Kuona Chuma cha Chester Beatty

“KULI zinthu zambirimbiri zamtengo wapatali zochokera m’madera osiyanasiyana akale amene anali otukuka, . . . komanso kuli zithunzi zogometsa kwambiri zojambulidwa pamanja zazing’onozing’ono ndi zazikuluzikulu.” Umu ndi mmene R.  J.  Hayes, yemwe kale anali woyang’anira nyumba ina yosungiramo zinthu zakale ananenera mwachidule za laibulale ya Chester Beatty ya ku Dublin, m’dziko la Ireland. Ku laibulaleyi kuli zinthu zamakedzana zambirimbiri zamtengo wapatali. Kulinso zithunzi ndi zosemasema zokongola, ndiponso mabuku osoŵa ochita kusindikizidwa ndiponso olembedwa pamanja. Kodi Chester Beatty anali ndani? Nanga kodi anatolera zinthu zotani?

Alfred Chester Beatty, anabadwa mu 1875 mu mzinda wa New York, m’dziko la America, ndipo makolo ndi agogo ake ena anali ochokera ku Scotland, ena ku Ireland, ndiponso ena ku England. Pamene amafika zaka 32, n’kuti atalemera kwambiri popeza anali mkulu woyendetsa makampani okumba migodi. Pamoyo wake wonse, chuma chake chambiri chinathera potolera zinthu zokongola ndi zamtengo wapatali. Beatty anamwalira mu 1968 ali ndi zaka 92, ndipo zinthu zonse zimene anatolera anasiyira anthu a ku Ireland.

Kodi Anatolera Zinthu Zotani?

Beatty anatolera zinthu zambiri komanso zosiyanasiyana. Koma nthaŵi zonse akamaonetsa zinthuzi amangoonetsapo zochepa chabe. Iye anatolera zinthu zosoŵa komanso zamtengo wapatali zakale kwambiri, zochokera kwa anthu azikhalidwe zosiyanasiyana, panthaŵi zosiyanasiyana, zina za ku Ulaya za m’zaka za m’ma 500 mpaka m’ma 1500, ndiponso za m’mayiko ambiri a ku Asia ndi ku Africa kuno. Mwachitsanzo, anthu amati zithunzi za ku Japan zimene iye anapeza zojambulidwa pogwiritsa ntchito zidindo zamatabwa zili m’gulu la zithunzi zokongola kwambiri padziko lonse za mtunduwu.

Komanso kuli mapale oposa 100 ochititsa chidwi kwambiri olembedwa m’zilembo zachikale zochita kuzokota za Ababulo ndi Asumeriya. Anthu amene anali kukhala ku Mesopotamiya zaka zoposa 4,000 zapitazo ankalemba mwatsatanetsatane za moyo wawo padongo, limene kenako anali kuliwotcha. Mapale ambiri angati ameneŵa akupezeka masiku ano, ndipo amatipatsa umboni woonekeratu wakuti kulemba kunayamba kale kwambiri.

Ankachita Chidwi ndi Mabuku

Zikuoneka kuti Chester Beatty ankachita chidwi ndi luso lopanga mabuku abwino. Iye anatolera mabuku ambiri ankhani wamba ndiponso ankhani zachipembedzo, komanso mabuku a Koran okongoletsedwa kwambiri. Mwamuna wina wolemba nkhani ananena kuti Chester Beatty “anachita chidwi ndi kalembedwe kaluso ka malemba a Chiarabu, . . . ndipo popeza anali munthu wokonda zinthu zokongola anakopekanso kwambiri ndi mmene malemba ake olembedwa mwaluso anawakongoletsera ndi golide ndi siliva ndiponso miyala ina yamtengo wapatali.”

Miyala ya jade inam’chititsa chidwi Chester Beatty, monga momwe inawachititsira chidwi mafumu ena a ku China a m’mbuyomo. Iwo ankaona miyala yabwino kwambiri yamtunduwu kukhala yamtengo wapatali koposa miyala ina yonse, ngakhale golide amene. Olamulira ameneŵa anauza amisiri aluso kuti apange masileti a miyala imeneyi. Kenako amisiri aluso ankalemba mawu ndi kujambula zithunzi zokongola za golide pa masiletiwo, mwa njira imeneyi anapanga ena mwa mabuku okongola koposa. Mabuku amtunduwu amene Beatty anatolera n’ngodziŵika padziko lonse.

Mabuku a Baibulo Amtengo Wapatali Olembedwa Pamanja

Kwa anthu amene amakonda Baibulo, chinthu chamtengo wapatali pa zinthu zonse zimene Chester Beatty anatolera ndicho mabuku a m’Baibulo ambirimbiri akale olembedwa pamanja komanso ena a m’zaka za m’ma 500 mpaka m’ma 1500. Mabuku olembedwa pamanja  okongoletsedwa kwambiri amasonyeza kuti anthu amene anakopera pamanja mabukuŵa anali anthu ogwira ntchito yawoyo moleza mtima ndiponso mwaluso. Mabuku osindikizidwa amasonyeza kuti anthu oyambirira opanga ndiponso osindikiza mabuku anali aluso. Mwachitsanzo, anthu amati Anton Koberger, amene anakhala ndi moyo panthaŵi yofanana ndi Johannes Gutenberg, amene anasindikiza buku lakuti Biblia Latina ku Nuremberg m’chaka cha 1479, ndi “munthu mmodzi wofunika kwambiri ndiponso wakhama pa anthu oyambirira osindikiza mabuku.”

Chinthu china chapadera chimene chili ku laibulale ya Chester Beatty ndi buku la zikopa lolembedwa pamanja la kumayambiriro kwa zaka za m’ma 300 limene Ephraem yemwe anali katswiri wamaphunziro wa ku Suriya analemba. M’bukuli muli mawu ambirimbiri amene Ephraem anawatenga m’buku la m’zaka za m’ma 100 lotchedwa Diatessaron. Bukuli linalembedwa ndi Tatian ndipo nkhani zonse za m’Mauthenga Abwino anayi a moyo wa Yesu Kristu anaziika kuti zikhale nkhani imodzi. Patapita nthaŵi, olemba mabuku anali kutchula za buku la Diatessaron, koma bukuli silinkapezekanso. Motero, akatswiri ena amaphunziro a m’zaka za m’ma 1800 anafika pokayikira kuti bukuli linalikodi m’mbuyomo. Komabe, mu 1956, Beatty anapeza zimene Ephraem ananena zokhudza buku la Diatessaron limene Tatian analemba, ndipo zimenezi zinawonjezera umboni womwe unalipo kale wakuti Baibulo ndi lolondola.

Mabuku Amtengo Wapatali Olembedwa pa Gumbwa

Beatty anatoleranso zolembedwa pa gumbwa zambirimbiri, zofotokoza nkhani zachipembedzo ndi nkhani wamba. Mabuku oposa 50 olembedwa pa gumbwa analipo zisanafike zaka za m’ma 300 Kristu Atabwera. Ena mwa mabukuŵa anawapeza pa milu ya gumbwa, makamaka kotaya mapepala, ndipo panatenga zaka zambiri kuti anthu awatulukire m’chipululu cha ku Igupto. Zolembedwa pa gumbwa zambiri zinkagulitsidwa zili zodyekadyeka. Anthu amalonda ankatenga makatoni odzala ndi zinyalala za mabuku a gumbwa. Charles Horton, yemwe amayang’anira gawo la zinthu zakale za m’mayiko akumadzulo lotchedwa Western Collections of the Chester Beatty Library, anati: “Amene anali kufuna kugula mabukuwo ankangopisa dzanja m’katonimo n’kutenga mbali ya buku imene ili yaikulu kwambiri ndiponso ili ndi zolemba zambiri.”

Horton anati pa “zinthu zapadera kwambiri zimene [Beatty] anapeza” panali mabuku amtengo wapatali a m’Baibulo ndipo “ena mwa mabukuŵa ndi mabuku achikristu akale kwambiri a Chipangano Chakale ndi Chatsopano amene apezedwa.” Anthu amalonda amene ankadziŵa kuti mabukuŵa ndi ofunika ankawathotholathothola n’kumawagulitsa. Komabe, Beatty anagula ambiri mwa mabukuwo. Koma kodi mabukuŵa ndi ofunika kwambiri motani? Bwana Frederic Kenyon anati kuyambira pamene Tischendorf anapeza buku la Codex Sinaiticus m’chaka cha 1844 “sipanapezekenso buku lina lililonse lofunika kwambiri kuposa mabuku ameneŵa.”

Mabuku ameneŵa ndi a m’zaka za m’ma 100 ndi 300 Kristu Atabwera. Pa mabuku a Malemba Achihebri a m’Baibulo lachigiriki la Septuagint muli mabuku aŵiri a Genesis. Kenyon anati mabuku ameneŵa ndi amtengo wapatali kwambiri, “chifukwa chakuti pafupifupi buku lonse la [Genesis] silipezeka m’mabuku a zikopa olembedwa pamanja a Vaticanus ndi Sinaiticus a m’zaka za m’ma 300.” Mabuku atatu ali ndi Malemba Achigiriki Achikristu. Buku lina lili ndi pafupifupi malemba onse a mabuku anayi a Mauthenga Abwino ndiponso mbali yaikulu ya buku la Machitidwe. Buku lachiŵiri, limene lili ndi masamba owonjezera amene Beatty anadzawapeza patapita nthaŵi, lili ndi pafupifupi makalata onse a mtumwi Paulo, ndiponso kalata imene analembera Ahebri. Buku lachitatu lili ndi mbali yaikulu ndithu ya buku la Chivumbulutso. Malinga n’zimene ananena Kenyon, zolembedwa pa gumbwa zimenezi “zimatilimbikitsa kwambiri chifukwa zikutipatsa umboni woonekeratu wachikhulupiriro chimene tili nacho kale chakuti  malemba a Chipangano Chatsopano amene tili nawo panopa ndi oonadi.”

Malemba a Baibulo olembedwa pa gumbwa a Chester Beatty amasonyeza kuti Akristu anayamba kalekale kugwiritsira ntchito mabuku okhala ndi masamba, m’malo mwa mipukutu imene inali yovuta kunyamula, mwachionekere pasanathe zaka 100 zoyambirira Kristu Atabwera. Zolembedwa pa gumbwa zimasonyezanso kuti nthaŵi zambiri anthu olemba ankagwiritsa ntchito kaŵiri zolembapo za gumbwa zimene zinagwiritsidwa ntchito kale chifukwa chosoŵa polemba. Mwachitsanzo, buku lina lolembedwa pamanja la ku Aigupto wakale lomwe muli mbali ina ya Uthenga Wabwino wa Yohane linalembedwa “m’buku limene limaoneka kuti linali kope la mwana wa sukulu lolembamo masamu achigiriki.”

Zolembedwa pa gumbwa zimenezi sizokongola m’maso, koma ndi zofunika kwambiri chifukwa chakuti ndi zinthu zochita kuoneka ndi maso zotionetsa chiyambi cha Chikristu. Charles Horton anati: “M’zolembedwa zimenezi, mungaone nokha mabuku amene Akristu ena oyambirira anali kugwiritsira ntchito, omwe anali kuwaona kuti ndi amtengo wapatali.” (Miyambo 2:4, 5) Mutapeza mwayi woona china mwa chuma chimenechi ku laibulale ya Chester Beatty, simungaone kuti mwangotaya nthaŵi yanu pachabe.

[Chithunzi patsamba 31]

Chithunzi cha ku Japan chimene anajambula Katsushika Hokusai pogwiritsira ntchito chidindo chathabwa

[Chithunzi patsamba 31]

Baibulo la “Biblia Latina” ndi limodzi la mabaibulo oyambirira kusindikizidwa

[Chithunzi patsamba 31]

Zimene Ephraem ananena za buku la “Diatessaron” limene Tatian analemba zimatsimikizira kuti Baibulo n’loona

[Chithunzi patsamba 31]

Buku la Chester Beatty P45, limodzi la mabuku akale kwambiri padziko lonse, lili ndi pafupifupi malemba onse a mabuku anayi a Mauthenga Abwino ndiponso mbali yaikulu ya buku la Machitidwe

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 29]

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

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 31]

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