Laurence Gardner
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Jesus and Mary Bloodline Conspiracy Reve'3tiOllS dt!yond rhe Oa Vine, cuue Also by Laurence Gardner: Bloodline of the Holy Grail Genesis of the Grail Kings Realm of the Ring Lords Lost Secrets of the Sacred Ark The Magdalene Legacy The Jesus and Mary Bloodline Conspiracy Revelations Beyond The Da Vinci Code Laurence Gardner ~WEISERBoOKS l!J San Francisco, CA / Newburyport, MA This edition first published in 2007 by RED WHEEL/WEISER, LLC With offices at: 500 Third Street, Suite 230 San Francisco, CA 94107 www.redwheelweiser.com Copyright © 2005 by Lawrence Gardner All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from RED WHEEL/WEISER. Reviewers may quote brief passages. Originally published in 2005 by HarperElement, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, ISBN: 0-00-720084-6. ISBN-10: 1-57863-403-2 ISBN-13: 978-1-57863-403-3 Typeset in Book Antiqua. Cover photograph © Cosmo Condina/Getty Images. Printed and bound in China by Imago 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Rose A dear mother, sadly missed Nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid that shall not be known and come abroad. Luke 8:17 CONTENTS Colour Plates xi Maps and Illustrations xv Acknowledgements xvii Introduction xix 1 SAINT OR SINNER? The First Lady 1 Restoration 2 Seven Devils 6 Magdalene Heritage 9 Academia 13 Fear and Trepidation 16 2 PERSECUTION Towards Oblivion 18 Heirs of the Lord 20 The Revelation 24 Brothers and Sisters 30 The Forbidden Tomb 33 3 APOCALYPSE Fruit of the Vine 35 Fertile Allegory 37 Magdalene Emblems 41 Armageddon 46 Agony and Torment 49 4 THE OTHER MARY Heritage of the Nazarene 51 Gabriel 54 Marriage Regulations 57 Immaculate Conception 63 5 SEPULCHRE OF THE MAGDALENE The Holy Balm 67 A New Emphasis 71 Zachary's Deceit 74 Living Waters 78 A Gothic Bequest 81 6 GUARDIANS OF THE RELIC Daughter of France 85 Faith Wisdom 89 Breath of the Universe 90 Inquisition 94 The Baphomet Cipher 97 7 REMARKABLE TEXTS Martha 102 Suppressing the Evidence 105 The Great Heresy 110 The Magdalene Archive 113 Forgotten Gospels 115 8 WOMEN AND THE CHURCH A Matter of Dates 121 Jesus' Birthday 124 Consort of the Saviour 126 Selecting the Gospels 130 9 THE SACRED MARRIAGE Aspects of Translation 138 The Scarlet Woman 142 Female Ministry 144 Dynastic Wedlock 148 The Betrothal 150 10 THE INHERITORS Marriage of the Magdalene 155 Kingdom of Heaven 161 The Order of Melchizedek 165 Time of Restitution 168 11 THE GRAIL CHILD Separation 171 The Magdalene Voyage 173 In the West 176 Revelation of the Lamb 178 Beloved Disciple 180 12 REALM OF THE DESPOSYNI The Fisher Kings 186 House of Bread 190 Divine Highness 193 The First Church 195 The Bishops' Debate 198 Secret of the Lord 200 13 THE HOLY BALM Romance of the Grail 203 Mount of Witness 206 The Alabaster Jar 209 Nascien and the Fish 214 The Great Luminary 217 14 KINGDOMS AND COLOURS The Holy Families 220 Arthurian Descent 224 Queens of Avallon 228 The Magdalene Colours 231 15 LEONARDO DA VINCI Mona Lisa 237 Virgin of the Rocks 246 Madonna of the Rocks 251 Notre Dame 253 16 THE LAST SUPPER A Tragic History 256 The Adoration Dispute 260 The Da Vinci Code 262 17 SACRED ALLEGORY A Mysterious Panel 270 The Bedroom Heresy 276 Rod of Jesse 279 The Repentant Courtesan 282 18 A SECRET PRIORY Conspiracy of Sion 287 The Sauniere Mystery 290 Commandery of the Revolution 293 Suspect Dossiers 294 The Original Prieure 296 God and the Magdalene 299 Notes and References 307 Genealogical Chart Bloodline of the Holy Grail 335 APPENDICES I Son of God - Son of Man 343 II Trial and Crucifixion 346 III Jesus and India 358 IV Saint Helena 361 V Three Tables of the Grail 363 VI Downfall of the Merovingians 367 Bibliography 371 Picture Credits 381 Index 383 COLOUR PLATES 1 In the House of Simon the Pharisee 2 Penitent Magdalene 3-4 Mary Magdalene Renouncing Vanities 5 Noli me tangere 6 Black Madonna of Paris 7 Christ Falls under the Cross 8 The Life of Mary Magdalene 9 Mary Magdalene 10 Mary and the Bishop of Marseilles 11 Mary Magdalene Carried by the Angels 12 The Holy Grail 13 The Wedding Feast at Cana 14 Mary and the Red Egg 15 Mary Magdalene Ashore in Provence 16 The Magdalene Voyage to Marseilles 17 Magdalene and Fra Pontano xi 18 Mary with Saints Dominic and Bernard 19-20 Studies for Mary Magdalene 21 Allegory of Leonardo 22 Philip the Apostle - study drawing 23 Head of a Girl (for Virgin of the Rocks) 24-25 The Last Supper - details 26 The Redeemer - study of Jesus 27 John (restored) - from The Last Supper 28 The Last Supper - restored detail 29 The Last Supper - detail variant 30-33 The Last Supper - details 34 La Gioconda (Mona Lisa) 35 La Gioconda - study 36 A Visit by Raphael - showing Leonardo's studio with Usa Gioconda 37 Rest on the Flight into Egypt 38 Mary Magdalene Reading 39 Mary Magdalene xii 40 Jesus and Mary Magdalene 41 The Three Marys at the Tomb 42 Tempi Madonna 43 Cowper Madonna 44-46 Virgin (Madonna) of the Rocks 47 The Arnolfini double portrait 48 Magdalene window - Kilmore church 49 Sacred Allegory 50 Eucharist of the Last Supper 51 Mary Magdalene Preaching in Provence 52 Jesus Maria Stone at Glastonbury 53 Magdalene relics at St Maximus la Sainte-Baume xiii MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS 1 Map - The Gospel Lands 11 2 1st-century Roman standard 27 3 Grail watermark from 13th-century Provence 37 4 The engrailed black and silver shield of Saint-Clair 40 5 The Annunciation 55 6 Emperor Constantine gains Messianic approval 73 7 Map - Medieval France 87 8 Templar effigy of the Baphomet-Sophia 100 9 The Raising of Lazarus 104 10 Fragment of the Gospel of Mary Magdalene 118 11 The Three Marys at the Empty Tomb 128 12 The bishops submit their Gospel selections 131 13 Mary Magdalene anoints the feet of Jesus 141 14 Mary Magdalene anoints the head of Jesus 157 15 Map - Course of the Magdalene Voyage 173 16 Angels of the Sangreal 188 xv 17 Josephes passes the Lordship of the Grail 201 18 1st-century alabastron designs 210 19 Mary Magdalene at the door of Simon the Pharisee 213 20 Aedan the Pendragon 223 21 The Davidic lion of Leon d' Acqs 230 22 Leonardo's Vitruvian Man 241 23 Leonardo da Vinci 247 24 Detail of The Last Supper (copied in 1524) 265 25 The Last Supper from The Grand Passion 268 26 The 'double portrait' signature of Jan van Eyck 270 27 The Magdalene window legend at Kilmore church 279 28 Priory of Sion headers from May 1956 288 29 Commanders of the Temple of Carcassonne 292 30 Marie Madeleine preaching to the King and Queen of Marseilles 301 31 Rectangles of the Golden Mean 364 32 The Three Tables of the Grail 365 xvi ACKNO~EDGEMENTS For their valued assistance in the preparation of this work, I am indebted to archivists and librarians at the British Library, the British Museum, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Bibliotheque de Bordeaux, Devon County Library, Birmingham Central Library, the Ashmolean Museum, Bodleian Library, Congregation des Soeurs de Saint Thomas de Villeneuve, the Palazzo Ducale of Mantua, the Cathe dral Museum of Gerona, the Samuel Courtauld Trust, the Russian Orthodox Convent of St Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem, the National Library of Wales, the National Library of Scotland, and the Royal Irish Academy. For information concerning artwork, my acknowledgements are due to the curators and administrators at the National Gallery in London, Graphische Sammlung Albertina in Vienna, The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, Galleria Doria-Pamphili in Rome, Galleria degli Ufizzi in Florence, Musee des Beaux-Arts in Caen, the Church of San Francesco of Assisi, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, The Louvre Museum in Paris, Museo di San Marco dell' Angelico in Florence, Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, Brooklyn Museum of Art in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Musee des Beaux-Arts in Nantes, Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan, and Musee Conde in Chantilly. I am most thankful to my wife Angela, whose tireless support has helped bring this work to fruition, and to my son James for his contin ued encouragement. My express gratitude is similarly due to my liter ary agent Andrew Lownie, publicity agent Jennifer Solignac, foreign rights agent Scarlett Nunn, website manager Karen Lyster, technical advisor Tony Skiens, and business manager Colin Gitsham. Special thanks also to commissioning editor Katy Carrington, the directors and staff of Thorsons and HarperCollins Publishers, and the book's editor Matthew Cory. Additionally deserving of my appreciation for their professional help are Charlotte Lorimer and Tamzin Phoenix of The Bridgeman Art Library. xvii THE MAGDALENE LEGACY I am also grateful to the Royal House of Stewart, the Sacred Kindred of St Columba, the European Council of Princes, the Order of Knights Templars of St Anthony, and the Noble Order of the Guard of St Germain. Particular recognition is due to HRH Prince Michael of Albany for affording privileged access to Household archives, while my respects are conveyed to the late Chevaliers David Roy Stewart and Jack Robertson, whose research was of such value to this project. As always, I thank Sir Peter Robson for creating the inspired alle gorical paintings that accompany my writings, while also acknow ledging composer Jaz Coleman and artist Andrew Jones for their collaboration in the Magdalene Oratorio.