Tumenye ubutunzi bwa Chester Beatty

UWITWA R. J. Hayes wahoze ari umuyobozi w’inzu y’ibitabo yitiriwe Chester Beatty iri i Dublin ho muri Irilande, yavuze muri make ibiri muri iyo nzu. Yagize ati “irimo ubutunzi bwinshi bwo mu bihugu byinshi bya kera bitakiriho, . . . irimo udushusho duto dufite ubwiza buhebuje n’ibishushanyo bitagira uko bisa.” Iyo nzu irimo ibintu byinshi by’akataraboneka byo mu bihe bya kera cyane, ibihangano by’ubugeni bifite ubwiza budasanzwe, hamwe n’ibitabo n’inyandiko z’intoki utapfa gusanga ahandi, ibyo byose bikaba bifite agaciro katagereranywa. Ariko se Chester Beatty yari muntu ki? Kandi se ni ubuhe butunzi yakusanyije?

Alfred Chester Beatty yavukiye i New York ho muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika mu mwaka wa 1875, abakurambere be bakaba barakomokaga muri Écosse, muri Irilande no mu Bwongereza. Yagize imyaka 32 yaramaze kugwiza umutungo utubutse kuko yakoraga mu bucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro akaba n’umujyanama w’amasosiyete acukura ayo mabuye. Mu buzima bwe bwose, yakoresheje amafaranga menshi yari afite akusanya ibintu byiza kandi bihebuje. Igihe Beatty yapfaga mu mwaka wa 1968 afite imyaka 92, ibintu byose yari yarakusanyije yabisigiye abaturage ba Irilande.

Ni ibiki yakusanyije?

Beatty yakusanyije ibintu byinshi kandi bitandukanye. Byose ntibimurikirwa icyarimwe ahubwo bagenda bamurika ibingana na 1 ku ijana gusa. Yakusanyije ibintu bidakunze kuboneka kandi by’agaciro kenshi byo mu bihe bitandukanye n’imico itari imwe y’abantu babayeho mu myaka myinshi, harimo ibintu byo mu Burayi bwo kuva mu kinyejana cya 6 kugeza mu cya 17 I.C., hamwe n’ibintu byinshi byo mu bihugu bya Aziya na Afurika. Urugero, ibishushanyo byiza cyane byo mu Buyapani bibajwe ku mbaho yakusanyije, bavuga ko biri mu byiza cyane kurusha ibindi ku isi.

Afite n’ibindi bintu yakusanyije bishishikaje bitandukanye cyane n’ibihangano by’ubugeni bw’imitako, bigizwe n’ibice by’ibumba bisaga ijana by’Abanyababuloni n’Abasumeri biriho inyandiko ya kera y’inyuguti zimeze nk’udusumari. Abantu bari batuye muri Mesopotamiya mu myaka 4.000 ishize, bandikaga akantu kose kabaga mu mibereho yabo ku bice by’ibumba ribisi, hanyuma bakabitwika. Ubu hari ibice byinshi nk’ibyo bikiriho, bikaba biduha igihamya gifatika cy’uko abantu bamenye kwandika kera cyane.

Yakundaga ibitabo

Biragaragara ko Chester Beatty yakunze cyane ukuntu ibitabo byiza byakoranywe ubuhanga bw’ubugeni. Yakusanyije imibumbe ibarirwa mu bihumbi y’ibitabo bitari iby’idini n’iby’idini, hakubiyemo na kopi za Korowani zitatswe mu buryo buhambaye. Hari umwanditsi wavuze ko ‘yari yaratwawe n’ukuntu inyuguti z’Icyarabu ziba ziringaniye, . . . kandi urukundo yakundaga amabara rwabyukijwe n’ukuntu inyuguti z’umukono unoze zabaga zisizweho ka zahabu n’ifeza hamwe n’andi mabuye y’agaciro abengerana.’

Chester Beatty yakunze cyane ibuye ry’agaciro ryitwa jade, nk’uko na bamwe mu bami b’u Bushinwa bo mu binyejana bya kera barikundaga. Babonaga ko iyo iryo buye risennye riba rifite agaciro kenshi kurusha andi mabuye yose, rinarusha agaciro cyane zahabu. Abo bategetsi bashyizeho abanyabukorikori b’abahanga ngo bafate ayo mabuye bakoremo udusate dusennye neza dufite umubyimba muto. Hanyuma, abanyabugeni b’abahanga bakebye ku mapaji akozwe muri ayo mabuye inyandiko z’umukono unoze n’ibishushanyo bisize zahabu, nuko bakora bimwe mu bitabo bitangaje kurusha ibindi byose byakozwe. Ibitabo nk’ibyo Beatty yakusanyije nta handi wabisanga ku isi hose.

 Inyandiko z’intoki za Bibiliya z’agaciro katagereranywa

Ku bantu bakunda Bibiliya, ubutunzi buhambaye bwa Chester Beatty buri mu nyandiko nyinshi z’intoki za Bibiliya zo mu gihe cya kera n’izo mu gihe rwagati. Inyandiko z’intoki zitatswe neza cyane zigaragaza ukuntu abanditsi bazandukuye n’intoki bagize ukwihangana n’ubuhanga bw’ubugeni. Ibitabo bicapye bigaragaza ukuntu abantu ba kera bakoraga ibitabo n’ababicapaga bari abanyabukorikori b’abahanga. Urugero, Biblia Latina yacapiwe i Nuremberg mu mwaka wa 1479, icapwa na Anton Koberger wabayeho mu gihe kimwe na Johannes Gutenberg kandi bakaba bavuga ko ari “umwe mu bacapyi ba mbere bakomeye kandi bakoze ibintu byinshi.”

Ikintu kidasanzwe kimuritswe mu nzu y’ibitabo yitiriwe Chester Beatty, ni inyandiko y’intoki yo mu ntangiriro z’ikinyejana cya kane yanditswe ku mpu n’intiti yo muri Siriya yitwaga Ephraem. Ephraem yasubiyemo kenshi amagambo yo mu gitabo cyo mu kinyejana cya kabiri cyitwa Diatessaron. Umwanditsi w’icyo gitabo witwaga Tatian, yakomatanyirije hamwe Amavanjiri ane avuga imibereho ya Yesu Kristo, ayagira inkuru imwe. Nyuma y’aho, abanditsi bagiye bavuga amagambo yo muri Diatessaron, ariko nta kopi zayo zikiriho. Ndetse intiti zo mu kinyejana cya 19 zashidikanyije niba yaranigeze ibaho. Icyakora, mu mwaka wa 1956 Beatty yavumbuye igitabo cya Ephraem cyasobanuraga Diatessaron ya Tatian, ibyo bikaba byariyongereye ku bihamya byari bisanzweho by’uko Bibiliya ari ukuri.

Inyandiko z’intoki z’agaciro katagereranywa zanditswe ku mfunzo

Nanone Beatty yakusanyije inyandiko nyinshi cyane z’intoki zanditswe ku mfunzo, zaba iz’idini n’izitari iz’idini. Ibitabo bisaga 50 birimo inyandiko z’intoki zanditswe ku mfunzo, ni ibya mbere y’ikinyejana cya kane, I.C. Zimwe muri izo nyandiko zarokotse mu birundo binini by’impapuro z’imfunzo, cyane cyane ibirundo by’impapuro bataye, byamaze imyaka myinshi mu butayu bwo mu Misiri nta wurabibona. Inyandiko nyinshi zo ku mfunzo zari zaracikaguritse cyane igihe zagurishwaga. Abacuruzi bazanaga ibikarito byuzuye ibice by’impapuro z’imfunzo. Charles Horton uyobora inzu y’ibitabo yitiriwe Chester Beatty, avuga ko “ababaga bashaka kubigura bakoraga mu ikarito, bagatoranya igice kinini cyabaga kiriho inyandiko hafi ya yose.”

Horton avuga ko “ibintu bitangaje kurusha ibindi” Beatty yavumbuye, ari ibitabo by’agaciro kenshi bya Bibiliya byandikishijwe intoki. Byari “birimo zimwe muri za kopi za kera cyane zizwi z’Isezerano rya Kera n’Irishya Abakristo bakoreshaga.” Abacuruzi babaga bazi agaciro k’ibyo bitabo byandikishijwe intoki, bashoboraga kubicamo ibice maze bakabigurisha ku baguzi batandukanye. Icyakora, Beatty we yashoboye kugura ibyo bitabo hafi ya byose. Ariko se ibyo bitabo byandikishijwe intoki bifite agaciro kangana iki? Bwana Frederic Kenyon avuga ko igihe babivumburaga ari bwo bari bavumbuye “ikintu cy’ingenzi kurusha ibindi,” uhereye igihe Tischendorf yavumburiye Codex Sinaiticus mu mwaka wa 1844.

Ibyo bitabo ni ibyo hagati y’ikinyejana cya kabiri n’icya kane I.C. Mu bitabo byo mu Byanditswe bya Giheburayo byari mu buhinduzi bw’Ikigiriki bwa Septante, hariho kopi ebyiri z’igitabo cy’Itangiriro. Kenyon avuga ko izo kopi zifite agaciro kihariye “kubera ko igitabo [cy’Itangiriro] hafi ya cyose kitaboneka muri Vaticanus na Sinaiticus,” ibyo bikaba ari ibitabo bikoze mu mpu byo mu kinyejana cya kane byandikishijwe intoki . Hari ibitabo bitatu birimo ibitabo byo mu Byanditswe bya Gikristo bya Kigiriki. Icya mbere kirimo Amavanjiri ane hafi ya yose n’igice kinini cy’igitabo cy’Ibyakozwe. Icya kabiri, hamwe n’andi mapaji Beatty yaguze nyuma, kirimo kopi yuzuye y’amabaruwa y’intumwa Pawulo hafi ya yose, hakubiyemo n’ibaruwa yandikiye Abaheburayo. Icya gatatu kirimo kimwe cya gatatu cy’igitabo cy’Ibyahishuwe. Dukurikije uko Kenyon  yabivuze, izo nyandiko z’intoki zanditswe ku mfunzo “zashimangiye igihamya n’ubundi cyari gisanzwe gikomeye cyane, gituma twiringira umwandiko w’Isezerano Rishya nk’uko tuwutunze ubu.”

Inyandiko z’intoki za Bibiliya zanditswe ku mfunzo, zo mu nzu y’ibitabo yitiriwe Chester Beatty zigaragaza ko Abakristo batangiye gukoresha kodegisi (ni ukuvuga igitabo cy’amapaji), kera cyane bagasezera ku muzingo wari uruhije kuwukoresha, bikaba bishoboka ko batangiye kuyikoresha mbere y’iherezo ry’ikinyejana cya mbere I.C. Izo nyandiko z’intoki nanone zigaragaza ko incuro nyinshi abandukuzi bongeraga gukoresha impapuro z’imfunzo zakoze kubera ko ibyo kwandikaho byari ingume. Urugero, inyandiko yandikishije intoki y’Abakopute iriho igice cy’Ivanjiri ya Yohana, yanditswe “ku kintu gisa n’ikaye abanyeshuri bakoreragamo imyitozo y’imibare y’Ikigiriki.”

Izo nyandiko zanditswe ku mfunzo, ntizifite ubwiza bushamaje, ariko zifite agaciro katagereranywa. Zitanga igihamya kigaragara, gifatika cy’uko Ubukristo bwatangiye. Charles Horton agira ati “muri izi nyandiko ziri imbere yanyu, mubona ubwoko bw’ibitabo Abakristo ba mbere na mbere bakoreshaga, ibitabo babonaga ko ari iby’agaciro kenshi” (Imigani 2:4, 5). Nuramuka ubonye uburyo bwo kugenzura bumwe muri ubwo butunzi bubitswe mu nzu y’ibitabo yitiriwe Chester Beatty, uzibonera ko utaruhijwe n’ubusa.

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Igishushanyo cyo mu Buyapani kibajwe ku mbaho cyakozwe na Katsushika Hokusai

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“Biblia Latina” ni imwe muri za kopi za Bibiliya zacapwe mbere y’izindi

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Ibisobanuro Ephraem yatanze kuri “Diatessaron” ya Tatian bishimangira ko Bibiliya ari ukuri

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Chester Beatty P45, ni yo kodegisi ya kera cyane mu isi, irimo Amavanjiri ane hafi ya yose n’igice kinini cy’igitabo cy’Ibyakozwe mu mubumbe umwe

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

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