ABANTU abaninzi bayazi ukuba kwiYiputa yakudala kwakubhalwa emaphepheni enziwe ngompapiri. AmaGrike namaRoma nawo ayebhala kula maphepha. * Kodwa abakho baninzi abantu abayaziyo into yokuba kwakusenziwa nezikhephe ngesi sityalo.

Kwiminyaka engaphezu kweyi-2 500 eyadlulayo, umprofeti uIsaya wabhala wathi abantu abahlala ‘kummandla wemilambo yaseTiyopiya’ babethumela “oonozakuzaku ngolwandle, bawele imilambo ngezikhephe zompapiri.” Ekuhambeni kwexesha umprofeti uYeremiya wathi iBhabhiloni yayiza koyiswa ngamaMedi namaPersi, ayeza kutshisa “izikhephe ezenziwe ngompapiri” ukuze amaBhabhiloni angakwazi ukubaleka.—Isa. 18:1, 2; Yer. 51:32.

IBhayibhile iphefumlelwe nguThixo, ngoko abantu abayifundayo abothuki xa besiva ukuba abembi bezinto zakudala baye bafumana izinto ezibonisa ukuba ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile abantu babesenza izikhephe ngompapiri. (2 Tim. 3:16) Yintoni efunyaniswe ngabembi bezinto zakudala? Bubungqina obupheleleyo obubonisa indlela ezazisenziwa ngayo ezi zikhephe eYiputa.

Imizobo ekumangcwaba aseYiputa ibonisa indlela abantu ababewuvuna ngayo umpapiri, benze ngawo izikhephe. Amadoda ayegeca iziqu zawo ezingoonxantathu azidibanise zibe ziinyanda. Xa ezi ziqu zidityanisiwe, zabotshelelwa nkqi, iyomelela loo nyanda. Incwadi ethi A Companion to Ancient Egypt ithi isikhephe esenziwe ngompapiri sasinokuba side ngaphezu kweemitha eziyi-17, size siqhutywe ngamaphini ayi-10 ukuya kwayi-12 cala ngalinye.

EYiputa, umpapiri omninzi wawukhula kwintlambo yoMlambo umNayile. Esinye isizathu, kwakulula ukwenza izikhephe zompapiri. Naxa iinqanawa ezinkulu zazisele zisenziwa ngomthi, kubonakala ngathi abalobi nabazingeli babesasebenzisa izikhephe ezenziwe ngompapiri.

Abantu zange bakhawuleze bayeke ukuzisebenzisa. Umbhali ongumGrike uPlutarch, owayephila ngexesha labapostile, uthi nangexesha lakhe abantu babesazisebenzisa.