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==='''Introduction'''===

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The Da Vinci Code is a bestselling novel by author [[Dan Brown]]. It has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, and has been translated into over 40 languages. (ParisInfo.com) It has been on the top of the NY Times Bestseller List since its release in 2003, often holding the coveted #1 spot for weeks on end. (Catholic.com) The book’s exciting storyline and interesting characters have contributed to its record sales—as has its highly controversial content.

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The Da Vinci Code is a bestselling novel by author [[Dan Brown]]. It has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, and has been translated into over 40 languages. (ParisInfo.com) It has been on the top of the [[NY Times]] Bestseller List since its release in 2003, often holding the coveted #1 spot for weeks on end. (Catholic.com) The book’s exciting storyline and interesting characters have contributed to its record sales—as has its highly controversial content.

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[[Image: davincicode.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''The Da Vinci Code'' book cover (UK 1st edition)]]

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[[[Image: davincicode.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''The Da Vinci Code'' book cover (UK 1st edition)]]

The Da Vinci Code makes some astounding assertions about Christianity that, if true, would uproot everything traditional Biblical Christianity stands for, and could potentially destroy the faith of millions. Although only a novel, Dan Brown creates the impression throughout The Da Vinci Code of having meticulously researched, even including a “fact page” in the beginning of the book and making references to numerous subsidizing “historical” sources, historians and scholars throughout.

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In an interview on Good Morning America, Dan Brown stated with conviction that if he had been asked to write a non-fiction version of The Da Vinci Code he would change none of the historical material he included in the novel. (Bock 3) This statement alone proves that Dan Brown takes the content of his “novel” very seriously—so seriously in fact, that on the same interview he even described a religious-sounding experience he had while conducting research for the book. Brown told an audience of over 15 million viewers that although he started out a “skeptic”—by the end of the book-writing he had became a “believer”. “Almost sounding like an evangelist’s invitation, his confession asked us to ponder whether these things are so and why they might matter.” (Bock 4)

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In an interview on [[Good Morning America]], Dan Brown stated with conviction that if he had been asked to write a non-fiction version of The Da Vinci Code he would change none of the historical material he included in the novel. (Bock 3) This statement alone proves that Dan Brown takes the content of his “novel” very seriously—so seriously in fact, that on the same interview he even described a religious-sounding experience he had while conducting research for the book. Brown told an audience of over 15 million viewers that although he started out a “skeptic”—by the end of the book-writing he had became a “believer”. “Almost sounding like an evangelist’s invitation, his confession asked us to ponder whether these things are so and why they might matter.” (Bock 4) By its own author’s confession, The Da Vinci Code is far more than a mere work of fiction.

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By its own author’s confession, The Da Vinci Code is far more than a mere work of fiction.

==='''Plot Summary'''===

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The plot of The Da Vinci Code is complex and involving. The book is essentially a detective-style story about Robert Langdon, a “symbologist” who is summoned to help solve a murder committed at the Louvre museum in Paris. (Incidentally, there is no such thing as a symbologist.) (Blogcritics.org) Langdon and Sophie are left with a trail of clues to unravel, and with the help of resident scholar Sir Leigh Teabing, crack the codes to uncover groundbreaking secrets.

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The first astounding thing Langdon discovers is "the truth" about the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. According to Brown, Mary Magdalene was a Jewish woman from the tribe of Benjamin and ~~Jesus’~~ single most important disciple—in fact she was more than his disciple, she was his lover and wife, and the mother of their child, Sarah. She was Jesus’ female counterpart, if not entirely “equal” to him, she was pretty close, and meant to be worshipped as a goddess.

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The first astounding thing Langdon discovers is "the truth" about the biblical figure [[Mary Magdalene]]. According to Brown, Mary Magdalene was a Jewish woman from the tribe of Benjamin and [[Jesus]]’ single most important disciple—in fact she was more than his disciple, she was his lover and wife, and the mother of their child, Sarah. She was Jesus’ female counterpart, if not entirely “equal” to him, she was pretty close, and meant to be worshipped as a goddess.

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Furthermore, Brown reports, Mary was actually intended to be the leader of the church after Jesus’ death (instead of Peter), but was demonized and diminished by Peter and his followers—the chauvinistic ~~“winners—until~~ history saw her as nothing more than a prostitute. Although every historical document recording these so-called facts about Mary were destroyed by the “winners”, some groups of people throughout history knew and preserved the secret. Specifically, these organizations were the Knight’s Templar and the Priory of ~~Scion—both~~ real organizations, according to Brown, who were dedicated to preserving the truth of who Mary Magdalene was. One way of doing this was through the legend of the Holy Grail, which Brown states was in fact Mary Magdalene’s womb—the sacred vessel which bore the supposed blood line of Christ. Both organizations worshipped Mary Magdalene as a goddess.

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Furthermore, Brown reports, Mary was actually intended to be the leader of the church after Jesus’ death (instead of Peter), but was demonized and diminished by Peter and his followers—the chauvinistic “winners"—until history saw her as nothing more than a prostitute. Although every historical document recording these so-called facts about Mary were destroyed by the “winners”, some groups of people throughout history knew and preserved the secret. Specifically, these organizations were the [[Knight’s Templar]] and the [[Priory of Scion]]—both real organizations, according to Brown, who were dedicated to preserving the truth of who Mary Magdalene was. One way of doing this was through the legend of the [[Holy Grail]], which Brown states was in fact Mary Magdalene’s womb—the sacred vessel which bore the supposed blood line of Christ. Both organizations worshipped Mary Magdalene as a goddess.

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Jesus’ divinity, however, is another issue altogether. It wasn’t until 300 years after his death, Brown asserts, that his divinity was “invented” by Constantine at the Council of Nicaea. His disciples did not view him as God in the flesh, but instead as a mere mortal prophet. As for the Biblical gospels, well they were four of “over eighty” which were selected at the Council of Nicaea—the four gospels that emphasized Jesus’ divinity and demonized women the most.

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Jesus’ divinity, however, is another issue altogether. It wasn’t until 300 years after his death, Brown asserts, that his divinity was “invented” by [[Constantine]] at the [[Council of Nicaea]]. His disciples did not view him as God in the flesh, but instead as a mere mortal prophet. As for the Biblical gospels, well they were four of “over eighty” which were selected at the Council of Nicaea—the four gospels that emphasized Jesus’ divinity and demonized women the most.

The rest were destroyed, and the canon as we know it today is not the inspired Word of God, but instead a power-hungry Constantine’s deceptive compilation—and somewhere, Brown suggests, lying in ashes beneath the earth, is the truth about who Jesus was, who Mary Magdalene was, and what Christianity is all about. The allure of the Da Vinci Code lies in its promise to reveal some great, hidden, conspiracy. But just how credible are Brown’s assertions?

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==='''Part I: Mary Magdalene, Wife of the Messiah?'''===

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Mary Magdalene is a good place to start, because she and her supposed marriage to Jesus are the cornerstones upon which Brown’s claims rest. In The Da Vinci Code, Brown states that Mary Magdalene is a “royal” Jewish woman from the tribe of Benjamin and Jesus’ single most important disciple. She is not a prostitute—in fact this was a lie invented by the Catholic Church to demonize her. She is also his lover, wife, and the mother of their daughter, Sarah. She was supposed to be the leader of the church after Jesus’ death, but was forced by “Peter’s Party” aka “the winners” to escape to Provence, France with her daughter. Her womb is the “Holy Grail”, her bones are buried under the glass pyramid at the Louvre, the Priory of Scion and Knight’s Templar were dedicated to preserving her story and worshipped her as a goddess, she was the “Divine Mother” and represented the real purpose of Jesus’ life and teaching—to reintegrate the “Sacred Feminine” into society. However, Mary Magdalene is mentioned only a few times in the gospels—and never once is a single one of Brown’s claims about Mary supported by the Biblical record. (Welborn 63)

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Mary Magdalene is a good place to start, because she and her supposed marriage to Jesus are the cornerstones upon which Brown’s claims rest. In The Da Vinci Code, Brown states that Mary Magdalene is a “royal” Jewish woman from the tribe of Benjamin and Jesus’ single most important disciple. She is not a prostitute—in fact this was a lie invented by the Catholic Church to demonize her. She is also his lover, wife, and the mother of their daughter, Sarah. She was supposed to be the leader of the church after Jesus’ death, but was forced by “Peter’s Party” aka “the winners” to escape to Provence, France with her daughter. Her womb is the “Holy Grail”, her bones are buried under the glass pyramid at the [[Louvre]], the Priory of Scion and Knight’s Templar were dedicated to preserving her story and worshipped her as a goddess, she was the “Divine Mother” and represented the real purpose of Jesus’ life and teaching—to reintegrate the “Sacred Feminine” into society. However, Mary Magdalene is mentioned only a few times in the gospels—and never once is a single one of Brown’s claims about Mary supported by the Biblical record. (Welborn 63)

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Where did all of these ideas come from? According to The Da Vinci Code’s resident scholar, Teabing, “the royal bloodline has been chronicled in exhaustive detail by scores of historians,” citing The Templar Revelation and Holy Blood, Holy Grail as sources. Interestingly, these books (which are also found in Dan Brown’s official bibliography) are dismissed by all serious historians, and described as being “schlock pseudo-history and conspiracy-theory.” (Welborn 63) Teabing also mentions The Woman with the Alabaster Jar and The Goddess in the Gospels, both by Margaret Starbird, who uses, among other things, numerology(the sum of the numbers in her name), to conclude that Mary Magdalene was worshipped as a goddess. Additional sources for Brown’s claims lie in the Gnostic gospels ~~(which will be discussed in further detail in the next section).~~ (Welborn 63)

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Where did all of these ideas come from? According to The Da Vinci Code’s resident scholar, Teabing, “the royal bloodline has been chronicled in exhaustive detail by scores of historians,” citing The Templar Revelation and [[Holy Blood, Holy Grail]] as sources. Interestingly, these books (which are also found in Dan Brown’s official bibliography) are dismissed by all serious historians, and described as being “schlock pseudo-history and conspiracy-theory.” (Welborn 63) Teabing also mentions ''[[The Woman with the Alabaster Jar]]'' and ''[[The Goddess in the Gospels]]'', both by [[Margaret Starbird]], who uses, among other things, numerology(the sum of the numbers in her name), to conclude that Mary Magdalene was worshipped as a goddess. Additional sources for Brown’s claims lie in the [[Gnostic gospels]] (Welborn 63)

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[[Image: littlemermaid.jpg|thumb|right|200px|In TDVC, Brown gives credence to Margaret Starbird’s idea that Ariel, the ~~‘little mermaid’~~ in the Disney film, is not just a fictional fairy tale character, but a symbol representing Mary Magdalene. According to Brown, Walt Disney was a believer in the Sacred Feminine and purposefully filled the movie with hidden codes about Mary Magdalene, including Ariel’s red hair (supposedly MM’s was red as well) and the painting she finds at the bottom of the sea (Georges de la ~~Tour’s~~ Magdalene with the Smoking Flame). (Starbird) (But these “symbols” are nothing but Dan Brown’s imagination: Walt Disney had been dead for over 20 years when The Little Mermaid was made in 1989. ]]

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[[Image: littlemermaid.jpg|thumb|right|200px|In TDVC, Brown gives credence to Margaret Starbird’s idea that Ariel, the ‘Little Mermaid’ in the Disney film, is not just a fictional fairy tale character, but a symbol representing Mary Magdalene. According to Brown, Walt Disney was a believer in the Sacred Feminine and purposefully filled the movie with hidden codes about Mary Magdalene, including Ariel’s red hair (supposedly MM’s was red as well) and the painting she finds at the bottom of the sea ([[Georges de la Tour]]’s [[Magdalene with the Smoking Flame]]). (Starbird) But these “symbols” are nothing but Dan Brown’s imagination: Walt Disney had been dead for over 20 years when The Little Mermaid was made in 1989.]]

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Even with these incredulous sources to occasionally back him up, most of Brown’s claims about Mary Magdalene have no historical evidence behind them whatsoever. There is no record anywhere to even suggest that Mary Magdalene was of the tribe of Benjamin—and this would not have made her “royal”. (Ehrman 160) It is true that in the gospels there is no mention of Mary Magdalene as having been a prostitute. This idea first came into existence 500 years after the gospels were written, and became popular in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. In 1969, the Catholic Church issued a formal statement clearing Mary’s reputation, and separating her from Mary from Bethany, the “sinful woman.” (Van Biema)

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Even with these incredulous sources to occasionally back him up, most of Brown’s claims about Mary Magdalene have no historical evidence behind them whatsoever. There is no record anywhere to even suggest that Mary Magdalene was of the tribe of Benjamin—and this would not have made her “royal”. (Ehrman 160) It is true that in the gospels there is no mention of Mary Magdalene as having been a prostitute. This idea first came into existence 500 years after the gospels were written, and became popular in the [[Middle Ages]] and [[Renaissance]]. In 1969, the [[Catholic Church]] issued a formal statement clearing Mary’s reputation, and separating her from Mary from Bethany, the “sinful woman.” (Van Biema)

The idea continually perpetuated by Brown throughout The Da Vinci Code that the church demonized Mary Magdalene (and women in general) for centuries is also highly inconsistent with historical record. Incidentally, this idea is not an original one—in fact, it is quite popular among feminist scholars and professors. (Welborn 68) They teach that Christianity is about men being “the winners” and women being suppressed and diminished and “use a few Gnostic gospels (written over 100 years after Jesus’ death) to speculate [their] ideologically-motivated interpretation of Christianity.” (Welborn 69)

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This is totally incompatible with historical evidence, however. During the time period that Mary was supposedly being subdued by Peter’s party, prominent church leaders such as Hippolytus, St. Ambrose, and St. Augustine were writing her praises in their literature, describing her as “the new Eve” and “the apostle to the apostles”. If the mainstream Christian church—the winners—were trying to eliminate Mary’s influence and reputation would they at the same time be extolling her virtues and cherishing the fact that she was the first to see Jesus after the Resurrection? (Welborn 69-70)

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This is totally incompatible with historical evidence, however. During the time period that Mary was supposedly being subdued by Peter’s party, prominent church leaders such as [[Hippolytus]], [[St. Ambrose]], and [[St. Augustine]] were writing her praises in their literature, describing her as “the new Eve” and “the apostle to the apostles”. If the mainstream Christian church—the winners—were trying to eliminate Mary’s influence and reputation would they at the same time be extolling her virtues and cherishing the fact that she was the first to see Jesus after the Resurrection? (Welborn 69-70)

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The single shred of evidence upon which the idea that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married is found in a portion of the Gnostic gospel of Philip, written a full 200 years after Jesus’ death, which states, “and the companion of the […] Mary Magdalene. […] her more than [all] the disciples [and used to] kiss her [often] on her […].” Brackets indicate where holes exist in the original manuscript, and clearly any interpretation of this passage requires much guesswork. Many assume [mouth] was the place where [Jesus] used to kiss Mary [often], however, it could just as likely have been forehead, cheek, arm, hand, or foot—we have no way of knowing if it was even speaking of Christ. (Bock 21)

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The single shred of evidence upon which the idea that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married is found in a portion of the [[Gnostic gospel of Philip]], written a full 200 years after Jesus’ death, which states, “and the companion of the […] Mary Magdalene. […] her more than [all] the disciples [and used to] kiss her [often] on her […].” Brackets indicate where holes exist in the original manuscript, and clearly any interpretation of this passage requires much guesswork. Many assume [mouth] was the place where [Jesus] used to kiss Mary [often], however, it could just as likely have been forehead, cheek, arm, hand, or foot—we have no way of knowing if it was even speaking of Christ. (Bock 21)

Teabing apparently is of the belief that Jesus used to kiss Mary on the mouth, and reports this to Sophie and Langdon as a fact without any explanation. He then goes on to inform a spellbound Sophie and Langdon that “as any Aramaic scholar can tell you, the word ‘companion,’ in those days, literally meant spouse.” (Ehrman 142) Unfortunately for our scholar, this is simply not true. First of all, the word is not Aramaic—the gospel of Peter is written in Coptic, and the word used here for “companion” is actually a loan word—borrowed from Greek—koinόnos. In Greek the word for “spouse,” “wife” or “lover” would have been a form of gyn—koinόnos is a word used for friends and associates. (Ehrman 143)

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There is no evidence anywhere that indicates that Jesus was married. (Bock 32) In the Bible, women are often identified by the men whom they are associated with. (Mary the mother of Jesus, the mother of Mark, and the wives of several of the apostles are mentioned.) Mary was never tied to any male when she was named. Instead, she was identified by her hometown, Magdala. (Bock 41) While the Bible talks in great detail about Jesus’ other relationships—his mother, father, siblings, aunt, uncle, disciples’ parents, disciples’ wives, not once is Jesus’ wife mentioned. (Welborn 60)

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There is no evidence anywhere that indicates that Jesus was married. (Bock 32) In the [[Bible]], women are often identified by the men whom they are associated with. (Mary the mother of Jesus, the mother of Mark, and the wives of several of the apostles are mentioned.) Mary was never tied to any male when she was named. Instead, she was identified by her hometown, Magdala. (Bock 41) While the Bible talks in great detail about Jesus’ other relationships—his mother, father, siblings, aunt, uncle, disciples’ parents, disciples’ wives, not once is Jesus’ wife mentioned. (Welborn 60)

Additionally, when Jesus was dying on the cross, he turned to John and instructed him to take care of his mother. He shows no concern whatsoever for Mary Magdalene in his last moments, which seems odd. After all, if she was his wife, pregnant with his child, his last hope for restoring the sacred feminine, the future leader of his church, etc. …wouldn’t he be slightly worried about her well being? Widowed women in those days had little hope of anything but a destitute future with no caretaker. Perhaps the reason why Jesus did not mention her is because, well, she wasn’t his wife. (Bock 44)

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Further evidence that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were not married is the fact that in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul cites reasons why men should marry. Darrell L. Bock, P.H.D. writes about this evidence against Jesus’ marriage in the following excerpt:

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Further evidence that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were not married is the fact that in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul cites reasons why men should marry. [[Darrell L. Bock]], P.H.D. writes about this evidence against Jesus’ marriage in the following excerpt:

''First Corinthians 9:4–6 may be the most important text for this topic. It reads, “Do we not have the right to the company of a believing wife, like the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? Or do only Barnabas and I lack the right not to work?” Paul noted in this aside that the apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas (Peter) had the right to a wife. In other words, they had every right to be married. It would have been simple for Paul to add that Jesus was married—had He been. Such a point would have sealed his argument, but he did not make that point…This 1 Corinthians 9 passage shows that the church was not embarrassed to reveal that its leaders were married—or to suggest that they had the right to be. The same would have been true of Jesus if He had been married. In fact, had Jesus been married, there would have been no better place for Paul to say it than here. It would have clinched Paul’s case that he also had the right to be married. Paul did not mention it because Jesus had not been married.''</blockquote>

If it were true, Jesus’ marriage would have been a significant addition to Paul’s argument –but it is not mentioned. Perhaps this is because Jesus was not married.(Bock 42)

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The Da Vinci Code assumes Jesus must be married “because Jesus was a Jew and the social decorum during that time virtually forbade a Jewish man to be unmarried. According to Jewish custom, celibacy was condemned.” Actually, celibacy was not condemned, nor was it even looked down upon. (Bock 53) Several Jewish sects—most notably the Essenes—lived celibate lives dedicating their time wholly to their religion. Additionally, many Jewish prophets and teachers were unmarried and chose to remain celibate: Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and many scholars believe, Paul. It was a way of expressing total devotion to God, but those who did choose to marry were not viewed as any less. (Welborn 60) In an article, Archbishop George H. Niederauer points out that when Brown talks about Jesus’ marriage, he “stresses the importance of the social decorum at that time. If “social decorum” had been a high priority for Jesus he wouldn’t have healed people on the Sabbath, talked to the Samaritan woman at the well, knocked over the moneychangers’ tables in the Temple, or socialized often with public sinners.” (Niederauer 2)

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The Da Vinci Code assumes Jesus must be married “because Jesus was a Jew and the social decorum during that time virtually forbade a Jewish man to be unmarried. According to Jewish custom, celibacy was condemned.” Actually, celibacy was not condemned, nor was it even looked down upon. (Bock 53) Several Jewish sects—most notably the Essenes—lived celibate lives dedicating their time wholly to their religion. Additionally, many Jewish prophets and teachers were unmarried and chose to remain celibate: Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and many scholars believe, Paul. It was a way of expressing total devotion to God, but those who did choose to marry were not viewed as any less. (Welborn 60) In an article, [[Archbishop George H. Niederauer]] points out that when Brown talks about Jesus’ marriage, he “stresses the importance of the social decorum at that time. If “social decorum” had been a high priority for Jesus he wouldn’t have healed people on the Sabbath, talked to the Samaritan woman at the well, knocked over the moneychangers’ tables in the Temple, or socialized often with public sinners.” (Niederauer 2)

Teabing states that Jesus’ marriage is “a matter of historical record,” and has been meticulously documented by “scores of historians” throughout history. OK, so where might these historical records be found? The answer is, nowhere… except in Dan Brown’s imagination, perhaps. Essentially, in every single early Christian writing combined there is not one single reference to Jesus’ marriage. This includes the canonical and non-canonical texts—the Constantine-approved, biased selection of scripture known as the Bible as well as the unaltered, censored Gnostic gospels. (Ehrman 153) In his book, Darrell L. Bock explains… in my office there are 38 volumes or early church documents, each several hundred pages, double columns, in small print. The fact that out of all this material only two texts can be brought forward as even ancient candidates for the theory shows how unlikely it is..

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==='''Part III: The Gnostics & the Non-canonical Gospels'''===

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So, the Peter-party myth has been “busted.” We have seen that the Bible does not demonize Mary Magdalene the way Dan Brown claims it does, and the Gnostic texts Brown used for “evidence” did not present an accurate representation of Gnosticism. So, who exactly were the Gnostics? They were one of the first of many cults—or groups that branched off from Christianity because of disagreements with aspects of Christian doctrine. Brown conveniently does not mention Docetism, a first century cult of the belief that Jesus Christ was only God, and not at all human. (Niederauer) Gnosticism arose in the century after Jesus’ death and (not unlike Dan Brown himself) believed they held the key to some secret, hidden knowledge (or gnosis) about Jesus. (Ehrman 42) The Gnostics claimed to rely entirely on knowledge or reason, and viewed God as an intangible, mystical force. The term “agnostic” is now used to refer to individuals who claim that understanding God is impossible because it is somehow beyond human reasoning. (Schlafly) However, what Dan Brown claims they believed about Jesus is a far cry from the truth.

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So, the Peter-party myth has been “busted.” We have seen that the Bible does not demonize Mary Magdalene the way Dan Brown claims it does, and the Gnostic texts Brown used for “evidence” did not present an accurate representation of Gnosticism. So, who exactly were the Gnostics? They were one of the first of many cults—or groups that branched off from Christianity because of disagreements with aspects of Christian doctrine. Brown conveniently does not mention Docetism, a first century cult of the belief that Jesus Christ was only God, and not at all human. (Niederauer) [[Gnosticism]] arose in the century after Jesus’ death and (not unlike Dan Brown himself) believed they held the key to some secret, hidden knowledge (or gnosis) about Jesus. (Ehrman 42) The Gnostics claimed to rely entirely on knowledge or reason, and viewed God as an intangible, mystical force. The term “agnostic” is now used to refer to individuals who claim that understanding God is impossible because it is somehow beyond human reasoning. (Schlafly) However, what Dan Brown claims they believed about Jesus is a far cry from the truth.

Dan Brown asserts throughout The Da Vinci Code that Gnostics knew the truth about Mary Magdalene, wanted to restore the sacred feminine, and were even the first “feminists”. In spite of Brown’s wishful thinking, we have already seen conflicting evidence that Gnostics believed women were less than men.

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In the very same gospel that contains the famous “kiss” passage—the Gospel of Philip—the Gnostics describe sex as “beastly, literally comparing it to animals.” (Burnstein 99) In general, the Gnostics condemned the physical world and everything it contained. Salvation, the Gnostics believed, was “the freeing of the spirit from the contamination of matter…some held that Christ merely seemed to be man and was really pure spirit.” (Latourette 124)

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The Da Vinci Code states that “over eighty” gospels were censored. First of all, there were nowhere near that many gospels, this number is total fabrication on Dan Brown’s part. There are about two dozen non-canonical gospels in existence—most found by accident fairly recently, like the Nag Hammadi and Dead Sea Scrolls. Brown states that the reason Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were chosen was that they were the ones that emphasized Jesus’ divinity and downplayed his humanity the most. We’ve also seen this to be untrue with the Gnostic gospels, but what about the rest of the non-canonical gospels?

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The Da Vinci Code states that “over eighty” gospels were censored. First of all, there were nowhere near that many gospels, this number is total fabrication on Dan Brown’s part. There are about two dozen non-canonical gospels in existence—most found by accident fairly recently, like the [[Nag Hammadi]] and [[Dead Sea Scrolls]]. Brown states that the reason Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were chosen was that they were the ones that emphasized Jesus’ divinity and downplayed his humanity the most. We’ve also seen this to be untrue with the Gnostic gospels, but what about the rest of the non-canonical gospels?

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Bart Ehrman in his book Truth and Fiction in the Da Vinci Code, critiques six typical examples of non-canonical gospels. The gospels he discusses include The Infancy Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Peter, The Coptic Apocalypse of Peter, The Coptic Gospel of Thomas, and The Gospels of Philip and Mary. Each one presents a consistently more divine picture of Jesus that the canonical gospels. Some even stand directly against the view that Jesus was human and deemphasize his humanity. (Ehrman 49-71)

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Bart Ehrman in his book Truth and Fiction in the Da Vinci Code, critiques six typical examples of [[non-canonical gospels]]. The gospels he discusses include [[The Infancy Gospel of Thomas]], [[The Gospel of Peter]], [[The Coptic Apocalypse of Peter]], [[The Coptic Gospel of Thomas]], and [[The Gospels of Philip and Mary]]. Each one presents a consistently more divine picture of Jesus that the canonical gospels. Some even stand directly against the view that Jesus was human and deemphasize his humanity. (Ehrman 49-71)

==='''Part IV: Constantine and the Council of Nicaea'''===

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''…for inasmuch as error is falsification of truth, it must needs be that truth therefore precedes error.'' –Tertullian in ''Against Marcion''

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[[The Council of Nicaea]] (325 AD)—presided over by Roman Emperor [[Constantine]]—was the first ecumenical gathering of Christians. In The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown makes some startling assertions about the Council ~~and its leader,~~ Constantine.

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[[The Council of Nicaea]] (325 AD)—presided over by Roman Emperor [[Constantine]]—was the first ecumenical gathering of Christians. In The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown makes some startling assertions about the Council Constantine.

First, Brown states that the Council was held to “strengthen the new Christian tradition.” This is not correct. The Council was held to reinforce and unify Christian teachings that had already been in existence since the days of Jesus. (religionfacts.com) No new teachings were strengthened at the Council of Nicaea, in fact it was the new teachings—most prominently Aryanism—that were brought under attack at the Council. (Latourette 120-160)

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Second, Brown states that “many aspects of Christianity were debated and voted upon” at the Council of Nicaea. This is true. Among other things, the date of Easter was voted on at the Council. So was the divinity of Jesus. But not, as Brown suggests, the issue of whether or not Jesus was divine—just the manner of his divinity. “The debate and vote concerned whether Jesus was divine in the same sense as God the Father, or if he was a lesser deity created by the Father.” (religionfacts.com) Additionally, Jesus’ divinity was not determined by a “relatively close” vote as Brown states, but an overwhelming majority; there were a mere two dissenters out of the entire group of about 500 bishops. (Welborn 45)

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Third, Brown makes this startling claim: “until that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet... a great and powerful man, but a man nevertheless. A mortal.” This is entirely incorrect. In their book, Cracking the Da Vinci Code, James Garlow and Peter Jones list a dozen examples of church leaders—apart from the Bible—who spoke directly of Jesus’ divinity from 105 A.D. to 305 A.D.—historical proof of Christians who believed Jesus was divine at least two centuries before the Council. Clement said in 150 A.D., “It is fitting you should think of Jesus Christ as God,” and Novation, “He is not only man, but God also.” (Garlow and Jones 94)

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Third, Brown makes this startling claim: “until that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet... a great and powerful man, but a man nevertheless. A mortal.” This is entirely incorrect. In their book, ''[[Cracking the Da Vinci Code]]'', [[James Garlow]] and [[Peter Jones]] list a dozen examples of church leaders—apart from the Bible—who spoke directly of Jesus’ divinity from 105 A.D. to 305 A.D.—historical proof of Christians who believed Jesus was divine at least two centuries before the Council. [[Clement]] said in 150 A.D., “It is fitting you should think of Jesus Christ as God,” and [[Novation]], “He is not only man, but God also.” (Garlow and Jones 94)

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Fourth, Brown states that "Establishing Christ's divinity was critical to the further unification of the Roman empire and to the new Vatican power base…" Brown states that the divinity of Christ was an invention by power-hungry Constantine seeking to unify the Roman Empire under the banner of Christianity. If it hadn’t been for Constantine, Christianity would never have survived throughout history. We certainly would not have the great and powerful establishment know as “the Vatican” (which Brown apparently thinks is the sum total of Christianity) that we have today. Gradually, Christianity would have fizzled out and died and few would even remember the mortal prophet Jesus today.

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Fourth, Brown states that "Establishing Christ's divinity was critical to the further unification of the Roman empire and to the new Vatican power base…" Brown states that the divinity of Christ was an invention by power-hungry Constantine seeking to unify the Roman Empire under the banner of Christianity. If it hadn’t been for Constantine, Christianity would never have survived throughout history. We certainly would not have the great and powerful establishment know as [[“the Vatican”]] (which Brown apparently thinks is the sum total of Christianity) that we have today. Gradually, Christianity would have fizzled out and died and few would even remember the mortal prophet Jesus today.

Now, even if it were true that Constantine invented Christ’s divinity, it is highly doubtful that this would have had any effect on the power and success of Christianity…just look at Islam. Muhammad was a completely mortal prophet, yet the religion he founded “unified empires and gave great power to religious authorities.” (religiousfacts.com) According to Brown, the success of Christianity was the result of Constantine’s endorsement of the religion. However, the opposite was true! It is very likely that Constantine’s motive was “to enlist the cooperation of what had become the strongest element in the empire: Christianity”. Christianity would have survived with or without Constantine’s endorsement. (Latourette 105)

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Brown asserts that it was not until after the Council of Nicaea that the world saw the list of books we know today as the Bible. Historian Kurt Aland identifies this as error in the following excerpt:

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''The canon was not imposed from the top… and then accepted by communities. The organized church did not create the canon; it recognized the canon that had already been created. '' ~~–Kurt~~ Aland

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''The canon was not imposed from the top… and then accepted by communities. The organized church did not create the canon; it recognized the canon that had already been created. '' –[[Kurt Aland]]

</blockquote>

The gospels were well established long before Constantine was born. In fact, 150 years before Constantine, Christian leaders dealt with issues radical Marcion raised about the canon, which proves a list of books very close to ours was in existence centuries before Constantine.

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==='''Part V: Secret Societies'''===

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The first page in The Da Vinci Code is entitled “facts”. The following statement is made about the ancient, secret society known as the ~~“Priory~~ of ~~Scion”~~:

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The first page in The Da Vinci Code is entitled “facts”. The following statement is made about the ancient, secret society known as the “[[Priory of Scion]]”:

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''The Priory of Sion—a European secret society founded in 1099—is a real organization. In 1975, Paris's Bibliothèque Nationale discovered parchments known as Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying numerous members of the Priory of Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo da Vinci.''

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''The Priory of Sion—a European secret society founded in 1099—is a real organization. In 1975, Paris's Bibliothèque Nationale discovered parchments known as Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying numerous members of the Priory of Sion, including [[Sir Isaac Newton]], [[Botticelli]], [[Victor Hugo]], and [[Leonardo da Vinci]].''

</blockquote>

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The Priory of Scion, Dan Brown goes on to explain in further detail in the novel, is a secret organization founded to preserve the “Holy Grail”—or the truth about who Mary Magdalene was. It turns out, however, that the Priory of Scion is none of those things. It was founded in the mid-1950s by Pierre Plantard, “an anti-Semite who sought to ‘purify and renew’ France.” In an attempt to prove that he was an heir to the French throne, and a descendent of the royal Merovingian family, Plantard planted false documents in French libraries and archives. (Welborn 107) The so-called Les Dossiers Secrets are totally fabricated, modern documents, made to look ancient. They feature a list of members that include every “intellectual superstar” from the past 1,000 years—an unlikely combination of people of entirely different backgrounds and beliefs. (Welborn 108)

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The Priory of Scion, Dan Brown goes on to explain in further detail in the novel, is a secret organization founded to preserve the “Holy Grail”—or the truth about who Mary Magdalene was. It turns out, however, that the Priory of Scion is none of those things. It was founded in the mid-1950s by [[Pierre Plantard]], “an anti-Semite who sought to ‘purify and renew’ France.” In an attempt to prove that he was an heir to the French throne, and a descendent of the royal Merovingian family, Plantard planted false documents in French libraries and archives. (Welborn 107) The so-called Les Dossiers Secrets are totally fabricated, modern documents, made to look ancient. They feature a list of members that include every “intellectual superstar” from the past 1,000 years—an unlikely combination of people of entirely different backgrounds and beliefs. (Welborn 108)

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Brown also states that the Priory of Scion went on to found the Knights Templar, another organization dedicated to protecting the “Holy Grail”. This was a real, historical organization, but it was not founded by the Priory of Scion and its original purpose was to protect pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. (Beyond TDVC) Brown also alleges that the Knights Templar became such a powerful organization because of its valuable secret. The Templar blackmailed the Catholic Church and became increasingly rich and powerful until Pope Clement finally had them arrested and disbanded. These claims are absurd to serious Templar historians. (Beyond TDVC)

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Brown also states that the Priory of Scion went on to found the Knights Templar, another organization dedicated to protecting the “Holy Grail”. This was a real, historical organization, but it was not founded by the Priory of Scion and its original purpose was to protect pilgrims on their way to [[Jerusalem]]. (Beyond TDVC) Brown also alleges that the Knights Templar became such a powerful organization because of its valuable secret. The Templar blackmailed the Catholic Church and became increasingly rich and powerful until Pope Clement finally had them arrested and disbanded. These claims are absurd to serious Templar historians. (Beyond TDVC)

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The Templar’s wealth did not come from blackmailing the Vatican; it came from enormous popular support and gifts from wealthy patrons. (Beyond TDVC) Pope Clement did disband the Knights Templar, but it was not because of the secret they kept. It was for money. Clement was little more than a puppet of King Philip IV of France, who, being at war with England was in dire need of money. On Friday the 13th 1307, King Philip IV of France had every single member of the Knights Templar arrested, accused of heresy, and tutored. This allowed Philip to justify his looting of Templar treasuries. Pope Clement V was then pressured to disband them by King Philip, which he finally did in 1312. Incidentally, although Philip was supposed to turn over the Templar’s vast amounts of land and assets to the Knights Hospitallers, he retained much of it for himself. (wikipedia.org)

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The Templar’s wealth did not come from blackmailing the Vatican; it came from enormous popular support and gifts from wealthy patrons. (Beyond TDVC) [[Pope Clement]] did disband the Knights Templar, but it was not because of the secret they kept. It was for money. Clement was little more than a puppet of [[King Philip IV of France]], who, being at war with England was in dire need of money. On Friday the 13th 1307, [[King Philip IV of France]] had every single member of the Knights Templar arrested, accused of heresy, and tutored. This allowed Philip to justify his looting of Templar treasuries. Pope Clement V was then pressured to disband them by King Philip, which he finally did in 1312. Incidentally, although Philip was supposed to turn over the Templar’s vast amounts of land and assets to the [[Knights Hospitallers]], he retained much of it for himself. (wikipedia.org)

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The church certainly would not have felt threatened by any of these women, as Dan Brown suggests; they were poor and unpopular—not powerful, freethinking women. Furthermore, it was rare that church authorities accused witches; it was almost always ordinary citizens, and often other women! Interestingly, 20-25% of witchcraft charges were made against men and more than half of witch-trial defendants—male and female—were acquitted. As Amy Welborn puts it, “the witch-trial hype was apparently a nuisance to authorities.” (Welborn 77)

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Additionally, Brown states that the Malleus Maleficarum “Hammer of the Witches” was a “universal guide” to witch trials, mass produced and used by church authorities everywhere— basically, the misogynist bible. The Malleus Maleficarum was a real book, and it certainly was an evil work, but it only went through 30 printings (amazon.com) and its author was not Catholic, but a Dominican Inquisitionist Heinrich Kramer, an unsuccessful fraud. Although Kramer claimed experience in over 100 trials, he actually only tried 8 women and was thrown out of the second town he went to. (Welborn 78)

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Additionally, Brown states that the [[Malleus Maleficarum]] “Hammer of the Witches” was a “universal guide” to witch trials, mass produced and used by church authorities everywhere— basically, the misogynist bible. The Malleus Maleficarum was a real book, and it certainly was an evil work, but it only went through 30 printings (amazon.com) and its author was not Catholic, but a Dominican Inquisitionist [[Heinrich Kramer]], an unsuccessful fraud. Although Kramer claimed experience in over 100 trials, he actually only tried 8 women and was thrown out of the second town he went to. (Welborn 78)

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Perhaps the most serious fact overlooked by Dan Brown in his representation of the Catholic Church as anti-female is Mary the Mother of Jesus. Dan Brown’s total silence on this matter is glaringly obvious to anyone who knows anything about Christianity. The truth is that the Catholic Church holds Mary in extremely high esteem—some even believe too much. She is such a central figure in the Catholic faith, that at times she appears as important as Jesus Christ himself. However, Dan Brown has seemingly never heard of her.

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Perhaps the most serious fact overlooked by Dan Brown in his representation of the Catholic Church as anti-female is [[Mary the Mother of Jesus]]. Dan Brown’s total silence on this matter is glaringly obvious to anyone who knows anything about Christianity. The truth is that the Catholic Church holds Mary in extremely high esteem—some even believe too much. She is such a central figure in the Catholic faith, that at times she appears as important as Jesus Christ himself. However, Dan Brown has seemingly never heard of her.

==='''Part VII: Leonardo DaVinci'''===

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So, by this time you are probably thinking as I did, “Brown must have at least gotten Da Vinci right!” Well, as it turns out—and by this point, it should not be very surprising—he did not. The list of errors Brown makes about the title-inspiring Leonardo Da Vinci is lengthy. On his official website, Brown states that Leonardo was “a prankster and genius" who is "widely believed to have hidden secret messages within much of his artwork." This is simply not true; it's almost impossible to locate any serious art scholar or historian who believes that about Leonardo Da Vinci. (Olson and Miesel)

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So, by this time you are probably thinking as I did, “Brown must have at least gotten Da Vinci right!” Well, as it turns out—and by this point, it should not be very surprising—he did not. The list of errors Brown makes about the title-inspiring [[Leonardo Da Vinci]] is lengthy. On his official website, Brown states that Leonardo was “a prankster and genius" who is "widely believed to have hidden secret messages within much of his artwork." This is simply not true; it's almost impossible to locate any serious art scholar or historian who believes that about Leonardo Da Vinci. (Olson and Miesel)

Additionally, a credible art historian would not dream of referring to the artist as “Da Vinci” –that was not his name. It was Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, and it has been shortened to “Leonardo” in art history books. Da Vinci is merely a reference to the Tuscan province Leonardo was from. Brown’s reference to the artist as Da Vinci “grates on the nerves of everyone who is knowledgeable about art.” (Burnstein 260) Brown also claims that Leonardo received "hundreds of lucrative Vatican commissions" in his lifetime. As a matter of fact, he only received one—which was never completed. (Beyond TDVC)

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Dan Brown claims that "…Most scholars agree that even Da Vinci's most famous pieces —works like the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and Madonna of the Rocks — contain startling anomalies that all seem to be whispering the same cryptic message." However, most scholars do not agree with Brown’s interpretations of Leonardo’s artwork, instead viewing them as dubious at best. In the painting The Last Supper, Dan Brown interprets the disciple John seated on Jesus’ right to be Mary Magdalene, and the ‘M’ shape created by negative space behind those seated at the table to stand for Mary Magdalene.

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Dan Brown claims that "…Most scholars agree that even Da Vinci's most famous pieces —works like the [[Mona Lisa]], [[The Last Supper]], and [[Madonna of the Rocks]] — contain startling anomalies that all seem to be whispering the same cryptic message." However, most scholars do not agree with Brown’s interpretations of Leonardo’s artwork, instead viewing them as dubious at best. In the painting The Last Supper, Dan Brown interprets the disciple John seated on Jesus’ right to be Mary Magdalene, and the ‘M’ shape created by negative space behind those seated at the table to stand for Mary Magdalene.

Georgetown art historian Diane Cappadonna states,

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Unfortunately, Brown’s explanation is entirely fictitious. Leonardo did not name the 'Mona Lisa'. The painting remained completely unnamed until the year 1550—years after Leonardo’s death. '' (Esaak)

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Brown also makes some errors when discussing the painting Madonna (or Virgin) on the Rocks. He states that nuns from the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception gave Leonardo particular instructions on what was to be the dimensions and content of the painting. Brown’s first mistake is in describing the members of the confraternity as nuns—it was definitely an entirely male group as the name (con) ''fraternity'' suggests! (Olson and Miesel)

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Brown also makes some errors when discussing the painting Madonna (or Virgin) on the Rocks. He states that nuns from the [[Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception]] gave Leonardo particular instructions on what was to be the dimensions and content of the painting. Brown’s first mistake is in describing the members of the confraternity as nuns—it was definitely an entirely male group as the name (con) ''fraternity'' suggests! (Olson and Miesel)

Brown then goes on to state that “the nuns” wished for the painting to contain Mary, Jesus, John the Baptist and the angel Uriel. Leonardo followed “the nuns” instructions, but the first version he painted contained "explosive and disturbing details." Actually, the confraternity wanted God the Father overhead, with two prophets on the side panels and the Virgin of the Rocks centered in the middle. It is not known exactly what conspired between Leonardo and the monks, but it is know that Leonardo did not follow their original instructions. There was nothing startlingly “un-Christian” in either version. (Olson and Miesel)

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It can be said that in the first 2 ½ centuries following Jesus’ death an outward, shallow acceptance of Christianity was virtually unknown. This is because before Constantine “endorsed“ Christianity, followers of Jesus Christ were met with intense persecution; there were no worldly benefits to becoming a Christian. As one author aptly states it: “would you die for a lie?” If it was not until The Council of Nicaea that Jesus Christ was viewed as God, and if Jesus were not really who he said he was, why was Christianity growing so rapidly, and why were hundreds of thousands willing to give their lives for the sake of Jesus Christ?

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Ten major persecutions occurred, beginning with Nero in the first century and ending in the beginning of the fourth century. They are divided into two main periods: the first dating from the first century to the year 250 in which the persecutions were mostly local and did not involve great amounts of casualties. However, the second period of persecution, from 250 to ~~Diocletian’s~~ reign in the early fourth century was empire-wide. Christians were so vast in numbers, unified and zealous in their faith that they were viewed as a growing threat to national security, and martyrdom rose in numbers perhaps reaching hundreds of thousands. (Latourette 107)

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Ten major persecutions occurred, beginning with [[Nero]] in the first century and ending in the beginning of the fourth century. They are divided into two main periods: the first dating from the first century to the year 250 in which the persecutions were mostly local and did not involve great amounts of casualties. However, the second period of persecution, from 250 to [[Diocletian]]’s reign in the early fourth century was empire-wide. Christians were so vast in numbers, unified and zealous in their faith that they were viewed as a growing threat to national security, and martyrdom rose in numbers perhaps reaching hundreds of thousands. (Latourette 107)

Dan Brown states that the key to Christianity’s success was Constantine’s endorsement. However, many Christian scholars have different views:

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In addition to the critics, audiences are also profoundly impacted by the book’s “historical” content, as Archbishop George H. Niederauer, D.D., Ph.D describes in an article:

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''A young friend of mine met a classmate from Catholic high school who told him that she was seriously thinking of giving up her faith after reading “The Da Vinci Code”. My friend said, “You’d give up your faith because of a novel?” She answered, “Oh, but it’s all true!''(How Dark the Con of Man)</blockquote> Oh, but it’s not true! And therein lays the tragedy: millions have been presented with a tangled, inaccurate and dishonest representation of history, of Christianity and of Jesus Christ. Dan Brown is fond of Leonardo Da Vinci’s quote, “how dark the con of man.” I must agree with Brown on this one point. How dark the con of man indeed. Every component of the “Da Vinci myth” has crumbled and fallen to pieces upon close scrutiny and examination. But the damage caused by the book is not undone…in fact, far from it. As Mark Twain said,

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''A young friend of mine met a classmate from Catholic high school who told him that she was seriously thinking of giving up her faith after reading “The Da Vinci Code”. My friend said, “You’d give up your faith because of a novel?” She answered, “Oh, but it’s all true!''(How Dark the Con of Man)</blockquote> Oh, but it’s not true! And therein lays the tragedy: millions have been presented with a tangled, inaccurate and dishonest representation of history, of Christianity and of Jesus Christ. Dan Brown is fond of Leonardo Da Vinci’s quote, “how dark the con of man.” I must agree with Brown on this one point. How dark the con of man indeed. Every component of the “Da Vinci myth” has crumbled and fallen to pieces upon close scrutiny and examination. But the damage caused by the book is not undone…in fact, far from it. As [[Mark Twain]] said,

<blockquote>''A lie is half way round the world while the truth is still putting its boots on.'' </blockquote> If nothing else, The Da Vinci Code teaches a lesson on how susceptible people are to believing an attractively-packaged lie, and how vitally important it is that the truth is broadcasted earnestly by those who know it.

Sarah B

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