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Perspective Digest Volume 11 Article 4 Issue 2 Spring

2006 Decoding (The Associate Editor's Desk) Gerhard Pfandl

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Recommended Citation Pfandl, Gerhard (2006) "Decoding the Da Vinci Code (The Associate Editor's Desk)," Perspective Digest: Vol. 11 : Iss. 2 , Article 4. Available at: http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol11/iss2/4

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Adventist Theological Society at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Perspective Digest by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Pfandl: Decoding the Da Vinci Code (The Associate Editor's Desk) THE ASSOCIATE EDITOR’S DESK , a Roman Catholic organi- Hidden documents buried beneath zation, and who will stop at nothing the ruins of the temple in to prevent them from finding the allegedly corroborated this secret. , which is at the center of And the great secret they suppos- this mystery novel. In the course of edly sheltered was Jesus’ marriage to the story, the reader is confronted , which resulted in a with a barrage of codes, puzzles, daughter named Sarah. Jesus’ blood- Gerhard Pfandl mysteries, and conspiracies. When line supposedly continued through Sophie and Robert finally solve the the of French code, they discover that the Holy kings and survives even today. The el Gibson’s film The historical event of Christ’s Grail was not the cup Jesus Christ exists, Brown claims, Passion of the Christ DECODING passion, made into a film, is allegedly used at the Last Supper but to keep a watchful eye over the has been shown in THE DA VINCI called “a repulsive, maso- the body of Mary Magdalene. She descendants of Jesus and Mary and M cinemas around the chistic fantasy” while a fic- was the vessel that held the blood of wait for the perfect moment to world. The film, CODE tional Jesus Christ in her womb while bear- reveal the secret to the world. based on the life of Christ, implicating a major world ing His child. The facts are that in the 1950s, a has been glorified and vilified, religion, the Catholic Church, is man by the name of debated and debunked. Leon described as “a compelling blend of The Priory of Sion began promoting himself in Catholic Wieseltier, the editor of The New history and page turning suspense.” The book makes two initial circles as the Merovingian Republic, said The Passion is “a claims that are not supported by his- to the throne of . In 1956, repulsive, masochistic fantasy, a The Plot tory. On page one, the book claims Plantard and others created a society sacred snuff film” that is “without This “page-turner” begins with as fact: (1) the Priory of Sion is a real named the Priory of Sion, a right- doubt an anti-Semitic movie,”1 and the murder of a French museum European ; and (2) in wing political action group. Plan- Maureen Dowd of The New York curator who was involved in the Pri- 1975, ’s Bibliothèque Nationale tard’s was actually exposed in a Times accused Gibson of “courting ory of Sion—a secret society whose discovered parchments known as series of French books and a BBC bigotry in the name of sanity.”2 members, it is claimed, included Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying documentary in 1996, but this By contrast, the book The Da Leonardo da Vinci. Sophie, a French numerous members of the Priory of news—fortunately for — Vinci Code, clearly identified as a cryptologist, and the victim’s grand- Sion, including Sir , has not reached too many of his read- novel, has been hailed as a “a com- daughter, and , a , Victor Hugo, and ers. Plantard turned out to be an anti- pelling blend of history and page scholarly Harvard professor, are Leonardo da Vinci. Semite with a criminal record for turning suspense,” a “masterpiece” commissioned to decipher a cryptic The Priory of Sion was suppos- fraud, while the real Priory of Sion is that should “be mandatory read- message left by the curator before his edly founded in Jerusalem in 1099 a little splinter social group founded ing.”3 The Publisher’s Weekly called death. In solving the enigmatic rid- by a crusading French king named half a century ago. Thus the most the book “an exhaustively re- dle, they are stunned to discover a Godefroi de Bouillon. Its purpose, important strand in the central plot searched page-turner about secret trail of clues hidden in the paintings according to the author, Dan Brown, of The Da Vinci Code is a total hoax. religious societies, ancient cover-ups of da Vinci. They leave Paris for Eng- was to preserve a great secret that and savage vengeance.”4 land one step ahead of the police— had been handed down from gener- Christian History Under Attack It is ironic, yet symptomatic for and of a character named Silas, a ation to generation of Godefroi’s The Da Vinci Code portrays the times in which we live, that the mad albino monk who works for ancestors since the time of Christ. Christianity—and specifically the

Published by Digital Commons @ Andrews University,44 2006 1 45 Perspective Digest, Vol. 11 [2006], Iss. 2, Art. 4 THE ASSOCIATE EDITOR’S DESK Opus Dei, a Roman Catholic organi- Hidden documents buried beneath zation, and who will stop at nothing the ruins of the to prevent them from finding the allegedly corroborated this secret. Holy Grail, which is at the center of And the great secret they suppos- this mystery novel. In the course of edly sheltered was Jesus’ marriage to the story, the reader is confronted Mary Magdalene, which resulted in a with a barrage of codes, puzzles, daughter named Sarah. Jesus’ blood- Gerhard Pfandl mysteries, and conspiracies. When line supposedly continued through Sophie and Robert finally solve the the Merovingian dynasty of French code, they discover that the Holy kings and survives even today. The el Gibson’s film The historical event of Christ’s Grail was not the cup Jesus Christ Priory of Sion exists, Brown claims, Passion of the Christ DECODING passion, made into a film, is allegedly used at the Last Supper but to keep a watchful eye over the has been shown in THE DA VINCI called “a repulsive, maso- the body of Mary Magdalene. She descendants of Jesus and Mary and M cinemas around the chistic fantasy” while a fic- was the vessel that held the blood of wait for the perfect moment to world. The film, CODE tional conspiracy theory Jesus Christ in her womb while bear- reveal the secret to the world. based on the life of Christ, implicating a major world ing His child. The facts are that in the 1950s, a has been glorified and vilified, religion, the Catholic Church, is man by the name of Pierre Plantard debated and debunked. Leon described as “a compelling blend of The Priory of Sion began promoting himself in Catholic Wieseltier, the editor of The New history and page turning suspense.” The book makes two initial circles as the Merovingian pretender Republic, said The Passion is “a claims that are not supported by his- to the throne of France. In 1956, repulsive, masochistic fantasy, a The Plot tory. On page one, the book claims Plantard and others created a society sacred snuff film” that is “without This “page-turner” begins with as fact: (1) the Priory of Sion is a real named the Priory of Sion, a right- doubt an anti-Semitic movie,”1 and the murder of a French museum European secret society; and (2) in wing political action group. Plan- Maureen Dowd of The New York curator who was involved in the Pri- 1975, Paris’s Bibliothèque Nationale tard’s hoax was actually exposed in a Times accused Gibson of “courting ory of Sion—a secret society whose discovered parchments known as series of French books and a BBC bigotry in the name of sanity.”2 members, it is claimed, included Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying documentary in 1996, but this By contrast, the book The Da Leonardo da Vinci. Sophie, a French numerous members of the Priory of news—fortunately for Dan Brown— Vinci Code, clearly identified as a cryptologist, and the victim’s grand- Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, has not reached too many of his read- novel, has been hailed as a “a com- daughter, and Robert Langdon, a Sandro Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and ers. Plantard turned out to be an anti- pelling blend of history and page scholarly Harvard professor, are Leonardo da Vinci. Semite with a criminal record for turning suspense,” a “masterpiece” commissioned to decipher a cryptic The Priory of Sion was suppos- fraud, while the real Priory of Sion is that should “be mandatory read- message left by the curator before his edly founded in Jerusalem in 1099 a little splinter social group founded ing.”3 The Publisher’s Weekly called death. In solving the enigmatic rid- by a crusading French king named half a century ago. Thus the most the book “an exhaustively re- dle, they are stunned to discover a Godefroi de Bouillon. Its purpose, important strand in the central plot searched page-turner about secret trail of clues hidden in the paintings according to the author, Dan Brown, of The Da Vinci Code is a total hoax. religious societies, ancient cover-ups of da Vinci. They leave Paris for Eng- was to preserve a great secret that and savage vengeance.”4 land one step ahead of the police— had been handed down from gener- Christian History Under Attack It is ironic, yet symptomatic for and of a character named Silas, a ation to generation of Godefroi’s The Da Vinci Code portrays the times in which we live, that the mad albino monk who works for ancestors since the time of Christ. Christianity—and specifically the

44 http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol11/iss2/445 2 Pfandl: Decoding the Da Vinci Code (The Associate Editor's Desk) Catholic Church—as the real villain Christ, Dan Brown relies heavily on one7 is also pure fiction. The vote to Teabing claims that Jesus must have of the story. The many outrageous the Gospel of Philip and the Gospel affirm Christ’s divinity was a land- been married because he was a Jew,9 and false claims scattered through- of Mary. The historical record, how- slide: only two of the 318 bishops and that he secretly married Mary out the book include: ever, clearly indicates that the Gnos- dissented. Magdalene because, according to 1. Not the canonical Gospels, tic gospels were written no earlier 3. Teabing claims that “Constan- Gnostic writings, Jesus kissed Mary Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John but than the late second or early third tine commissioned and financed a on the mouth and the disciples were the Gnostic gospels are the earliest centuries. Nevertheless, in The Da new Bible, which omitted those jealous of their special relationship.10 gospels. The book’s fictional histor- Vinci Code, these books are por- gospels that spoke of Christ’s human To support his first assertion, ian, Sir Leigh Teabing, claims that trayed as the real gospels. traits and embellished those gospels Teabing says that, according to Jew- more than eighty gospels were con- 2. Jesus was considered by His that made him godlike. The earlier ish custom, every man had to get sidered for the and followers as a mortal prophet. He gospels were outlawed, gathered up, married. Celibacy, he claims, was that only four were chosen. The rest, was deified by the Roman emperor and burnt.”8 condemned; therefore, Jesus, as a many of which, he claims, were ear- Constantine at the Council of Nicea There is not a shred of historical good Jew, must have been married. lier than Matthew, Mark, Luke, and in 325 A.D. evidence for this claim. Though the There is no historical evidence that John, were suppressed.5 The historical fact is that Jesus complete New Testament canon Jesus was married, nor is it correct to In fact, there are only about 35 was worshiped as God from the first with the 27 books we have today was say that all Jews had to marry. The extant non-canonical gospels, and century on. In the New Testament, not accepted by all the churches Essenes, a Jewish sect in the first cen- there is general agreement among Jesus is called God a number of until the middle of the fourth cen- tury, were largely celibate. The Jew- scholars of all persuasions that the times (John 20:28; Phil. 2:5, 6; Titus tury, most of the New Testament ish historian Josephus commends canonical Gospels were written in 2:13), and He repeatedly accepted books were accepted as Scripture in the Essenes for their lifestyle and the first century A.D., while the non- the worship of human beings (Matt. the second century A.D., 200 years says,“There are about four thousand canonical gospels, also called Gnos- 14:33; 28:9; John 9:38). The Council before Constantine. Second Peter men that live in this way, and neither tic gospels, come from the second of Nicea in 325 did not deify Jesus; it 3:16 already refers to Paul’s letters as marry wives, nor are desirous to and third century A.D. Gnosticism, merely formalized and clarified the Scripture; and the church fathers in keep servants.”11 As far as we know, from the Greek word gnosis, mean- first-century belief that Jesus was the second century (Clement of John the Baptist was also not mar- ing “knowledge,” was an early Chris- God in human flesh. New Testament Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin ried. There is no reason to assume tian heresy in the second and third scholar Darrell L. Bock says, “The Martyr, and Irenaeus) quote from 24 that Jesus could not have remained centuries that sought to combine deity of Jesus was not a creation of a of the 27 books of the New Testa- celibate, considering the mission He Christianity with various ancient fourth century vote or council but is ment, indicating that by that time had to fulfill. Jesus’ own teaching in philosophical systems from Greece, based on the teaching of the four the New Testament canon had by Matthew 19:12: “‘There are eunuchs Persia, and India. Gnostics claimed Gospels and the other New Testa- and large been established. Thus, if who were born thus from their to have secret knowledge from and ment books. These four canonical most of the books of the New Testa- mother’s womb, and there are about Jesus not contained in the Gospels are rooted in apostolic tra- ment canon were already widely eunuchs who were made eunuchs by New Testament. They produced dition, and they were firmly estab- used 200 years before Constantine, men, and there are eunuchs who books like the gospels of Thomas, lished as the defining texts of the how could the emperor have in- have made themselves eunuchs for Philip, and Mary, which contained Christian Church by the end of the vented or altered them? The topic of the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He sayings of Jesus and stories about second century, if not earlier.”6 The the canon did not even come up at who is able to accept it, let him His life not contained in the canoni- fictional Sir Leigh Teabing’s claim the Council of Nicea. accept it’” (NKJV) appears to be cal Gospels. In rewriting the life of that the vote at Nicea was a close 4. Brown’s scholarly protagonist based on His commitment to His

Published by Digital Commons @ Andrews University,46 2006 3 47 Perspective Digest, Vol. 11 [2006], Iss. 2, Art. 4 Catholic Church—as the real villain Christ, Dan Brown relies heavily on one7 is also pure fiction. The vote to Teabing claims that Jesus must have of the story. The many outrageous the Gospel of Philip and the Gospel affirm Christ’s divinity was a land- been married because he was a Jew,9 and false claims scattered through- of Mary. The historical record, how- slide: only two of the 318 bishops and that he secretly married Mary out the book include: ever, clearly indicates that the Gnos- dissented. Magdalene because, according to 1. Not the canonical Gospels, tic gospels were written no earlier 3. Teabing claims that “Constan- Gnostic writings, Jesus kissed Mary Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John but than the late second or early third tine commissioned and financed a on the mouth and the disciples were the Gnostic gospels are the earliest centuries. Nevertheless, in The Da new Bible, which omitted those jealous of their special relationship.10 gospels. The book’s fictional histor- Vinci Code, these books are por- gospels that spoke of Christ’s human To support his first assertion, ian, Sir Leigh Teabing, claims that trayed as the real gospels. traits and embellished those gospels Teabing says that, according to Jew- more than eighty gospels were con- 2. Jesus was considered by His that made him godlike. The earlier ish custom, every man had to get sidered for the New Testament and followers as a mortal prophet. He gospels were outlawed, gathered up, married. Celibacy, he claims, was that only four were chosen. The rest, was deified by the Roman emperor and burnt.”8 condemned; therefore, Jesus, as a many of which, he claims, were ear- Constantine at the Council of Nicea There is not a shred of historical good Jew, must have been married. lier than Matthew, Mark, Luke, and in 325 A.D. evidence for this claim. Though the There is no historical evidence that John, were suppressed.5 The historical fact is that Jesus complete New Testament canon Jesus was married, nor is it correct to In fact, there are only about 35 was worshiped as God from the first with the 27 books we have today was say that all Jews had to marry. The extant non-canonical gospels, and century on. In the New Testament, not accepted by all the churches Essenes, a Jewish sect in the first cen- there is general agreement among Jesus is called God a number of until the middle of the fourth cen- tury, were largely celibate. The Jew- scholars of all persuasions that the times (John 20:28; Phil. 2:5, 6; Titus tury, most of the New Testament ish historian Josephus commends canonical Gospels were written in 2:13), and He repeatedly accepted books were accepted as Scripture in the Essenes for their lifestyle and the first century A.D., while the non- the worship of human beings (Matt. the second century A.D., 200 years says,“There are about four thousand canonical gospels, also called Gnos- 14:33; 28:9; John 9:38). The Council before Constantine. Second Peter men that live in this way, and neither tic gospels, come from the second of Nicea in 325 did not deify Jesus; it 3:16 already refers to Paul’s letters as marry wives, nor are desirous to and third century A.D. Gnosticism, merely formalized and clarified the Scripture; and the church fathers in keep servants.”11 As far as we know, from the Greek word gnosis, mean- first-century belief that Jesus was the second century (Clement of John the Baptist was also not mar- ing “knowledge,” was an early Chris- God in human flesh. New Testament Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin ried. There is no reason to assume tian heresy in the second and third scholar Darrell L. Bock says, “The Martyr, and Irenaeus) quote from 24 that Jesus could not have remained centuries that sought to combine deity of Jesus was not a creation of a of the 27 books of the New Testa- celibate, considering the mission He Christianity with various ancient fourth century vote or council but is ment, indicating that by that time had to fulfill. Jesus’ own teaching in philosophical systems from Greece, based on the teaching of the four the New Testament canon had by Matthew 19:12: “‘There are eunuchs Persia, and India. Gnostics claimed Gospels and the other New Testa- and large been established. Thus, if who were born thus from their to have secret knowledge from and ment books. These four canonical most of the books of the New Testa- mother’s womb, and there are about Jesus not contained in the Gospels are rooted in apostolic tra- ment canon were already widely eunuchs who were made eunuchs by New Testament. They produced dition, and they were firmly estab- used 200 years before Constantine, men, and there are eunuchs who books like the gospels of Thomas, lished as the defining texts of the how could the emperor have in- have made themselves eunuchs for Philip, and Mary, which contained Christian Church by the end of the vented or altered them? The topic of the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He sayings of Jesus and stories about second century, if not earlier.”6 The the canon did not even come up at who is able to accept it, let him His life not contained in the canoni- fictional Sir Leigh Teabing’s claim the Council of Nicea. accept it’” (NKJV) appears to be cal Gospels. In rewriting the life of that the vote at Nicea was a close 4. Brown’s scholarly protagonist based on His commitment to His

46 http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol11/iss2/447 4 Pfandl: Decoding the Da Vinci Code (The Associate Editor's Desk) mission and bachelorhood. through the services of sacred pros- ideas are close to His own; and black Christ, Mary Magdalen, and the his- The second claim that Jesus was titution; that thousands of secret means He did not say it and the say- tory of Christianity. Through The married to Mary Magdalene is pure documents disprove key points of ing represents a later tradition. Da Vinci Code the esoteric teaching speculation. Since the New Testa- Christianity; that the Dead Sea “Their voting conclusions: Over 80 of Gnosticism has become main- ment provides absolutely no support Scrolls speak of Christ’s ministry in percent of the statements attributed stream, and many readers will not for this assertion, Teabing must very human terms; and that “the to Jesus in the Gospels are, by voting recognize the blatant inaccuracies again resort to later Gnostic writ- modern Bible was compiled and consensus, either gray or black. This put forward as buried truths. ings, particularly the Gospel of edited by men who possessed a means that only 20 percent of Jesus’ The Priory of Sion is a hoax; that Philip (late third century A.D.). political agenda—to promote the statements are likely to have been Jesus was married to Mary Magda- Teabing reads from the Gospel of divinity of the man Jesus Christ and spoken by Him.”13 lene is fiction; that He had a daugh- Philip as if the text were clear and use His influence to solidify their The Jesus Seminar is a scholarly ter is fiction; that the French Mero- unambiguous, “And the companion own power base.”12 attempt to replace the canonical vingian kings are the descendants of of the Saviour is Mary Magdalen. Gospels—Matthew Mark, Luke, and Jesus is fiction; that the Gnostic Christ loved her more than all the The Relevance of The Da Vinci Code John—with a speculative document gospels were written before the can- disciples and used to kiss her often Attempts to undermine the known as Q (from the German word onical Gospels is fiction; and that on the mouth. The rest of the disci- Christian tradition—to show that it Quelle—“source”) and the second- Jesus was not recognized as divine ples were offended by it and ex- is a fraud with no basis in history or century Gnostic Gospel of Thomas. until the Council of Nicea in 325 is pressed disapproval.” The relevant reason—are not new. The Da Vinci Like the Gospel of Philip and the fiction. Fiction is defined as “some- portion is in fact fairly sketchy. The Code is doing it on a popular level. Gospel of Mary in The Da Vinci thing feigned, invented, or imag- fragment from the Gospel of Philip For the past 20 years, a similar Code, the Gospel of Thomas is ined, a made-up story.” reads, “And the companion of the attempt on a scholarly level has regarded as carrying more authentic . . . Mary Magdalen . . . Her more been taking place in America traditions than the canonical Gos- REFERENCES than . . . the disciples . . . kiss her . . . through the Jesus Seminars. The pels. The Da Vinci Code and the 1 February 26, 2004. on her . . . ” (63:33-36). Teabing Jesus Seminar is a group of New Jesus Seminars, one popular and the 2 February 26, 2004. makes a romantic relationship out of Testament scholars. The original other scholarly, are a concerted 3 Jeffrey Ayers, Library Journal (February this passage, though the text could 200 have dwindled to less than half effort by the enemy of all righteous- 1, 2003). 4 March 18, 2003. also be a reference to the holy kiss, a that number, who focus on the say- ness to attack the very foundation of 5 Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code (New chaste kiss of fellowship, mentioned ings of Jesus within the four Gos- Christianity—the salvation history York: Doubleday, 2003), p. 231. by Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:20. But pels to determine the probability of as recorded in the four Gospels. 6 Darrell L. Bock, Breaking The Da Vinci even if this is a reference to a roman- His actually having said the things Code (Nashville, Tenn.: Nelson Books, 2004), tic relationship between Jesus and attributed to Him. Conclusion p. 153. 7 Brown, op. cit., p. 233. Mary, it is the invention of a third- After discussing a statement of Since The Da Vinci Code was 8 Ibid., p. 234. century Gnostic writer and not a Jesus, they vote with different col- published in 2003, more than 30 9 Ibid., p. 245. historical fact based on evidence. ored beads as to the probability that million copies have been sold in 40 10 Ibid., pp. 246, 247. Other historically inaccurate Jesus actually said what the Gospels languages. Because many Christians 11 Josephus, Antiquities, 18.1.5.20, 21. 12 statements in the book include the claim He said. A red bead means are biblically and historically illiter- Brown, op. cit., p. 234. 13 Jimmy Williams, “The Jesus Seminar”: claims that the Jews worshiped Yah- Jesus undoubtedly said it; pink ate, they will be easily led astray by http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/ weh and His feminine counterpart, means He probably said it; gray the fictional Sir Leigh Teabing’s jesussem.html. Downloaded on February 27, the Shekinah, in Solomon’s temple means He did not say it, but the “scholarly pronouncements” about 2006.

Published by Digital Commons @ Andrews University,48 2006 5 49 Perspective Digest, Vol. 11 [2006], Iss. 2, Art. 4 mission and bachelorhood. through the services of sacred pros- ideas are close to His own; and black Christ, Mary Magdalen, and the his- The second claim that Jesus was titution; that thousands of secret means He did not say it and the say- tory of Christianity. Through The married to Mary Magdalene is pure documents disprove key points of ing represents a later tradition. Da Vinci Code the esoteric teaching speculation. Since the New Testa- Christianity; that the Dead Sea “Their voting conclusions: Over 80 of Gnosticism has become main- ment provides absolutely no support Scrolls speak of Christ’s ministry in percent of the statements attributed stream, and many readers will not for this assertion, Teabing must very human terms; and that “the to Jesus in the Gospels are, by voting recognize the blatant inaccuracies again resort to later Gnostic writ- modern Bible was compiled and consensus, either gray or black. This put forward as buried truths. ings, particularly the Gospel of edited by men who possessed a means that only 20 percent of Jesus’ The Priory of Sion is a hoax; that Philip (late third century A.D.). political agenda—to promote the statements are likely to have been Jesus was married to Mary Magda- Teabing reads from the Gospel of divinity of the man Jesus Christ and spoken by Him.”13 lene is fiction; that He had a daugh- Philip as if the text were clear and use His influence to solidify their The Jesus Seminar is a scholarly ter is fiction; that the French Mero- unambiguous, “And the companion own power base.”12 attempt to replace the canonical vingian kings are the descendants of of the Saviour is Mary Magdalen. Gospels—Matthew Mark, Luke, and Jesus is fiction; that the Gnostic Christ loved her more than all the The Relevance of The Da Vinci Code John—with a speculative document gospels were written before the can- disciples and used to kiss her often Attempts to undermine the known as Q (from the German word onical Gospels is fiction; and that on the mouth. The rest of the disci- Christian tradition—to show that it Quelle—“source”) and the second- Jesus was not recognized as divine ples were offended by it and ex- is a fraud with no basis in history or century Gnostic Gospel of Thomas. until the Council of Nicea in 325 is pressed disapproval.” The relevant reason—are not new. The Da Vinci Like the Gospel of Philip and the fiction. Fiction is defined as “some- portion is in fact fairly sketchy. The Code is doing it on a popular level. Gospel of Mary in The Da Vinci thing feigned, invented, or imag- fragment from the Gospel of Philip For the past 20 years, a similar Code, the Gospel of Thomas is ined, a made-up story.” reads, “And the companion of the attempt on a scholarly level has regarded as carrying more authentic . . . Mary Magdalen . . . Her more been taking place in America traditions than the canonical Gos- REFERENCES than . . . the disciples . . . kiss her . . . through the Jesus Seminars. The pels. The Da Vinci Code and the 1 February 26, 2004. on her . . . ” (63:33-36). Teabing Jesus Seminar is a group of New Jesus Seminars, one popular and the 2 February 26, 2004. makes a romantic relationship out of Testament scholars. The original other scholarly, are a concerted 3 Jeffrey Ayers, Library Journal (February this passage, though the text could 200 have dwindled to less than half effort by the enemy of all righteous- 1, 2003). 4 March 18, 2003. also be a reference to the holy kiss, a that number, who focus on the say- ness to attack the very foundation of 5 Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code (New chaste kiss of fellowship, mentioned ings of Jesus within the four Gos- Christianity—the salvation history York: Doubleday, 2003), p. 231. by Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:20. But pels to determine the probability of as recorded in the four Gospels. 6 Darrell L. Bock, Breaking The Da Vinci even if this is a reference to a roman- His actually having said the things Code (Nashville, Tenn.: Nelson Books, 2004), tic relationship between Jesus and attributed to Him. Conclusion p. 153. 7 Brown, op. cit., p. 233. Mary, it is the invention of a third- After discussing a statement of Since The Da Vinci Code was 8 Ibid., p. 234. century Gnostic writer and not a Jesus, they vote with different col- published in 2003, more than 30 9 Ibid., p. 245. historical fact based on evidence. ored beads as to the probability that million copies have been sold in 40 10 Ibid., pp. 246, 247. Other historically inaccurate Jesus actually said what the Gospels languages. Because many Christians 11 Josephus, Antiquities, 18.1.5.20, 21. 12 statements in the book include the claim He said. A red bead means are biblically and historically illiter- Brown, op. cit., p. 234. 13 Jimmy Williams, “The Jesus Seminar”: claims that the Jews worshiped Yah- Jesus undoubtedly said it; pink ate, they will be easily led astray by http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/ weh and His feminine counterpart, means He probably said it; gray the fictional Sir Leigh Teabing’s jesussem.html. Downloaded on February 27, the Shekinah, in Solomon’s temple means He did not say it, but the “scholarly pronouncements” about 2006.

48 http://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pd/vol11/iss2/449 6