NGA-APRIL 2006, emaphephandzaba lamanyenti emhlabeni wonkhe bewanendzaba lemangalisako lebeyivela kulelinye licembu letati lebeyimayelana nekutfolakala kwemibhalo yakadzeni lokutsiwa “Livangeli LaJudasi.” Letihloko lebetikulamaphephandzaba betikhuluma ngalokushiwo tati kutsi lemibhalo letfolakele ishintja umbono bantfu labanawo mayelana naJudasi, umfundzi waJesu lowamtsengisa. Ngekusho kwaletati, Judasi uchazwa njengelichawe nemphostoli lebekamati kahle Jesu. Lokulandzisa kuchubeka kutsi nguJesu lowacela Judasi kutsi amtsengise kubantfu labambulala.

Lokulandzisa kuliciniso yini? Nangabe kunjalo, ikhona yini imininingwane lefihlakele lokusembulela yona mayelana naJudasi Skariyothi, Jesu Khristu nome emaKhristu angesikhatsi saJesu? Loko kufanele kukutsintse njani kubucondza kwetfu buKhristu?

Kutsi latfolakala njani “Livangeli LaJudasi” akwatiwa kahle. Kunekutsi litfolwe liphindze libhalwe bosomlandvo labavubukulako, lelivangeli laJudasi, kungakalindzeli muntfu latfolakala emakethe letsengisa tintfo takadzeni ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yabo-1970 kuya ekucaleni kwabo-1980. Kungenteka kutsi latfolakala nga-1978 eGibhithe ethuneni lelingenalutfo mhlawumbe emgedzeni. Beliyincenye yetincwadzi letine letehlukene letitfolakala ku-codex (luhlobotsite lwencwadzi yakadzeni) lebhalwe ngesi-Coptic (lokululwimi lebelusukela elulwimini lwaseGibhithe yasendvulo).

Ngemuva kwekutsi le-codex isuswe eGibhithe, lokulive lelinesimo selitulu lesomisile, kantsi beyilondvolotwe khona leGibhithe emakhulu eminyaka, yacala konakala ngekushesha. Tati letimbalwa takhonjiswa kafishane le-codex nga-1983 kodvwa beyibita kakhulu futsi kute lowayitsenga. Kunganakwa kwayo eminyakeni leyalandzela nekungalondvolotwa kwayo endzaweni lekahle kwabangela kutsi yonakale kakhulu. Ngemnyaka wa-2000, yatsengwa ngumtsengisi wetintfo takadzeni wekudzabuka eveni laseSwitzerland. Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, wayiniketa licembu lebacwaningi labavela etindzaweni letehlukehlukene emhlabeni labasekelwa yinhlangano lebitwa ngekutsi yiMaecenas Foundation for Ancient Art and the National  Geographic Society. Labacwaningi baniketwa umsebenti wekutsi bavuselele baphindze balondvolote le-Codex lebeseyonakele seyiticephu. Lelicembu lebacwaningi belitawuphindze litfole nekutsi yindzala kangakanani le-Codex bese liyayihumusha.

I-Carbon-14 lesetjentiselwa kuhlola kutsi intfo letsite yindzala kangakanani, yaveta kutsi kungenteka le-Codex yangeminyaka yabo-200 C.E. nobe yabo-300 C.E. Nome kunjalo, tati tacombelela kutsi incenye ‘yeLivangeli LaJudasi’ lebhalwe ngesi-Coptic yahunyushwa isuselwa esiGrikini semdzabu sakadzeni. Kubhalwa nekuhlelwa ‘kweLivangeli LaJudasi’ kwacala nini?

Incwadzi letsi “Livangeli LaJudasi” yatfolakala kwekucala etincwadzini ta-Irenaeus lobekangumbhali lotibita ngekutsi ungumKhristu, lowaphila eminyakeni yasekupheleni kwabo-100 C.E. Encwadzini lenesihloko lesitsi Against Heresies, Irenaeus wabhala mayelana nemacembu lamanyenti yena labekangahambisani netimfundziso tawo, watsi: “Batsi Judasi lolihlubuka bekati tintfo labanye bafundzi lebebangatati futsi nguye kuphela lobekati ngemphicabadzala yekutsengiswa kwaJesu. NgaJudasi, kwasanganiswa tonkhe tintfo ezulwini nasemhlabeni. Bacamba umlandvo longesilo liciniso base bawubita ngekutsi Livangeli LaJudasi.”

Irenaeus bekatimisele kwembula kuba ngemanga kwetimfundziso temaKhristu langema-Gnostic lebekatsi anelwati labanye bantfu labete lona. Bu-Gnostic buhlanganisa emacembu lamanyenti, onkhe lanekucondza netinchazelo letehlukile ‘emacinisweni’ ebuKhristu. Timfundziso tebu-Gnostic betisekelwe emibhalweni yawo futsi letimfundziso tandza ngeminyaka yabo-100 C.E.

Emavangeli lanjalo ebu-Gnostic abevame kuveta kutsi baphostoli baJesu labagcamile abazange bawucondze umlayeto wakhe nekutsi kunetimfundziso letiyimfihlo Jesu latisho letacondvwa baphostoli labambalwa kuphela. a Lamanye ema-Gnostic bekakholelwa kutsi umhlaba ulijele. Ngaleyondlela, “umdali longunkulunkulu” wemiBhalo yesiHebheru, bekangunkulunkulwana nakacatsaniswa nalabanye bonkulunkulu labakhulu kunaye. Bewakholelwa kutsi ngumuntfu “lonelwati” lweliciniso lebekacondza kutsi umuntfu ngamunye kumelwe umtimba wakhe ushintje ube ngulesinye simo.

“Livangeli LaJudasi” nalo lisekelwe kuleyo mfundziso. Licala ngemavi latsi: “Encociswaneni yaJesu naJudasi Skariyothi leyatsatsa emalanga lasiphohlongo, Jesu wamtjela emavi layimfihlo kusesele emalanga lamatsatfu kutsi kugujwe liPhasika.”

Le-codex, ingiwo yini lombhalo Irenaeus lebekabhale ngawo lebekucatjangwa kutsi bewulahleke emakhulwini eminyaka? Marvin Meyer, lilunga lelicembu lekucala lelahlatiya laphindze lahumusha le-codex utsi: “Inchazelo ya-Irenaeus lemfishane ihambisana kahle nembhalo wesi-Coptic lonesihloko lesitsi Livangeli LaJudasi.”

‘EVangelini LaJudasi,’ Jesu uhleka bafundzi bakhe bulima nakwembuleka kutsi banelwati loluncane. Kubaphostoli labangu-12, nguJudasi kuphela loveta kutsi umcondzisisa kahle Jesu. Ngaleso sizatfu, ngasese Jesu watjela Judasi “timfihlakalo letimayelana nembuso.”

Kubhalwa kabusha kwekucala kwalombhalo lokwentiwa licembu letati kwalawulwa kakhulu yinchazelo ya-Irenaeus ngalelivangeli. Kulelihumusho lelentiwa nguletati, Judasi bekayintsandvokati yaJesu njengemfundzi lebekataticondza timfihlakalo futsi “angene embusweni.” Baphostoli labadukisiwe bebatawutfola umuntfu lotawungena esikhundleni saJudasi kodvwa yena bekatawuba “ngumoya wesi-13” lotabendlula [bonkhe bafundzi] ngobe Jesu utsi kuye, “ungisitile ngaphuma emtimbeni wenyama.”

Babhali betincwadzi letitsengwa kakhulu labafaka  ekhatsi Bart Ehrman na-Elaine Pagels labaphindze babe tati letatiwako ebuKhristwini bekucala nebu-Gnostic, bashesha kushicilela labakutfolile nabahlatiya “Livangeli LaJudasi” lokwahambisana nekubhalwa kabusha kwalombhalo lokwentiwa ngulelicembu lekucala. Nobe kunjalo, ngemuva kwesikhashana letinye tati letifaka ekhatsi April DeConick naBirger Pearson taveta kungenetiseki ngaloko. Takhala ngekutsi kuze inakwe betindzaba, inhlangano i-National Geographic Society, yajakela kushicilela lemibhalo yakadzeni. Ngetulu kwaloko, tindlela letisemtsetfweni lokufanele kutsi tilandzelwe tekuhlatiyisisa netekushicilela kabusha tincwadzi, atilandzelwanga njengobe lelicembu bekufanele lisayine sivumelwane sekutsi angeke litjele muntfu lelikutfolile nalihlatiya.

Emsebentini labawenta ngekutimela, boDeConick naPearson baphetsa ngekutsi letinye tincenye letibalulekile taletinsalela talombhalo betingakahunyushwa kahle tati esikhatsini lesendlulile. Ngekusho kwaDeConick kulombhalo lawubhala kabusha, Jesu ubita Judasi ngekutsi “LiDimoni Lesi-13” hhayi ngekutsi “ngumoya wesi-13.” b Jesu uphindze atjele Judasi ngekungagegi kutsi ngeke enyukele “embusweni.” Kunekutsi Jesu atsi Judasi uncono kunalabanye bafundzi utsi kuye: “Utakwenta tintfo letimbi kakhulu kwendlula labanye bafundzi ngoba wena utawunikela ngami.” Ngembono waDeConick “Livangeli LaJudasi” yincwadzi lendzala yema-Gnostic leyenta inhlekisa ngabo bonkhe baphostoli. Siphetfo lesifinyelelwa nguDeConick naPearson kutsi ‘kuleLivangeli LaJudasi,’ Judasi akasilo lichawe.

Nome bebatsatsa Judasi kulelivangeli njengelichawe nobe njengelidimoni, letati letahlatiya lombhalo ativumi kutsi lokucuketfwe ngulelivangeli kungumlandvo loliciniso. Bart Ehrman uyachaza: “Awusilo liVangeli lelabhalwa nguJudasi futsi nalo alisho kanjalo. . . . Alibhalangwa ngesikhatsi Judasi laphila ngaso nobe ngumuntfu lotsite lowati Judasi . . . Ngaleyo ndlela, alisiyo incwadzi letasiniketa kwatiswa lokubanti ngaloko lokwenteka ngesikhatsi Jesu asesemhlabeni.”

“LiVangeli LaJudasi” ngumbhalo webu-Gnostic lowabhalwa ngeminyaka yabo-100 C.E., lowacale wabhalwa ngelulwimi lwesiGriki. Tati aticiniseki kutsi “Livangeli LaJudasi” lelisha letilitfolile liyafana yini nembhalo labhekisela kuwo Irenaeus. Kunaloko, “Livangeli LaJudasi” liveta kwatiswa lokubalulekile lokumayelana ‘nebuKhristu’ ngesikhatsi sebucala kubhidlika buba ngemacembu netinkholo letehlukene. Kunekutsi lente kubonakale shengatsi imiBhalo inemanga, “Livangeli LaJudasi” lifakazela tecwayiso latashiwo baphostoli njengalesashiwo nguPawula ku-Imisebenti 20:29, 30 nakatsi: “Ngiyati kutsi emvakwekuhamba kwami . . . emkhatsini wenu kuyawuvela bantfu labayawufundzisa lokuphambene neliciniso badvonse emakholwa lamanyenti alandzele bona.”