BIBILIYA ni cyo gitabo cyakwirakwijwe kurusha ibindi mu mateka. Hakwirakwijwe kopi zayo zigera kuri miriyari 4 na miriyoni 800. Mu mwaka wa 2007 honyine, hasohotse kopi za Bibiliya zirenga 64.600.000. Tekereza ko muri uwo mwaka, igitabo cyandika inkuru zitabayeho cyaguzwe kurusha ibindi muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika, cyasohotse mu icapiro bwa mbere ari kopi miriyoni 12 gusa!

Icyakora kugira ngo Bibiliya ibe igitabo cyakwirakwijwe kurusha ibindi ku isi, yarokotse ibintu byinshi byashoboraga gutuma izimangatana. Kuva yatangira kwandikwa, kuyikoresha byari bibuzanyijwe, kandi yagiye itwikwa. Nanone kandi, abayihinduraga bararwanyijwe kandi baricwa. Icyakora, kimwe mu bintu bikomeye Bibiliya yarokotse byashoboraga gutuma yibagirana, si uko abantu bayikoreshaga cyangwa abayirindaga batotejwe bikabije, ahubwo ni uko ibyo yari yanditseho byashoboraga kugenda byangirika buhoro buhoro. Kubera iki?

Bibiliya igizwe n’ibitabo bito 66, ubu hakaba hashize imyaka 3.000 ibya kera cyane muri byo byanditswe, bikaba byaranditswe na bamwe mu bari bagize ishyanga rya Isirayeli. Abanditse Bibiliya hamwe n’abandi bandukuye umwandiko wayo, banditse ubwo butumwa bwahumetswe ku bintu byangirika, urugero nk’imfunzo n’impu. Kugeza ubu, nta nyandiko n’imwe ya Bibiliya y’umwimerere yari yavumburwa. Icyakora, havumbuwe kopi za kera zibarirwa mu bihumbi z’ibice by’ibitabo bya Bibiliya. Ibyo bice byavumburwaga byabaga ari bito cyangwa binini. Kimwe muri ibyo bice ni icy’Ivanjiri ya Yohana, cyanditswe mu myaka ibarirwa muri mirongo, hashize igihe gito intumwa Yohana yanditse inyandiko y’umwimerere.

Kuki bitangaje kuba hari inyandiko za Bibiliya zitangiritse? Kandi se, ni mu rugero rungana iki Bibiliya zo muri iki gihe zihuje neza n’ubutumwa bwanditswe n’abanditsi ba Bibiliya?

Iyo urebye uko byagendekeye inyandiko z’amahanga yabayeho mu gihe kimwe n’ishyanga rya Isirayeli, usanga kuba Bibiliya yararokotse ari ibintu bidasanzwe. Reka dufate urugero rw’Abanyafoyinike bari abaturanyi b’Abisirayeli mu kinyagihumbi cya mbere, Mbere ya Yesu. Abo bacuruzi bo mu nyanja bakwirakwije uburyo bwabo bwo kwandika bakoresheje inyuguti, mu karere kose k’inyanja ya Mediterane. Nanone, kuba igihugu cya Misiri cyaracuruzaga impapuro zikozwe mu mfunzo mu bihugu byategekwaga n’Abagiriki byagiriye akamaro Abanyafoyinike. Nubwo byari bimeze bityo ariko, hari ikinyamakuru cyagize icyo kivuga ku bihereranye n’Abanyafoyinike kigira kiti “inyandiko zabo zabaga akenshi zanditse ku mfunzo zoroshye, zarangiritse, ku buryo ibyo tuzi ku Banyafoyinike muri iki gihe, ahanini tubikesha za raporo zidahuje n’ukuri zatanzwe n’abanzi babo. Nubwo Abanyafoyinike bazwiho kuba hari ibintu byinshi banditse, hashize igihe kinini cyane bizimiye.”—National Geographic.

Bite se ku birebana n’inyandiko zanditswe n’Abanyamisiri ba kera? Inyandiko zabo bandikaga bashushanya cyangwa baharatura ku nkuta z’insengero cyangwa ahandi hantu, zirazwi cyane. Nanone Abanyamisiri bazwiho kuba barahimbye uburyo bwo gutunganya imfunzo, bakazikoramo ibikoresho byo kwandikaho. Nyamara hari umuhanga mu by’amateka ya Misiri witwa K. A. Kitchen, wagize icyo avuga ku bihereranye n’inyandiko z’Abanyamisiri zanditswe ku mfunzo, agira ati “ugereranyije, hafi 99 ku ijana by’inyandiko zanditswe ku mfunzo uhereye mu mwaka wa 3000 ukageza igihe Abagiriki n’Abaroma batangiriye gutegeka, zarangiritse burundu.”

 None se twavuga iki ku bihereranye n’inyandiko z’Abaroma zanditswe ku mfunzo? Reka dufate urugero. Hari igitabo (Roman Military Records on Papyrus) cyavuze ko uko bigaragara, abasirikare b’Abaroma bahembwaga incuro eshatu mu mwaka, maze hagakorwa inyandiko igaragaza ko bishyuwe, yabaga yanditswe ku mfunzo. Ugereranyije, mu gihe cy’imyaka 300 uhereye ku butegetsi bwa Awugusito (27 Mbere ya Yesu kugeza mu mwaka wa 14), kugeza ku butegetsi bwa Dioclétien (284 kugeza 305), handitswe impapuro zo kwishyuriraho buri muntu zigera kuri 225.000.000 zose hamwe. Izarokotse zingana iki? Ebyiri gusa ni zo basanze zishobora gusomeka!

Kuki harokotse inyandiko nke cyane za kera zanditswe ku mfunzo? Ibikoresho byangirika, urugero nk’imfunzo cyangwa ikindi gikoresho bandikaho, urugero nk’uruhu, byangirika vuba iyo biri ahantu hahehereye. Hari igitabo cyavuze kiti “kubera imiterere y’ikirere, inyandiko zo muri icyo gihe [ikinyagihumbi cya mbere, Mbere ya Yesu] zabaga zanditswe ku mfunzo zashoboraga kutangirika, ari uko gusa zibitse ahantu h’ubutayu bukakaye, mu buvumo cyangwa ahantu hatwikiriye.”—Anchor Bible Dictionary.

Birumvikana ko ibitabo bya Bibiliya na byo byabanje kwandikwa ku bikoresho byoroshye nk’ibyakoreshejwe n’Abanyafoyinike, Abanyamisiri n’Abaroma. None se kuki ubutumwa bwanditswe muri Bibiliya butagize icyo buba, kugeza ubwo ibaye igitabo gisohoka cyane kurusha ibindi ku isi? Porofeseri James L. Kugel atanga imwe mu mpamvu zabiteye. Yavuze ko inyandiko z’umwimerere zandukurwaga “kenshi cyane ndetse no mu gihe abanditsi ba Bibiliya babaga bakiriho.”

Ni mu rugero rungana iki Bibiliya zo muri iki gihe zihuje neza n’inyandiko za kera zandikishijwe intoki? Porofeseri Julio Trebolle Barrera, ni umwe mu bagize itsinda ry’abahanga ryari rishinzwe kwiga inyandiko za kera zandikishijwe intoki zizwi ku izina ry’Imizingo yo mu Nyanja y’Umunyu, no kumenyekanisha ibizikubiyemo. Yaravuze ati “ubutumwa bukubiye mu mwandiko wa Bibiliya wo mu Giheburayo bwagiye buhererekanywa nta kwibeshya, mu buryo budafite aho buhuriye n’inyandiko za kera z’Ikigiriki n’Ikilatini.” Intiti mu bya Bibiliya izwi cyane yitwa F. F. Bruce yaravuze iti “ibimenyetso byemeza ko ibikubiye mu nyandiko z’Isezerano Rishya ari ukuri, ni byinshi cyane kuruta ibyemeza ukuri kw’ibikubiye mu nyandiko nyinshi zanditswe n’abanditsi ba kera. Nyamara izo nyandiko z’abanditsi ba kera nta wujya azishidikanyaho.” Yunzemo ati “iyo ibitabo byo mu Isezerano Rishya biza kuba bikubiyemo ibintu bisanzwe, muri rusange abantu ntibari kujya barishidikanyaho.” Ubwo rero tutiriwe tubitindaho, Bibiliya ni igitabo cyihariye. Ese ufata umwanya wo kuyisoma buri munsi?—1 Petero 1:24, 25.