INO ncinzi ciboola mumizeezo yanu mwayeeya kujatikizya mulwi wamafwuse? Cakutadooneka inga muyeeya busena bulaatombe, ooko ikuli kanunko kabi. Aboobo tamukonzyi kulangila kujana cintu cilaampindu, ciyandisi kubusena buli boobu.

Nokuba boobo, mwaanda wamyaka wainda, cintu ciyandisi camusyobo uuli mbuubede cakajanika kubusena buli boobo. Cintu ciyandisi eeci, ncintu cilaampindu kapati. Ino ncintu nzi eeco icakajanwa? Ino nkaambo nzi kujanika kwacintu eeco ncokuyandika kapati kulindiswe mazuba aano?

Afwaafwi akumatalikilo aamwaanda wamyaka wa 20, ba Bernard P. Grenfell alimwi aba Arthur S. Hunt, basyaazibwene kucikolo ca University of Oxford, bakaunka kucisi ca Egepita. Kabali kooko, bakaunka munsi-munsi a Kkuti lya Nile ikwakali mulwi wamafwuse, eelyo ooko bakajana zibeela-beela zyamabbuku aakaindi. Kumane mu 1920, ciindi balongwe aaba bobilo nobakali kuzibikka antoomwe zibeela eezyi, ba Grenfell bakabweza zibeela azimbi zyamabbuku aakaindi izyakavwukkudwe kale mu Egepita. Zibeela eezyi bakazibweza kutegwa bazitole kulaibbulali iitwa kuti The John Rylands ku Manchester, ku England. Nokuba boobo, baalumi aaba bobilo bakafwa kabatanamana kuzibikka antoomwe zibeela zyamabbuku aaya aakaindi.

Ba Colin H. Roberts, basyaazibwene bambi a University njiyonya ya Oxford, bakaumanizya mulimo ooyu. Ciindi nobakali kuzibikka antoomwe zibeela eezyi, bakabona kabeela kamwi ikakali kulampa masentimita aali 9, mubwamba kakali masentimita aali 6. Icakabagambya ncakuti, mabala ngobakabona aa Chigiriki aakalembedwe, tanaakali meenzu kulimbabo. Cibeela cimwi cakajisi majwi aali kulugwalo lwa Johane 18:31-33. Cibeela cimbi cakajisi zibeela zyatupango 37 alimwi a 38. Ba Roberts bakazyiba kuti bajana cintu ciyandisi kapati.

Ba Roberts bakali kuyeeyela kuti kabeela aaka kakali kakaindi kapati. Pele ino kakali kalili? Kutegwa bazyibe, bakakozyanisya ndembelo yakali akabeela aaka kumalembe aakaindi aakajisi madeeti—eeci ncobakacita ciitwa kuti paleography. * Kwiinda mukubelesya nzila eeyi, bakacikonzya kweezyeezya ciindi nokakalembwa. Pele bakali kuyanda kuba masimpe. Aboobo bakakakkopa kabeela aaka akutuma makkopi kuli basikwiiya malembe aakaindi kutegwa baambe naa kakalembwa lili. Ino basyaazibwene aaba bakaamba buti?

Kwiinda mukulanga-langa ndembelo yamalembe, basyaazibwene boonse botatwe bakazuminana kuti kabeela aaka kakalembwa cakuma 125 C.E.—kakwiindide myaka iili mbwiibede kuzwa Mwaapostolo Johane naakafwa. Nokuba boobo Paleography, taili nzila iisinizyide yakuzyiba malembe naakalembwa, sikwiiya umwi usyoma kuti kabeela aaka ambweni kakalembwa kufwumbwa ciindi mumwaanda wamyaka wabili. Pesi bwini mbwakuti, kabeela kasyoonto aaka kamalembe aakaindi kacili nkakabeela kakaindi kwiinda malembe aaliko aa Bunakristo aa Chigiriki oonse aakajanwa.

Ino nkaambo nzi kabeela aaka kajanika mubbuku lya Makani Mabotu aa Johane ncokayandika kapati kubantu baliyandisya Bbaibbele mazuba aano? Kuli twaambo tobilo. Cakusaanguna, ndembelo yakabeela aaka itupa muzeezo uutondezya Banakristo bakusaanguna mbobakali kwaabona Magwalo.

Mumwaanda wamyaka wabili C.E., malembe akalembedwe  munzila zyobilo—bbuku lyakuvwunga alimwi abbuku lili mbuli lyamazuba aano Codex. Mabbuku aakaindi zyakali zibeela-beela zyamalembe naa milembo yakali kumatikwa naa kunungwa antoomwe kupanga mulembo omwe mulamfwu. Mulembo ooyu wakali kuvwungululwa naa kuvwungwa kufwumbwa kwayandika. Kanji-kanji kwakali kulembwa buyo lubazu lomwe.

Pele kabeela kasyoonto nkobakajana ba Roberts kakalilembedwe mbazu zyoonse. Eeci cipa muzeezo wakuti kakazwa kubbuku lyakaindi codex kutali bbuku lyakuvwunga. Bbuku lyakaindi lyakali kupangwa amilembo yakali kusumwa antoomwe naa kupetwa munzila iikozyanya abbuku lyamazuba aano.

Ino mbubotu nzi ibwakaliko bwakubelesya bbuku lyakaindi lili mbuli bbuku lyamazuba aano muciindi cabbuku lyakuvwunga? Bwini mbwakuti, Banakristo bakusaanguna bakali bakambausi. (Matayo 24:14; 28:19, 20) Bakaambilizya mulumbe wamu Bbaibbele kufwumbwa bantu nkobakali kujanika—mumaanda, kumisika, alimwi amumigwagwa. (Milimo 5:42; 17:17; 20:20) Aboobo, kuba a Magwalo mubbuku lili mbuli lyamazuba aano cakali kugwasya kufwambaana kwaajana Magwalo.

Bbuku lyakaindi ilili mbuli lyamazuba aano lyakali kupa kuti cuube-ube kumbungano naa kubantu kuti bakkopolole makkopi aabo aabageme. Aboobo Makani Mabotu akakkopololwa kapati, nkakaambo kaako tacidoonekwi kuti eeci cakapa kuti Bunakristo buyaambele.

Kaambo kabili malembe aaku Rylands ncaayandika kulindiswe mazuba aano nkakuti atondezya kuti malembe aamu Bbaibbele aakusaanguna aliluzi. Nokuba kuti malembe aaya ajisi buyo tupango tusyoonto kuzwa mubbuku lya Johane, izilembedwe mumo zileelana azeezyo nzyotubala muma Bbaibbele eesu mazuba aano. Aboobo malembe aaku Rylands atondezya kuti Bbaibbele tiilyacincwa nokuba kuti lyakakkopololwa kwaziindi zinji.

Malembe aaku Rylands aajisi zibeela zyamakani mabotu aa Johane mbumboni bumwi buyo akati kabumboni buli zyuulu-zyuulu zyamalembe naa tubeela twamalembe itutondezya kuti malembe aamu Bbaibbele alasyomeka. Ba Werner Keller, mubbuku lyabo liitwa kuti The Bible as History bakaamba kuti: “Malembe aaya aakaindi apa bumboni buzulide kuli baabo badooneka kuti nzyotubala muma Bbaibbele eesu mazuba aano zilasyomeka alimwi nzyamasimpe.”

Lusyomo lwa Banakristo beni-beni taluyeeme ali zeezyo nzyobakajana basikuvwukkula zyakaindi. Muciindi caboobo, basyoma kuti “Magwalo oonse akasololelwa a Leza.” (2 Timoteyo 3:16) Kuyungizya waawo, cilayumya lusyomo ciindi zintu ziyandisi zyakaindi nozisinizya ncolyaamba Bbaibbele kuzwa kaindi kuti: “Ijwi lya Jehova linooliko lyoonse mane kukabe kutamani.”—1 Petro 1:25.