Emuva ngo-2012, i-archaeologists yavula umngcwabo wokungcwaba kwi-necropolis yase-Middle Egypt yase-Dayr al-Barsha. Ngelixa okuninzi kokuqulathiweyo kwakuphangwa okanye kutyiwa ngumngundo, bafumanisa ukuba enye yeebhokisi yayinombhalo ovela Incwadi yeeNdlela ezimbini, umfanekiso ongaqondakaliyo "Incwadi yesikhokelo" kwelabafileyo. Ukunika ingxelo kwiIjenali ye-Archaeology yase-Egypt, ”Uphononongo olutsha olujonge lo mbhalo lubonisa ukuba ingangumbhalo wokuqala owaziwayo wencwadi ethi The Two Ways.
Yintoni kanye kanye iNcwadi yeeNdlela ezimbini? Itayitile ibhekisa kwiindlela ezimbini ezinokuthi zithathwe ngumphefumlo xa ujikeleza ubomi basemva komhlaba kumhlaba wase-Egypt ukuba ufuna ukungena kummandla ka-Osiris. U-Osiris wayengumlawuli wase-Egypt ongaphantsi komhlaba kunye nomgwebi wokugqibela kuyo yonke imiphefumlo yabantu. INcwadi yeeNdlela ezimbini ikwayinxalenye yomzimba omkhulu ngakumbi kwiintsomi zamandulo zase -I-Coffin Texts- kwaye kubhekiswa kuyo njenge "Isandulela esicacileyo seencwadi zeNetherworld kamva ezinje nge 'Amduat' kunye 'neNcwadi yamaGates.'”
Ikopi ibuyele kwiminyaka eyi-4,000 eyadlulayo. Abaphandi bayayazi le nto kuba ingcwaba linemibhalo ebhaliweyo ekhankanya uDjehutinakht I, umongameli wamandulo osusela kwinkulungwane yama-21 ukuya kuma-20 yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Nangona ngaphambili bekucingelwa ukuba ibhokisi yayinomzimba kaDjehutinakht I, olu phononongo luqaqambisa ukuba ibingowomfazi ongaziwayo obizwa ngokuba ngu-Ankh.
Imephu ye-netherworld esuka kwibhokisi yaseGua, esuka eDeir el-Bersha, eYiputa. 12th Dynasty, 1985-1795 BC © Wikimedia Commons
Zonke ezi ncwadi ziyinxalenye yencwadi eyaziwayo eyaziwa ngokuba yiNcwadi yabafi, echazwe yiNational Geographic njengeqoqo elipheleleyo lemibhalo yogcino-zidumbu equlethe imilo ejongene nobomi basemva kokufa. Ngokuchanekileyo, iNcwadi yabafileyo iqulethe “Amakhubalo ali-1,185” zeziphi ezinokuthiwa kakuhle kuyo yonke into umntu ayifunayo ukuze afumane ngempumelelo indlela yakhe kubomi obuzayo.
Ingcwaba kubonakala ngathi lindwendwelwe ngokuphindaphindiweyo ngabaphangi abangakhathaliyo ababesasaze konke okukuyo kwigumbi kwaye basusa ezinye zexabiso. Nangona kunjalo, abembi bezinto zakudala bakwazile ukufumana iipaneli ezimbini zomthi, ezizaliswe yimigca yombhalo we-hieroglyphic. Ngokumangalisayo, ezi ziqwengana zesicatshulwa zafunyanwa zingamacandelo amancinci eNcwadi yeeNdlela ezimbini. Iinguqulelo ezimbalwa zencwadi ziye zafunyanwa ngaphambili ngabaphandi, kodwa le nguqulo ikholelwa ukuba ingumzekelo wokuqala ukufunyanwa ukuza kuthi ga ngoku. Ikopi ebhalelwe amagosa oMbindi woBukumkani kunye nabo baphantsi kwabo, iikopi zombhalo wakudala ziye zafunyanwa kwiindonga zamangcwaba, iipapiri, iimaski zomama nakwezinye iibhokisi.
Incwadi yeeNdlela ezimbini iya kwiinkcukacha malunga nokuba umntu angalawula njani ukufumana u-Osiris ongenakwenzeka kwilizwe elingaphantsi komhlaba:
Ingxaki kukuba, iindlela zinokukhohlisa, kwaye ezinye azikhokeleli ndawo, zishiya umphefumlo ufuna ukuphefumla unxunguphele kwaye ungasondeli ekuphumleni kokugqibela kunangaphambili. Iindlela zahlulwe lichibi lomlilo, elinamandla okutshabalalisa okanye wokuvuselela umphefumlo. Endleleni, umhambi oswelekileyo naye kufuneka “Woyise 'inkundla evuthayo' yeLanga ngoonogada abangapheliyo kunye needemon ezivale indlela ngeendonga eziphakamileyo zamatye kunye nomlilo.”
Nangona kunjalo, akukho nto iqondwa ngokupheleleyo malunga neetekisi, ngokukodwa iNcwadi yeeNdlela ezimbini, kwaye yimbali. Ngandlela thile, iNcwadi yeeNdlela ezimbini yimephu yomphefumlo. Kodwa ngelixa inokuba ijonge kuthi apha kwinkulungwane yama-21 njengemephu, khange isetyenziswe njengenye ngokwendlela eqhelekileyo yelo gama. Ngaphandle kokuchazwa kwayo ngokuchanekileyo, iNcwadi yeeNdlela eziBini isebenza njengesinye isikhumbuzi esomeleleyo sendlela yokufa kunye nobomi basemva kokufa kudlale indima ebalulekileyo kwiingcinga zenkcubeko yabantu.
