The DaVinci Code

In the Refectory of the convent attached to the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, in the city of Milan, in the northern Italian province of Lombardy, there is a fragile work of art that most Christians would recognize immediately.

A 30 foot wide mural painted in tempera on a dry plaster wall in 1495-1497 by master artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is titled simply The Last Supper. It depicts the scene of Jesus and his disciples as recorded in the Gospel of John 13:21-26.

Over the years the painting has been damaged many times. Early in its life, someone put a doorway through the wall, destroying the portion of the painting where Jesus’ feet once appeared. The painting has suffered through 500 years of bad restorations. In 1943 Allied Bombers destroyed much of the building. The wall would be gone had not the church carefully protected it with sandbags .

The Last Supper underwent a total restoration that began in 1978 and was completed in 1999. The restoration team removed layers of paint till they got down to the very last layer, the one da Vinci painted. This process left a lot of bare wall. They filled in the gaps with colors that were close enough to the original that the painting looks complete, but that is different enough to let the expert viewer see what is original and what has been filled in. The restoration brought a lot attention to the work. Some praised it, some condemned it, most didn't know quite what to think.

In 2003 the painting gained another round of attention. This time because it is a central figure in a book, The DaVinci Code. The book claimed the painting as its central evidence that da Vinci was the protector of an ancient Gnostic secret. A secret he recorded in code within the painting itself. A secret that claims that everything we know about Christianity is a lie and a hoax.

The DaVinci Code picks up the theories posed in the 1983 book Holy Blood Holy Grail, wrapping them into a work of fiction. The book is a historical novel, a murder mystery, a romance, and a statement of religious doctrine all in one. It has enjoyed unprecedented success, reported to be the best selling work of fiction of all time, with more than 36 Million hardcover copies sold as of August 2005.

The motion picture version, starring Tom Hanks, directed by Ron Howard opened May 19, 2006. (Sample Review) Even though it opened to "C" reviews, the movie the opening weekend netted a little over 77 million dollars. This is near record setting box office receipts for a C movie which is unheard off.

Paperback publication and recycling of the hardback copies will finish up, exposing the story and the ideas it hosts to an amazing number of people.

To readers who are inclined to reject Christianity or at least demand that Christianity make some big changes, changes that would make it fit their views, the book is a watershed work. They have nothing to say but praise.

Devout Christians, especially Catholics, see the book in a different light. Actually, light may be the wrong word. They see it as the work of the Prince of Darkness.

Most readers don’t know quite what to think about it. They believe in Jesus. At least they believed that he was a real person, and a great teacher whose disciples called him Christ. But they don’t know how that turned into his Church. They don’t know how his Church turned into what we know as the Catholic Church or how that turned into many different Churches, all claiming to be Christian. They don’t know all that much about the Bible, how we got it, what’s in it, and what does it mean. Canon Law, what’s that? And what about the Crusades? What was the Inquisition? Why did so many Europeans fight wars and kill each other because they didn’t share the same religious beliefs and practices? What about religious art? What about gender roles? What about secret Societies? Are there any clues out there?

Yes, maybe a clue. Maybe it’s secret. Or maybe it’s right in front of us.

They DaVinci Code says that it is both. The clues are right there in the painting, The Last Supper. The Code has all the answers wrapped in a narrative story that is easy to read and understand. The first word author Dan Brown prints in his book is “Fact” and the introduction makes this claim. "All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.“ Where better to get the clues to decipher the code than from a printed book that only presents Facts?

Brown also makes the point in the course of his narrative that one shouldn’t believe things just because they are written down. Facts should be examined. He says that about the Facts he calls into question, but surely… he would agree that his Facts should stand up to scrutiny too.

There are three groups that this discourse is directed to.:

Those, especially Christians, who haven’t read the book and don’t know what The DaVinci Code is about. There will be someone in the next year, someone you care about, who will ask you about the book. Once you know what it is, you will want to have an answer.
Those who do know what it is all about and want to know more about its claims. Are they true? What are the arguments for and against the theories and doctrines of The DaVinci Code.
Those who are at odds with Christianity as they know it. Many of this group welcome The DaVinci Code because it challenges traditional religion and religious authority.

The works of Leonardo DaVinci are central to the assertions of The Code. It’s “his code.” Most prominent is his painting, The Last Supper.

The scene depicts the Last Supper as described in the Gospel of John.

Jn 13:21b“Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.” 22The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. 23There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24So Simon Peter gestured to him, and said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.” 25He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26Jesus then answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.

The picture as a whole has two major images. The first is the central focus on Jesus. He is in the center with the Apostles giving separation so that he stands out. The large window behind him also draws attention to him.

The second image is the sense of alarm and disturbance at his comment that one of them would betray him.

The depiction on this scene was a popular one in da Vinci’s day. Most of the other works used some unnatural means to draw attention to Jesus and the others in the scene with him. Jesus and the Apostles were often depicted with a Halos. Jesus painted with the largest one; Judas with none. Often Judas was shown separated from everyone else and with a sinister appearance. In most of the paintings, the Apostles were shown with pious posture, either bowed or stiff and still.

What made da Vinci’s image compelling is that it used very natural and subtle mechanisms to tell the story. Jesus is still the center of attention. The Apostles are animated – wonderfully expressing their alarm. Judas is shown in a different light. Literally in a different light. He is seated close to Jesus, but he faces in a different direction that anyone else. He has natural reason to be doing so. The person to his right has jumped up and reached behind him to pull the person on his left toward him. He faces the action behind him. This puts him in shadow and makes him just different enough from all the others that the difference is noticed on a subconscious level. He is also the only one of the twelve who is not disturbed. He may look nervous. His right hand clutches the coin purse. His left hand reaches for the bread at the same time Jesus reaches with his right for the same bread. Jesus will sop the bread and hand it to Judas before what he says next soaks in. The two apostles flanking him are Simon Peter and John the son Zebedee. Simon holds the “sword” he will carry to the Garden in his right hand and reaches with his left, gesturing to John. John, described here only as ‘the Disciple whom Jesus loved” who had been leaning on Jesus, leans toward Peter to hear the question.

Read the description, read the Bible text, look at the picture, read the text again, da Vinci's art capured the scene described by the Gospel of John.

Look at the close-up of Peter, Judas, John and Jesus.

The more you study it, the more impressed you will be in the richness of the work and the way the tension and action of the moment is captured.

Four of the figures, Jesus and he three to his right, have been well known from the first days of the painting. They were known because they were shown doing things that identified them by reading the text and looking at what each was doing.

The others we know only because da Vinci’s notebooks contained sketches with notes he used to prepare for the drawing. Da Vinci spent time developing the character of this great painting. He found models who made him think of the story and he sketched them. He even sketched hands and feet.

According to da Vinci's notes, from left to right there are four groups of three:

Bartholomew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Andrew

Simon Peter, Judas, and John,

Jesus,

Thomas, James the son of Zebedee, and Philip,

Matthew, Thaddeus (also known as Jude and Judas of James) and Simon the Zealot

The DaVinci Code uses this work of art as one of its central claims of historical fact.

The book is a work of fiction. That is, the story of a murdered man and the other characters of the book is pure fiction. All of this is laid upon a foundation that the Author Dan Brown claims in the book and has confirmed in published interviews to be pure facts.

These characters in The DaVinci Code use the universal hero story character set common to Monomyth.

Victim - Jacques Sauniere - the murdered man, Curator of the Louvre Museum in Paris, and secret Grand Master of "The Priory of Sion." He dies protecting a secret and leaves clues behind.

Reluctant Hero - Robert Langdon - an American professor who is an expert in the icons of goddess worship - also suspected of the murder.

Heroine - Sophie Neveu - granddaughter of the murdered man - a trained cryptographer & police scientist. The Code goes to lengths to point out that Sophie is the diminutive form of Sophia - goddess of Wisdom. Sophia was re-incarnated as Gnostic goddess, "the final and lowest emanation of God" who is responsible for "creation of materiality"

Mentor - Sir Leigh Teabing - self appointed British Historian and authority on the Holy Grail. The quest for the Grail has become his life. The hero and heroine of the book seek him out when they discover that the person who has murdered her grandfather was trying to learn a secret about the Grail.

A Enabling Character - the one the Hero doesn't know if he can trust or not , but who saves him and turns out to be a hero himself. He comes complete with a side kick. (Yes, just like the Lone Ranger and Tonto or Han Solo and Chewbacca.) The Code tries pretty hard to make the reader think he just might be the Villain.

A Villain - "The Teacher" - the story tries to keep his identity secret till page 405 of the 454 page book, but it is really obvious who he is by page 358. There was a small clue on page 227 and a massive one on page 269, that is repeated on page 283.

Accomplice of the Villain - ("Igor" to the Frankenstein fans) If you read the book, see how quickly you can spot him.

Unwitting Accomplices - a Bishop and a Monk in this story.

And of course, a host of long dead but still famous people. (pg 326-327 for the list)

The DaVinci Code uses the naïve of the Heroine as cause for the Mentor to lecture her at length and teach a different story of the life of Jesus and the origin of his Church.

The Historian first confirms that the Heroine knows very little about the Grail and nothing about the Bible or religion.

"To fully understand the Grail ... we must first understand the Bible. How well do you know the New Testament?" (pg 230)

"Not at all, really. I was raised by a man who worshiped Leonardo da Vinci." (pg 230)

The lecture begins. The Hero looks on in general approval of what is being taught, occasionally adding his own supporting thoughts to those of the Mentor.

This quote from the book sums up what the DaVinci code teaches about Christianity:

“What I mean ... is that almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false.” (pg235)

The Code 54 (pg229), 55, 56, 58, 60, and 105 are chapters devoted almost exclusively to this lecture.

According to the code:

“The Disciple Jesus Loved" was Mary Magdalene.
She was his wife, or lover. At the time of Jesus’ last supper she was pregnant.
She was the one who leaned on his bosom. I.e. the figure to Jesus right in da Vinci’s painting was Mary Magdalene.
DaVinci knew all this because he was the Grand Master of a secret 1000 yr old society called “the Priory of Sion.”
He hid this image in the painting so he could honor Mary Magdalene without doing so openly.
Because she carried his child, Mary was, the vessel that held Jesus Blood; “The Holy Grail” of legend.
Jesus lives on through his descendants.

The book also claims:

Mary Magdalene was the chief Apostle, meant to succeed him.
The other Apostles were jealous of her.
Led by Peter, they discredited her and “Invented” Christianity.
Because they wanted to deny Mary Magdalene her role her place as chief Apostle, they devised a religion in which only men hold power.

The Code claims that the Roman Emperor Constantine used the Christian Church to consolidate and strengthen his rule of the Roman Empire. He called the Council of Nicaea to manipulate the doctrine of the Church.

Specifically to:

Control the canon of the Bible and exclude the “Gnostic Gospels” that acknowledged Mary as the principal leader.
“Invent” the idea that Jesus was Divine. (The Code claims that this doctrine not known before the 4^thcentury.)
Replace worship of the “sacred feminine” with a patriarchical religion that helped him control his subjects.

The DaVinci Code makes all these claims, seeks to reject Christianity and replace it with a religion that restores the worship of the “sacred feminine” That is, Goddess Worship.

The code promotes “a balance” of male and female influence. The balance is experienced through sexual union.

Chapter 74 of The Code describes the Gnostic ritual Hieros Gamos , later described as "sacred communion" (pg 353.) As described by The Code, the "worshipers" stand in a large circle dressed in black and white robes wearing black and white masks. The male leader of the ritual and a woman partner are in the center of the circle, wearing only masks. The circle chants as the couple engage in sexual relations.

The Heroine, it seems has accidentally witnessed this ritual and was repulsed by it. The Hero tells her it is actually a good thing that she misunderstood because no one had prepared her to participate.

The Code attacks Christianity in general; the Catholic Church in particular. Catholicism is portrayed as acting with deceit , treachery, and murder. It is accuses of it of a great cover-up that is still in effect.

The Code also denounces the Bible and claims that the Bible was intentionally manipulated in the selection of it's canon (the word canon means "rule of measure" form the Greek word kanon. The "canon" of the Bible means the books that were included, others that were excluded.) What The Code seems to have overlooked is that these issues have long been debated within Christianity.

The DaVinci Code refers to the "Coptic Scrolls (found) in 1945 at Nag Hammadi" and the "Dead Sea Scrolls ... found in a cave near Qumran in the 1950's" (page 234.)

The Code claims that they are the "earliest Christian records" (page 245.)

The Dead Sea Scrolls were actually first discovered in 1947.

The Nag Hammadi Scrolls contain Gnostic texts that do not agree with the Bible. In this Mentor Teabing is correct. But they also include texts that don't agree with each other. They contain texts that don't support the quest of The Code to reestablish the Sacred Feminine. Consider this quote from the Gospel of Thomas, one of the texts found at Nag Hammadi. Peter says "Make Mary leave us, for females don't deserve life." Jesus responds "Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the domain of Heaven."

The Code claims "the Bible as we know it today, was collated by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great." (page 231)

As to the Canon, 22 of the 27 books of the New Testament were widely accepted as authentic as early as 170 A.D. (the Muratorian Canon, did not include Hebrews, James, III John.) The Tetramorph, or Fourfold Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), was firmly the Gospel Canon by this time.

The 27 books that we know as the New Testament were debated officially from 220 - 367A.D. They were finally confirmed by the Council of Laodicea in 363 A.D., the Council of Hippo in 393A.D., and the Council of Carthage in 397A.D.

Constantine was born sometime between 274 and 288 A.D. and died in 337 A.D. The Gospels were solidly determined at least 100 years before he was born and left open to critical review 30 years after his death. He could not possibly have been the determining force behind their selection.

The Protestant Reformers Luther and Zwingli, and others challenged the canon of the Bible in the 16^thCentury. The New Testament books challenged were Hebrews, James, Jude II Peter, II & III John, and The Revelation (Apocalypse of John.)

Two Gospel excerpts were also challenged because they do not appear in the earliest manuscripts of the Gospels.

Mark 16:9-20 contains the account of Jesus appearance to Mary Magdalene and others, paralleling the final chapters of Matthew, Luke, and 20^th Chapter of John.

John 7:53 - 8:11 contains the Incident of Jesus being asked to condemn a woman caught in adultery (famous for the wise reply “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Modern translations such as the NASB include these passages with a footnote acknowledging that they are not found in the earliest manuscripts.

Some Renaissance Catholic Scholars, including Erasmus and Cajetan joined these challenges. The subject was openly debated within the Catholic Church with the Council of Trent deciding the matter for Catholics. This debate is openly documented by the Catholic Encyclopedia. Protestant groups were less definite but coming practically to the same conclusions. ( See Wikpedia entries for Mark 16, John 8, and an extended discussion in Biblical Canon)

Earlier manuscripts than those available in the 4^thand 5^th Centuries have been found and have been used to translate the Scriptures into other languages from original Hebrew and Greek Manuscripts. The manuscripts that the DaVinci Code claims were altered at the bidding of Constantine can be compared to manuscripts which were copied much earlier. Instead of proving the 4^thand 5^th Century manuscripts altered, the comparison proves the differences to be very minor copyist errors.

The existence of Gnostic Gospels have been acknowledged by Christians at least as far back as 182 A.D. Irenæus denounced them in his "Against Heresies". Christians have not covered up their existence. They have openly denounced them as false.

The Bible itself has been the principal source used to challenge the improprieties of Catholicism. Those who have left or rejected Catholicism have done so primarily because they felt it did not match the Bible's description of what Christ's Church was to be. From within Catholicism, reformers and church leaders (including the last several Popes) have used the Bible as their guide to make changes.

The Code claims that the Canon of the New Testament was decided by Constantine and challenges to it were suppressed.

This is proven false by the extensive history kept on the subject by the scholars who have debated this subject for as long as the Gospels have existed.

So what about The DaVinci Code claims that Mary Magdalene was defamed and discredited by a Church that Peter and the Apostles established?

What about the claim that the four Gospels accepted by the Church and included in the Canon of the New Testament were edited to leave her out?

The Bible proves this claim false. All you have to do is open it up and read it.

The fact is that Mary Magdalene is not left out of the Gospels at all. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Mary Magdalene shared 6 significant events with Jesus that are described by the Gospels.

She is mentioned in all four Gospels. She appears in 13 passages. Every one of these passages portray her in the positive light. No where does the Bible say anything negative about her.

The Bible portrays her as one of Jesus' most faithful Disciples. Jesus' disciples deserted him when he was arrested. Only John and Peter stayed with him during his trial. Peter was there, but he watched from a distance. When someone recognized him he denied that he was Jesus' Disciple, not once, but three times. At the cross there are only a handful of Jesus' followers who stayed with him to the end. Mary Magdalene was one of them. When Joseph and Nicodemus took Jesus' body and placed him in the tomb, only two women followed to see where he was buried. Mary Magdalene was one of them. When the Disciples were hiding in mourning, Mary Magdalene was one of the three women named in the Gospels who came to the tomb. She was the first person to see him after the resurrection and was the one who told everyone else what had happened.

Were the Gospels edited to cast Mary Magdalene as anything but a Godly woman?

Not at all ! Read the passages for yourself.

Jesus cast out of Mary Magdalene seven demons

passage 1 - Luke 8:2

passage 12 - Mark 16:9

Mary Magdalene is one of many women who travel with and support Jesus

passage 1 - Luke 8:1 - 3

passage 2 - Mark 15:40 - 41

Mary Magdalene at the Cross with Mary mother of Jesus, John, and others

passage 3 - Matthew 27:55 - 56

passage 2 - Mark 15:40 - 41

passage 4 - John 19:25 - 27

Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" observe the location of the Tomb

passage 5 - Matthew 27:59 - 61

passage 6 - Mark 15:46 - 47

Mary Magdalene, Salome, and "the other Mary" discover the Empty Tomb

passage 7 - Matthew 28:1 - 10

passage 8 - Mark 16:1 - 8

passage 9 - Luke 24:1 - 11

passage 10 - John 20:1 - 2

The resurrected Jesus appears first to Mary Magdalene

passage 12 - Mark 16:9 - 11

passage 13 - John 20:11 - 18

The DaVinci Code claims that Christianity erased and/or slandered the Discipleship of Mary Magdalene.

The Bible proves this false.

The Code claims “ the Disciple whom Jesus loved" was Mary Magdalene.

This term is found six times in the Gospels, all of them in the Gospel of John. (Who wrote the Gospel of John ? )

Consider these four related passages of the six.

John 13:23-24 At the Last Supper

John 21:1-7 He was one of the fisherman who saw the resurrected Jesus walking on the shore.

John 21:20-23 Peter identifies him as the one at the last Supper

John 21:24 John identifies himself, the one who wrote the Gospel of John as this person

There is no doubt that there was a person identified as "the Disciple Jesus loved. "

There is also no doubt that Peter was jealous of this person.

But that person was a man, John the son of Zebedee, brother of James.

In John 21:20-21, the text says that Peter asked Jesus about "the disciple whom Jesus loved," "the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper." His question is "what about this man?” The Greek word translated 'man' here is 'οτος', a Greek word of masculine gender. John used this word again John 21: 24 when he explained that he spoke of himself when he used the term "the disciple whom Jesus loved". John used this term instead of "I" or "John."

"The disciple whom Jesus loved. " was a man, not a woman.

John 19:25-27 Mary stands with him at the Cross

John 20:2 Mary talks with him

John 19:25-27 reinforces that "the disciple whom Jesus loved" mentioned in the Gospel of John was not Mary Magdalene. At the foot of the Cross, Mary Magdalene stands with "the disciple whom Jesus loved." Jesus tells his mother "Woman, behold your son." [The Greek word here is "υἱός", the word that means "son." It is never translated "daughter". The New Testament Greek word translated "daughter" is "θυγάτηρ". The Greek word for daughter-in-law is "νύμφη"] Jesus discharged his responsibility to care for his mother to his close friend, a male. If Mary Magdalene were his wife, he would have had a responsibility for her too. He didn't ask his friend to care for her because he had no responsibility for her. He also did not say "Woman, behold your daughter in law."

John 20:2 says point blank that Mary Magdalene was talking to Peter and "the disciple whom Jesus loved."

The DaVinci Code claims that the early church conspired to exclude women. This is not borne out by the Bible at all.

Jesus interacted with women frequently in a culture where this was not common. The Pharisees of Jesus' day were known to walk into obstacles rather than risk making eye contact with women walking on the street. the Gospels list at least 23 individual women who Jesus interacted with.

Lk 1:26-38 Mary his mother

Lk 2:21-38 Anna the prophetess

Lk 10:38-42, Jn 11:1-46, Jn 12:1-8 Mary & Martha

Lk 8:1-3 Mk 15:40 Mary Magdalene, Joanna , Susanna, Salome

Mt 27:56, Jn 19:25 Mary, wife of Clopas (“the other Mary”, mother of James, Joses)

Jn 4:7-38 Samaritan Woman at the well

Lk 7:11-17 Widow of Nain

Mt 8:14-17, Mk 1:29-34 Peter’s Mother in law

Lk 7:36-39 The “sinful” woman who washed his feet with her tears

Mk 12:41-44, Lk 21:1-4 The widow who he praised because she gave all

Mt 9:20-22, Mk 5:25-34, Lk 8:43-48 Woman healed by touching the hem of his garment

Mt 9:18-19,23-26 , Mk 5:21-24, 35-43, Lk 8:40-42, 48-56 Jairus’ daughter

Mt 15:21-28, Mk 7:24-30 Syrophoenician Woman and her daughter

Jn 8:1-11 Adulterous Woman (he who is without sin, cast the first stone)

Mt 26:6-13, Mk 14:3-9 Woman who anointed his head

Lk 11:27-28 Woman, rebuked by Jesus for glorifying Mary in place of God

Mt 20:20, Mt 27:56, Mother of James and John, rebuked by Jesus for asking him for special position for her sons.

There are also 3 groups of women that were not individually named.

Mt 13:56, Mk 6:3 His Sisters

Mt 5:27-31, Mt 19:3-12, Mk 10:2-12, Lk 16:18 Wrongly divorced women

Lk 23:27-32 Women of Jerusalem

The DaVinci Code claims that Christianity leaves women out.

The Bible cites many interactions between Jesus and women. Only two of them are spoken of with disapproval. This disapproval was not because they were women, rather because of something they did. The vast majority of these women, Jesus praised them, healed them, protected them, appreciated and acknowledged their kindness toward him.

There may be more interactions with men recorded in the Gospels, but a much higher portion of those interactions are ones where Jesus charged them with sin.

The code claims that no one believed that Jesus was divine before the Council of Nicaea declared him so, at the behest of Constantine in the 4^th Century.

The Four Gospels were all written in the First Century. The last of the four written by the Apostle John upon his return from exile on Patmos in the year 96. Christian leaders quoted these Gospels in letters dating back to the First and Second Centuries. That they were accepted by these earliest Christian leaders was the principal evidence used by Jerome to recommend them as authentic.

What do these First Century records say that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John believed about the divinity of Jesus?

Mark 1:1

¹The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Luke 1:30 - 35

³⁰The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

³¹“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.

³²“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;

³³and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

³⁴Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

³⁵The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

John 1:32 - 34

³²John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.

³³“I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’

³⁴“I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

Matthew 16:13 - 17

¹³Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵He said^* to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

John 20:30 - 31

³⁰Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

³¹but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Mark used the opening sentence of his Gospel to identify it as the "gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

Luke begins his by telling how the angel told Mary she would bear a child who would be called "the Son of God."

John the Baptist heralded him as "the Son of God."

Simon Peter confessed him "the Christ, the Son of the living God."

John closed his Gospel saying that it was written so that "you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God."

Jesus himself claimed to be the Son of God - this is the "crime" of which the Jewish leaders convicted him and demanded that he by crucified for. Jesus could have prevented his crucifixion by denying this charge.

John 19:5 - 7

⁵Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said^* to them, “Behold, the Man!”

⁶So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said^* to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.”

⁷The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

These are not the only passages where the Gospels show that Jesus' followers and others recognized him as the Son of God. They are solid proof that the claim of Jesus' divinity was made by his followers in the 1^st Century.

The Code's claim that the divinity of Jesus was first invented in the 4^th Century is false.

There are several claims made by the Code as to what the Bible says. These are only believable if you fail to read the Bible.

The Code makes claims about what the Bible says that anyone who takes the time to read the Bible can readily see false.

The author of The DaVinci Code knows little about the New Testament. Does he do any better with art.

What about the claim that the person to Jesus' right in The Last Supper is a woman?

First look at the picture.

The hair is long, but no sign of a beard or chest hair

The skin is fair

The features are not very masculine, perhaps even effeminate

The pose is not very masculine

The neckline of the tunic looks more like a woman's blouse than a man's shirt.

Do these things indicate a woman?

What better to compare to than other images in the same picture.

Jesus

Long hair (Wearing what looks like a woman's blouse. All the tunics in this picture have similar collars.)

Thomas & James the son of Zebedee &     Thaddeus



Long hair (but look at those beards, men were depicted with long hair)

Matthew                                                  Phillip



No Beard, fair skin

Phillip also has long hair and that is not very masculine pose

James the son of Alphaeus

The tunic looks like a woman's blouse. He wears shoulder length hair.

The goatee clearly identifies this as a man,

but without it James looks very effeminate.

The simple fact is that painters from this period depicted young men as being slightly effeminate as a method to suggest their youth.

The garments were more the style of 15^thCentury Europeans than 1^st Century Jews. ( Men used to dress like that. Just be glad you live now and not then.) Long hair was not unusual for men. They didn't have barber shops.

The DaVinci Code draws heavily on the 1982 book Holy Blood Holy Grail.

That book draws heavily on the Priory of Sion and documents found by the leader of the priory in French National Archives.

The modern day Priory of Sion was INVENTED by CON ARTIST Pierre Plantard in 1956,

He abandoned some of his claims and reinvented it in 1962

The Priory documents claimed that he was heir to the throne of France

Was investigated by the French Government in 1993 as the result of a government scandal

He was forced to admit fake documents were planted and the whole thing a Hoax