ImiQulu YasoLwandle Olufile—Kungani Kufanele Ube Nesithakazelo Kuyo?

Ngaphambi kokuba kutholakale imiQulu YasoLwandle Olufile, imiBhalo YesiHeberu yesandla emidala kunayo yonke cishe kwakungeyekhulu lesishiyagalolunye kuya kweleshumi C.E. Ingabe kwakungathenjelwa ngempela kule mibhalo njengedlulisela iZwi likaNkulunkulu ngokwethembeka, njengoba imiBhalo YesiHeberu yayiqedwe ukubhalwa eminyakeni engaphezu kweyinkulungwane ngaphambili? UProfesa Julio Trebolle Barrera, oyilungu leqembu lomhlaba wonke labahleli bemiQulu YasoLwandle Olufile, uthi: “UmQulu Ka-Isaya [owatholakala eQumran] unikeza ubufakazi obuqand’ ikhanda bokuthi ukudluliselwa kombhalo weBhayibheli phakathi nenkathi eyiminyaka engaphezu kwenkulungwane okwenziwa abakopishi abangamaJuda kwenziwa ngokwethembeka nangokucophelela okukhulu.”

UMQULU akhuluma ngawo uBarrera unencwadi ka-Isaya ephelele. Kuze kube namuhla, phakathi kwemibhalo yesandla yeBhayibheli engaphezu kuka-200 eyatholakala eQumran, kuye kwatholakala izingxenye zazo zonke izincwadi zemiBhalo YesiHeberu, ngaphandle kwencwadi ka-Esteri. Ngokungafani noMqulu Ka-Isaya, eziningi zinezingcezwana kuphela, ezinengxenye engaphansi kokweshumi kwanoma iyiphi incwadi. Izincwadi zeBhayibheli ezazithandwa kakhulu eQumran kwakungamaHubo (anamakhophi angu-36), uDuteronomi (onamakhophi angu-29) no-Isaya (onamakhophi angu-21). Lezi futhi yizona zincwadi ezicashunwa kaningi kunazo zonke emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki.

Nakuba le miqulu ibonisa ukuthi akukho zinguquko eziyisisekelo ezaba khona eBhayibhelini, yembula nokuthi ngezinga elithile kwakunezinguqulo ezingafani zombhalo weBhayibheli lesiHeberu ezazisetshenziswa amaJuda enkathini yeThempeli Lesibili, ngayinye yazo ihluke ngendlela yayo. Akuyona yonke imiqulu efana ncamashí nombhalo wamaMasorete ngendlela yokubhala amagama noma yokusetshenziswa kwawo. Eminye isondele kuyi-Septuagint yesiGreki kuneminye. Ngaphambili, izazi zazicabanga ukuthi ukuhluka kwe-Septuagint kungenzeka kuwumphumela wamaphutha noma ngisho ukuziqambela kwabahumushi ngamabomu. Manje le miqulu yembula ukuthi okuningi kwalokhu kuhluka empeleni kwakubangelwa ukuhlukahluka kombhalo wesiHeberu. Lokhu kungenzeka yisona sizathu esenza kwezinye izimo lapho amaKristu okuqala ecaphuna izindima zemiBhalo YesiHeberu asebenzise amazwi ahlukile kulawo asembhalweni wamaMasorete.—Eksodusi 1:5; IzEnzo 7:14.

Ngakho, le ngcebo eyatholakala yemiqulu nezingcezwana zeBhayibheli inikeza isisekelo esihle kakhulu sokucwaninga indlela owadluliselwa ngayo umbhalo weBhayibheli lesiHeberu. ImiQulu YasoLwandle Olufile iye yaqinisekisa ukubaluleka kwakho kokubili i-Septuagint nePentateuch yamaSamariya ekuqhathaniseni imibhalo. Iwumthombo owengeziwe kubahumushi beBhayibheli lapho behlola lokho okungenzeka kuwukuthuthukiswa kombhalo wamaMasorete. Ezindaweni eziningi, iqinisekisa izinqumo ezathathwa yiKomiti Yezwe Elisha Yokuhumusha IBhayibheli zokubuyisela igama likaJehova ezindaweni elalisuswe kuzo embhalweni wamaMasorete.

Imiqulu echaza imithetho nezinkolelo zehlelo lamaQumran  ikwenza kukhanye bhá ukuthi ngesikhathi sikaJesu kwakunezinhlobo zobuJuda ezingaphezu kolulodwa. Ihlelo laseQumran lalinamasiko ahlukile kwawabaFarisi nabaSadusi. Kungenzeka ukuthi yilokhu kuhluka okwaholela ekuhambeni kwaleli hlelo layohlala ehlane. Lalicabanga ngokungeyikho ukuthi laligcwalisa u-Isaya 40:3 okhuluma ngezwi elisehlane elenza indlela kaJehova iqonde. Izingcezwana eziningana zale miqulu zikhuluma ngoMesiya, abalobi bazo ababebheka ukuza kwakhe njengokuseduze. Lokhu kuthakazelisa ngokukhethekile ngenxa yamazwi kaLuka athi “abantu babelindele” ukuza kukaMesiya.—Luka 3:15.

Ngokwezinga elithile, imiQulu YasoLwandle Olufile isisiza ukuba siqonde isimo sokuphila kwamaJuda ngesikhathi uJesu ayeshumayela ngaso. Isinikeza ukwaziswa okungaqhathaniswa nako lapho kutadishwa isiHeberu sasendulo nombhalo weBhayibheli. Kodwa umbhalo weminingi yemiQulu YasoLwandle Olufile isadinga ukuhlaziyisiswa ngokuseduze namanje. Ngakho-ke, kusenezinto ezintsha ezingase zitholakale. Yebo, into enkulu kunazo zonke eyatholakala kwezemivubukulo ekhulwini lama-20 iyaqhubeka ibangela isasasa kokubili ezazini nakubafundi beBhayibheli njengoba siqhubeka ekhulwini lama-21.

[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 7]

Qumran excavations: Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.; manuscript: Courtesy of Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem