Kuthiwa ingenye yezinqolobane ezinkulu zolwazi lwasendulo lwezwe lasendulo, yayigcina izincwadi zezikhathi zonke. Yakhiwa yizikhonzi ezikhuluma isiGreki zobukhosi basePtolemaic baseGibhithe ngekhulu lesi-3 BC. Umtapo wolwazi wase-Alexandria wawuqukethe amakhulu ezinkulungwane zama- papyri (ngokusho kochwepheshe abathile, abangaba yizinkulungwane ezingama-700) futhi wawuyingxenye yomzamo wokuqoqa lonke ulwazi emhlabeni.
Izingqondo ezinkulu ezabuthana futhi zafundisa e-Alexandria - inhloko-dolobha yaseMedithera, eyasungulwa ngu-Alexander the Great uqobo, yayinomsebenzi wokulondoloza ulwazi lwezizukulwane ezizayo. Lapha sizothola ulwazi lwezibalo nezazi zezwe, kanye namanothi ka-Aristarku - isazi sezinkanyezi sokuqala esacabanga ukuthi amaplanethi azungeza ilanga. Yena nabanye abaningi babebhekwa njengabasunguli boMtapo Wezincwadi wase-Alexandria nabasekeli bawo abanentshiseko enkulu. Yilapho abantu abahlakaniphe kakhulu bangaleso sikhathi babejabulela khona ulwazi lomhlaba futhi babeka izisekelo zempucuko esiyaziyo namuhla.
Bese kuba uJulius Caesar futhi eyala ngokusemthethweni ukushiswa kwale nqolobane enothile. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho kwaba nokuwa koMbuso WamaRoma, futhi lokhu kwaba futhi ukuqala kwenkathi yobumnyama eyalandela ngenxa yokuntula ulwazi ngempucuko yaseNtshonalanga.
Le ndaba yothando ngokuqinisekile ibukeka inhle futhi ijabulisa, kodwa iza nombuzo owodwa othize: ingabe iyiqiniso?
Izinganekwane ezimayelana nomtapo wolwazi wase-Alexandria ziyahlaba umxhwele impela futhi zinikeza izimanga eziningi ezinkulu kunoma yimuphi umuntu othanda ngempela, kodwa kunemininingwane eyodwa ebaluleke kakhulu, ubukhulu bomtapo wolwazi okhonjisiwe empeleni buwenza ube mncane kakhulu kunalokho onconywayo. Uma ngabe umtapo wolwazi wase-Alexandria wawukhona, kusho uprofesa womlando wemitapo yolwazi yasendulo - uThomas Hedrickson, khona-ke ulwazi olumayelana nawo luyindlala kakhulu. Ngisho nenganekwane yakhe ikwazile ukukhuthaza umhlaba wonke wasendulo, ngakho-ke umuntu kufanele afune ulwazi oluthe xaxa.
Yonke le nganekwane iqala cishe ngekhulu lesi-3 BC futhi kuthiwa i-Library yase-Alexandria yayinengobo yomlando enkulu kunazo zonke ngaleso sikhathi. Indoda egama layo lingu-Aristeas ithumela incwadi kumfowabo uPhilocrates futhi ithi iyisithunywa sombusi waseGibhithe, uPtolemy II. Incwadi yakhe ilandisa ngokugcwele ngombono nobuhle balokhu kudalwa kwesayensi.
Incwadi isitshela ukuthi uDemetrius (umqondisi womtapo wezincwadi) wayekhokhelwa kanjani ukuze aqoqe zonke izincwadi ayengazithola. U-Aristeas waze waba nethuba lokumbuza ukuthi zingaki izincwadi ezikhona, futhi umqondisi waphendula ngokuthi cishe zazingaphezu kwezinkulungwane ezingama-200. Esikhathini esizayo, babefuna ukuqoqa cishe izinkulungwane ezingama-500. Izinhlamvu zalesi sihloko zinikeza ukwaziswa okuningi ngomtapo wezincwadi ngokwawo futhi zibonisa ukubaluleka kwawo endaweni yonke, ukuqoqa ulwazi lwezwe lasendulo.
Ku-Hendrickson, nokho, lokhu kuyindlela emsulwa yokukopela. Iningi lezazi libheka le ncwadi cishe eminyakeni eyikhulu kamuva, ikhulu lesi-2 BC, futhi inokungabaza okukhulu ngesitatimende kanye nobufakazi bokuqala obubhaliwe bokuba khona komtapo wolwazi. Ngokwabacwaningi bangaleso sikhathi, lena incwadi yomgunyathi nenkulumo-ze “yamaJuda,” ehlose ukukhombisa incazelo yenguqulo yesiGreki yeBhayibheli Elidala lesiHeberu. Incwadi yombhali izama ukwandisa ubukhulu nokubaluleka komtapo wezincwadi lapho uPtolemy II agcizelela khona ukuthi lencwadi engcwele ngokukhethekile ifakwe futhi ibe umthombo walo lonke ulwazi lwezwe.
Ngokumangalisayo, ngisho nabanye ababhali basendulo bazwakalisa ukungabaza kwabo ngokuqukethwe koMtapo Wezincwadi wase-Alexandria nobukhulu bawo. USeneca wabhala ngo-AD 49 futhi walinganisela ukuthi izincwadi ezingaba ngu-40,000 700 zashiswa ngemva kokuba uJulius Caesar eyalele ukubhujiswa kwazo. Isazi-mlando esingumRoma u-Ammianus Marcellinus sizobhala ukuthi cishe ama-papyrus ayizinkulungwane ezingu-XNUMX ashiswa, ayeqoqwe endaweni eyodwa futhi umlilo wawo wawubonakala kude kakhulu. Isazi sesayensi yesayensi yemvelo esingumRoma uGalen sasibhala ukuthi uPtolemy II wakwazi ukuqongelela iqoqo elikhulu kangako ngoba wayenemikhumbi yomthengisi efikayo yethule izincwadi zayo eyayizithwala ukuze zilotshwe ngemva kwalokho amakhophi abuyiselwe kuyilapho ezokuqala zisele emtatsheni wezincwadi.
Isazi-mlando uRoger Bagnall ucabanga ukuthi inombolo enamanani angu-6 iyamangalisa ngempela, kodwa kunenkinga eyodwa, ukube umbhali ngamunye ongumGreki wekhulu lesi-3 BC wayekwazile ukubhala ama-papyri angama-50, lokho kusho ukuthi besisazoba nezincwadi/i-papyri engu-31,250 kuphela. Ukufika enombolweni efana nezinkulungwane ezingama-200 noma ezingama-700 zesikhumba kusho ukuthi eGreece Yasendulo cishe u-90% wezazi-mlando nezazi kwakudingeka zenze amakhulu amakhophi afanayo ombhalo ngamunye ukuze azithumele emtatsheni wezincwadi.
Akekho owazi kahle ubukhulu benqolobane, kodwa kuyacaca ukuthi yiwo lo mlando owavumela isintu ukuba siqale ukuqoqa izincwadi nokwenza imitapo yolwazi, kuhlanganise nesimanje. UKhesari wabuyela eRoma enombono wokuthi wayezokwakha umtapo wezincwadi olingana nokaPtolemy ngobukhulu, ngaleyo ndlela ukwazi ukumcasula nakakhulu. U-Octavian Augustus naye wasungula lo mbono futhi waqala ukwakha umtapo wezincwadi. Kamuva, wonke umbusi waseRoma wayezama ukwakha okungenani ezimbalwa zalezi, kodwa futhi akucaci ukuthi zazisebenza kanjani nokuthi lungakanani ulwazi lwayo olulahlekile.
Yonke incwadi yasendulo yayinenani elimangalisayo, ikakhulukazi njengoba yabhalwa ngesandla. AmaRoma ayekwazisa konke lokhu futhi ayevame ukusebenzisa izincwadi njengemali. Kuye kwaphikiswana ngokuthi imitapo yolwazi yaseRoma Lasendulo yayidlala indima yamamnyuziyamu esikhundleni sezindawo zokugcina umlando. Kodwa nokho sizoyithola i-Egypt iwina futhi emjahweni wamamyuziyamu. Eyokuqala enjalo nayo yakhiwa eGibhithe. Igama layo ngokwezwi nezwi lisho ukuthi "uSihlalo Weminyuziyamu".
Izazi-mlando kuze kube namuhla zibonisa ukuthi awukho omunye umtapo ozotholakala ucekelwe phansi izikhathi eziningi njengoMtapo Wezincwadi Wase-Alexandria. Ababhali nosomlando basendulo baqhudelana ukuze babonise izitha ezingamaqaba ezazihlasela inqaba yolwazi. Ngokuvamile, uJulius Caesar ungumsuka wazo zonke izinkinga, njengoba uyale ukuba azishise. Iqiniso lithe ukuhluka kancane, uKhesari uyala ukuba ichweba ledolobha lishiswe, kodwa umlilo ukwazi ukufinyelela futhi uthinte umtapo wezincwadi ngokwawo.
Kwakungeyena yedwa umdali wencithakalo, abanye ababusi bamaRoma nabo babenesikweletu ngokubhujiswa kwe-Alexandria. Futhi masingakhohlwa ukuthi kuma-monks angama-391 angamaKristu abangela ukubhujiswa kweSerapeum - umtapo wolwazi wase-Alexandria. Ngesinye isikhathi, cishe zonke izitha zikaPtolemy zakwazi ukuklwebha induku yomlando wezwe. Ukushiswa kwezincwadi kuwumkhankaso okhethekile odonsa ukunakwa, kodwa akekho okholelwayo noma ongasola ukuthi ingobo yomlando ibhujiswe ngempela. Kungenzeka ukuthi ivele yahlakazeka ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, njengoba kubhala isazi-mlando uBagnall.
Ama-papyrus kwakulula kakhulu ukuwabhubhisa, futhi akekho owayekwazi ukubhekana nesimo sezulu esinomswakama ngasolwandle. Ngokunokwenzeka, umtapo wezincwadi ngokwawo wawungasinda endaweni engcono kakhulu phakathi nezwe eGibhithe, lapho isimo sezulu sisomile kakhulu. Ukuze kugcinwe konke ukwaziswa, i-papyrus kwadingeka ikopishwe ngokuphindaphindiwe, idinga ikhophi entsha njalo ngemva kweminyaka embalwa. UPtolemy akazange ashiye imali yokulondoloza lo mkhuba ngisho nangemva kokufa kwakhe, ngakho kungenzeka ukuthi lesi sikhumbuzo samasiko siye salahlekelwa ubuhle baso ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Kukhona izazi-mlando ezanele ezikholelwa ukuthi i-Aleksandria yayingabhekene nenkathi yobumnyama eyayiseza, futhi ulwazi olurekhodiwe mancane amathuba okuthi lunikeze ulwazi olwanele ukuze ludlule kubo. Iqiniso liwukuthi ababusi baseMpumalanga naseNtshonalanga babengenaso isifiso nesifiso sokuqhubeka noma ukulondoloza imitapo yolwazi yabo.
Lo mbono wawuzophinde uphumelele ngeNkathi Yokuzalwa kabusha, lapho isintu sithatha isinyathelo esisha futhi sifuna ukwandisa ulwazi lwaso, bese sibeka izisekelo zenkathi yesimanje. Futhi masingakhohlwa ukuthi i-Alexandria yashiya ama-papyrus asendulo angaba ngu-2,000 79 ayegcinwe ngaleso sikhathi futhi ayiswa endaweni ephephile. Ukuqhuma kweVesuvius kwakuzokwazi ukuwacekela phansi eminyakeni engaba ngu-XNUMX kamuva. Izinsalela zahlolwa futhi zachazwa kamuva kakhulu ososayensi abasebenzisa ubuchwepheshe be-X-ray ukuze bachaze ezindala kunazo zonke ezikhona emhlabeni.
