biblia wolokpoi ni akɛ niji ŋmala nɛɛ ateŋ etɛ mli. Sanekpakpai lɛ ateŋ nɔ ni fa kɛ Bɔfoi lɛ Asaji lɛ fã kpotoo yɛ wolokpo kome mli. Bɔfo Paulo woji ni eŋmala lɛ fɛɛ, ní wolo ni eŋma kɛyaha Hebribii lɛ fata he lɛ yɛ Biblia wolokpo ni akɛ niji ŋmala lɛ nɔ ni ji enyɔ ni baafai krokomɛi yɔɔ mli, ni Beatty nine shɛ nɔ yɛ sɛɛ mli lɛ mli. Aaafee Kpojiemɔ wolo lɛ mlijaa etɛ mli ekome yɛ Biblia wolokpo ni akɛ niji ŋmala lɛ nɔ ni ji etɛ lɛ mli. Taakɛ  Kenyon tsɔɔ lɛ, nɛkɛ woji ni akɛ adaa fee nɛɛ “kɛ odaseyeli babaoo ni yɔɔ faŋŋ woɔ—hekɛnɔfɔɔ ni mli wa ni wɔyɔɔ momo—yɛ Kpaŋmɔ Hee ni wɔyɔɔ ŋmɛnɛ lɛ mli lɛ mli hewalɛ.”

Chester Beatty Biblia ni akɛ adaa fee lɛ tsɔɔ akɛ Kristofoi bɔi wolokpo ni akɛ niji ŋmala, loo woji ni hiɛ baafai lɛ kɛ nitsumɔ yɛ wolo ni akotaa najiaŋ yɛ mra be mli, ekolɛ dani klɛŋklɛŋ afii 100 Ŋ.B. lɛ ba naagbee. Woji ni akɛ adaa fee lɛ hu jie lɛ kpo akɛ, kɛ́ anáaa nibii ni aŋmalaa saji awoɔ mli lɛ, bei pii lɛ mɛi ni kwɛɔ nibii anɔ amɛŋmalaa lɛ kuɔ sɛɛ amɛkɛ adaa woji memeji ni yɔɔ lɛ tsuɔ nii ekoŋŋ. Ákɛ nɔkwɛmɔnɔ lɛ, aŋmala Yohane sanekpakpa lɛ fã ko ni aŋma yɛ Coptbii awiemɔ mli lɛ “yɛ nɔ ko ni tamɔ skul nifeemɔ wolo ko ni Hela akɔntaabuu yɔɔ nɔ lɛ mli.”

Woji ni akɛ adaa fee nɛɛ bɛ fɛo, shi amɛhe yɛ sɛɛnamɔ waa. Amɛji odaseyelii ni anaa faŋŋ ni gbalaa jwɛŋmɔ kɛyaa Kristojamɔ shishijee nɔ. Charles Horton kɛɛ akɛ: “Obaanyɛ ojɛ woji ni akɛ adaa fee ni jwere ohiɛ nɛɛ amli ona nɔ̃ woji ni mra be mli Kristofoi lɛ ateŋ mɛikomɛi kɛtsu nii—woji ni amɛbu amɛ akɛ amɛhe yɛ sɛɛnamɔ waa.” (Abɛi 2:4, 5) Kɛ oná hegbɛ akɛ opɛi jwetrii nɛɛ ni yɔɔ Chester Beatty Wojiatoohe lɛ ekomɛi amli lɛ, omii baashɛ ohe.

[Mfoniri ni yɔɔ baafa 31]

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

[Mfoniri ni yɔɔ baafa 31]

Japanbii amama ko ni Katsushika Hokusai fee

[Mfoniri ni yɔɔ baafa 31]

”Biblia Latina” lɛ fata Bibliai ni akala ni etsɛ fe fɛɛ lɛ ahe

[Mfoniri ni yɔɔ baafa 31]

Saji ni Ephraem ŋmala yɛ Tatian wolo ni ji “Diatessaron” lɛ he lɛ maa ja ni Biblia lɛ ja ha lɛ nɔ mi

[He ni Mfoniri ni yɔɔ baafa 29 lɛ Jɛ]

Áfee Sanekpakpai ejwɛ lɛ ateŋ nɔ ni fa kɛ Bɔfoi lɛ Asaji lɛ fã kpotoo kpo kome yɛ Chester Beatty P45, ni ji Biblia wolokpoi ni akɛ niji ŋmala ni etsɛ fe fɛɛ yɛ je lɛŋ atɛŋ ekome lɛ mli

[He ni Mfoniri ni yɔɔ baafa 31 lɛ Jɛ]

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