The da Vinci Code Best selling book by Dan Brown Best selling book by Dan Brown A GREAT read – but A GREAT read – but is it giving people false data that imply that Christianity Christianity is false? 2006: film with Tom 2006: film with TomHanks

The story line The story line The code The code Facts? Facts? Popularity Popularity Claims Claims Errors Errors

Story Line A murder near Mona Lisa in the Louvre, Paris A murder near Mona Lisa in the Louvre, Paris A coded message left by the dead Curator A coded message left by the dead Curator

Story Line A chase from Paris via London to Scotland and back. Robert Langdon and Sophia Neveu crack the code – she turns out to be the “Holy Grail”: the descendant A chase from Paris via London to Scotland and back. Robert Langdon and Sophia Neveu crack the code – she turns out to be the “Holy Grail”: the descendant of Jesus Christ

The Code Jesus married Mary Magdalen and they had a daughter, Sophia Their blood line continues to this day The Church has violently covered this up

FACT? Dan Brown claims that all the literary and historical data referred to in his book are factually correct

THE DANGER OF FALSE FACT-CLAIMS Most casual readers will assume they’re true Most casual readers will assume they’re true Few people know their Bible or church history well enough to spot errors Few people know their Bible or church history well enough to spot errors It’s a best seller and the film will be a block buster: so the book’s message will seep into national consciousness It’s a best seller and the film will be a block buster: so the book’s message will seep into national consciousness

REASONS FOR ITS POPULARITY It’s a great read! It’s a great read! New Age spirituality (“truth is within you”) New Age spirituality (“truth is within you”) Deep suspicion of institutions like Church Deep suspicion of institutions like Church Love of conspiracy theories Love of conspiracy theories Fascination for novel ways of de-coding the Bible (The Bible Code) Fascination for novel ways of de-coding the Bible (The Bible Code) Sympathy for feminism and desire to de- bunk traditional church male chauvinism Sympathy for feminism and desire to de- bunk traditional church male chauvinism

CLAIMS OF THE BOOK Mary Magdalen was really the senior Apostle, who married Jesus and had his daughter Mary Magdalen was really the senior Apostle, who married Jesus and had his daughter Jesus was not divine but a prophet and a radical feminist, reviving the ancient pagan “sacred feminine” ideal Jesus was not divine but a prophet and a radical feminist, reviving the ancient pagan “sacred feminine” ideal As a Jewish Rabbi, Jesus would certainly be married As a Jewish Rabbi, Jesus would certainly be married The official line about Jesus was only established by Constantine in 325 AD The official line about Jesus was only established by Constantine in 325 AD

CLAIMS OF THE BOOK At the Council of Nicaea (325) Constantine promoted a divine Jesus Constantine promoted a divine Jesus This was only accepted by a narrow vote of the bishops at the council This was only accepted by a narrow vote of the bishops at the council The 4 Gospels that taught his divinity were kept – about 80 others that taught a purely human Jesus were scrapped and destroyed to cover the evidence The 4 Gospels that taught his divinity were kept – about 80 others that taught a purely human Jesus were scrapped and destroyed to cover the evidence

CLAIMS OF THE BOOK Fortunately, traces of these early, suppressed Gospels survived: The Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls The Nag Hammadi library The Nag Hammadi library The “Q” Document The “Q” Document A secret society (Priory of Sion) of which da Vinci was a member knew the secret and kept it alive

CLAIMS OF THE BOOK Leonardo encoded messages into his paintings, especially “The Last Supper” This painting (Brown claims) depicts Mary Magdalen next to Jesus (disguised as the Apostle John) and contains a “V” shape in the middle – an ancient symbol of the Sacred Feminine.

Leonardo da Vinci – The Last Supper Is “John” really Mary Magdalen? Is the “V” shape between John/Mary and Jesus an ancient pagan symbol of the “sacred feminine”?

ERRORS Nag Hammadi (Secret “Gnostic” Gospels) Late date (4 th Cent) – no historical value Late date (4 th Cent) – no historical value Only 9 not 80 “gospels” (there are only 52 documents in all!) Only 9 not 80 “gospels” (there are only 52 documents in all!) None claim Jesus was married None claim Jesus was married Present a LESS not more human Jesus Present a LESS not more human Jesus Are LESS not more feminist than the 4 Gospels Are LESS not more feminist than the 4 Gospels Are not in Aramaic but Coptic (translated from Greek) Are not in Aramaic but Coptic (translated from Greek)

ERRORS Dead Sea Scrolls A purely Jewish not Christian literature A purely Jewish not Christian literature No mention of Jesus but confirmation of the OT texts as we have them No mention of Jesus but confirmation of the OT texts as we have them

ERRORS Q Document No evidence of “Q” as an earlier Gospel No evidence of “Q” as an earlier Gospel “Quelle” (German: “Source”) a hypothetical document containing Jesus’ sayings as recorded in Mt and Lk but not Mark. “Quelle” (German: “Source”) a hypothetical document containing Jesus’ sayings as recorded in Mt and Lk but not Mark. GCSE Level RS is all you need for this!

ERRORS The Council of Nicaea Did not initiate the divinity of Jesus Did not initiate the divinity of Jesus Did not settle the canon of the NT Did not settle the canon of the NT Did not initiate the idea of a divine Jesus – the NT and earliest documents claim it Did not initiate the idea of a divine Jesus – the NT and earliest documents claim it Did not upgrade Jesus by a narrow vote (it was actually 316 to 2) Did not upgrade Jesus by a narrow vote (it was actually 316 to 2) Was not railroaded by Constantine Was not railroaded by Constantine

ERRORS The Priory of Sion There never was such a European secret society founded in The documents that purport to identify famous members of the sect were exposed as a hoax, and the Priory of Sion itself was created by a small time anti-Jewish crook in There never was such a European secret society founded in The documents that purport to identify famous members of the sect were exposed as a hoax, and the Priory of Sion itself was created by a small time anti-Jewish crook in 1956.

ERRORS Leonardo’s “Last Supper” It was convention in Florentine art to depict John in an effeminate way to indicate that he was a very young man. It was convention in Florentine art to depict John in an effeminate way to indicate that he was a very young man. Da Vinci’s painting is a careful depiction of the Last Supper as described in John’s Gospel, where John is next to Jesus Da Vinci’s painting is a careful depiction of the Last Supper as described in John’s Gospel, where John is next to Jesus

CRACKING THE CODE Read and enjoy it – but don’t be taken in! Be ready for when the movie comes out – your friends will see it and may already have read the book! Be ready with your answers for anyone who says that the book or film debunk Christianity.