Eliezer Gonzalez
There is no doubt that Dan Brown’s novel “The Da Vinci Code” has caused many heated debates since being released in 2003. To date, it is estimated to have sold more than 60,000 copies, not to mention the websites it has launched, the television shows and the movie or the sequel book. Here we are going to take a look at several of the most talked about statements in the novel, and from a Christian standpoint, we will supply facts as to how much is truth and how much is fiction.
Jesus and Mary Magdalene
Probably the most talked about statement, the one that causes most people to enter into heated and emotionally fueled debates is that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and that they had a daughter named Sarah. To support this, the book refers to the writings of the "Gnostic Gospels" more specifically to the text of Philip.
Here is what we know, that Jesus lived during the first century of this era. The New Testament that talks about the life and death of Jesus, historians that were born during the same century wrote accounts of Jesus' life and death, and a collection of Rabbinical writings as well as letters that were written around 96 AD make no mention of a marriage between Jesus and Mary or that there was a child. These documents were written by people that were followers as well as by people that did not believe in the miracle of Jesus. As a matter of fact, of the non believers that wrote about Jesus many were antagonistic and derogatory, but still do not mention anything that would change the current portrayal of a celibate and unmarried Jesus.
The Gnostic Gospel
The text that is referred to the most from the Gnostic Gospel is the "Gospel of Philip." The novel states that this specific text made reference to a very intimate relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. The novel states that the "Gospel of Philip" states that "Christ loved her more than all the disciples and used to kiss her often on her mouth…"
It is important that you have some background information about the Gnostic Gospels. They were discovered in 1945 at Nag Hammadi in Egypt. It is believed by many scholars that it was written approximately 150 years after Jesus. The person responsible for writing the "Gospel of Philip" is unknown and it is considered a non-Christian document.
Now there are many writings in the Gnostic Gospel itself that were written about the same time that seem to borrow names, ideas and concepts from the Christian New Testament. If you were able to the read the text of Philip, there is a story of Jesus and Mary where they are described as having a relationship that was unlike the relationship Jesus shared with his other disciples. The difference in the actual text and the novel is that the word for "mouth" does not appear in the non-translated text. Therefore many fit their own word in the statement. It is possible that what was meant could be hand, forehead or cheek. Cheek is more believable then mouth as that kissing on the cheek is still a custom in the Middle East.
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Gnostic Gospel
The Da Vinci Code states that these two documents are the earliest Christian records. As a matter of fact, it goes as far to say that the New Testament is nothing more than a forgery. Let us look at what these documents are exactly. First the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are approximately 900 documents that are written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. They were found in caves near Jerusalem in and ancient village called Qumran between the years of 1947 and 1956. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain some of the oldest copies of parts of the Old Testament. They also contain writings of a religious group called Essenes. This group was based in Israel in 200 BC and they lasted until 100 AD.
It has been the attempt of many to try to show there is a connection between Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls. They have even gone as far as to say that they are not the word of God, but instead the basis for the New Testament. Yet several sources that have read the scrolls state there is no mention of Jesus anywhere in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The Gnostic Gospels, well, we covered those partially earlier in our attempt to show the disparity between a fictional novel and historical fact. While we do not know who wrote any of the Gnostic Gospels, we do know that they were not Christian, but people trying to act as though they were Christians. To further prove this, you need to compare the New Testament and the Gnostic Gospel. As a Christian, you know that the New Testament is a continuation of the Old Testament, and in reading it, you will note that there are several references to the Old Testament including details about what the life of the land was like in Israel during the first century.
The Gnostic Gospels however make very little reference to the land, leading many to think that the Gnostic people had never even been to Israel, or perhaps they were not alive during that first century. Plus there is a theological contradiction between the New Testament and the Gnostic Gospel.
Da Vinci was a Pagan
As that the novel takes his name and links the story his masterful works, it is only natural then to sum up or discussion with this statement that is obviously false. Leonardo Da Vinci is being portrayed as an anti-Christian pagan from the Renaissance Era who was entrusted with a great secret that could undermine the foundation of Christianity itself. Naturally though, the desire to share bits and pieces of this great secret with the world got the better of him and he used his artwork, his Christian based artwork to divulge his anti-Christian beliefs.
To disprove this statement, we need look no further then to the first biography written about Leonardo Da Vinci by Giorgio Vasari. This book was published in 1550, and in it, Da Vinci repented his sins and confessed that Christianity was were his faith lie near the end of his life. It is stated in the biography that Da Vinci desired "to be informed of Catholic practice and of the good and holy Christian religion, then, after many tears, he repented and confessed." It goes on to say that in this document that was penned in front of witnesses and stated by Da Vinci himself that he "commends his soul to Almighty God" (not the goddess), "to the Blessed Virgin Mary" (not Magdalene), and "to Saint Michael and all the angels and saints in paradise." - "The Truth Behind The Da Vinci Code," by Richard Abanes, page 65.
While controversy and cover up provide an excellent and exciting story line for a novel, one only needs to dig into history just a little to see that not everything we read is based on truth. But if reading this novel has made you think about your faith once more, it then has served a great purpose. http://www.davincitruth.com
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