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The book is a thriller. Robert Langdon, a [Harverd] “symbologist” (a fictitious field of study), is summoned to help solve a murder committed at the [Louvre] . (.) Langdon and Sophie Neveu, a cryptographer with the French police, 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.

The book is set up to be a thriller. Robert Langdon, a [Harverd] “symbologist” (a fictitious field of study), is summoned to help solve a murder committed at the [Louvre]. Langdon and Sophie Neveu, a cryptographer with the French police, 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.

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.

The first astounding thing Langdon discovers is "the truth" about the biblical figure [[Mary Magdalene]]. In the novel 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.

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  Although every historical document recording these so-called facts about Mary were destroyed by the “winners”, some groups of people throughout history knew and preserved the secret.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.   

Furthermore, according to the novel, 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]] 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 the book says is Mary Magdalene’s womb—the sacred vessel which bore the blood line of Christ.  Both organizations secretly worshipped Mary Magdalene as a goddess.   

[[Image: monalisa2.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''The Mona Lisa'']]  

[[Image: monalisa2.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''The Mona Lisa'']]

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.

Jesus’ divinity in the novel is another issue altogether.  It wasn’t until 300 years after his death 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 as many believe.

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.

It is story above revealing this fictional conspiracy that gives the Da Vinci Code its allure.

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

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