EMINYAKENI engaphezu kwengu-550 edlule, umklami waseJalimane uJohannes Gutenberg waqala ukunyathelisa ngomshini onezinhlamvu ezihlelwa ngesandla (ngesitensela). Incwadi yokuqala evelele eyanyatheliswa ngalo mshini wakhe kwakuyiBhayibheli. * Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, kuye kwanyatheliswa izigidigidi zezincwadi ezikhuluma ngazo zonke izihloko ongase uzicabange. Kodwa iBhayibheli livelele kakhulu phakathi kwazo zonke.

• Kulinganiselwa ukuthi kuye kwanyatheliswa amaBhayibheli (aphelele noma izingxenye zawo) angaphezu kwezigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-4,7. Lokhu kuliphinda ngaphezu kwezikhathi ezinhlanu inani lamakhophi encwadi engeyesibili ngokusakazwa kabanzi, ethi Quotations From Chairman Mao.

• Muva nje kusakazwe amakhophi eBhayibheli noma izingxenye zalo angaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-50 onyakeni owodwa vo. Umbiko kamagazini i-New Yorker uthi: “IBhayibheli liyincwadi edayiswa kakhulu kunazo zonke ngonyaka, minyaka yonke.”

• IBhayibheli eliphelele noma izingxenye zalo lihunyushelwe ezilimini ezingaphezu kuka-2 400. Okungenani izingxenye ezithile zeBhayibheli ziyatholakala ngezilimi ezikhulunywa abantu abangaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-90 esintu.

• Cishe ingxenye yabalobi beBhayibheli baqeda imibhalo yabo ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaConfucius, isazi esidumile saseChina, noSiddhārtha Gautama, umsunguli wobuBuddha.

• IBhayibheli liye laba nethonya elikhulu kwezobuciko, kuhlanganise nemidwebo, umculo nezincwadi ezidumile emhlabeni.

• IBhayibheli liye lasinda lapho livinjelwe ohulumeni, lishiswa abaphikisi benkolo futhi lihlaselwa abagxeki. Ayikho enye incwadi emlandweni eye yaphikiswa kangaka—kodwa yasinda.

La maqiniso angenhla ayingqayizivele, akunjalo? Yiqiniso, imininingwane nezibalo ezihlaba umxhwele zizodwa azikufakazeli ukuthi iBhayibheli liyakufanelekela ukwethenjwa. Ngokulandelayo, sizohlola izizathu ezinhlanu ezenza izigidi zabantu ziqiniseke ukuthi iBhayibheli likufanelekele ukwethenjwa.