Misleading Statements and Half-Truths in The Da Vinci Code

 

“As a descendant of the lines of King Solomon and King David, Jesus possessed a rightful claim to the throne of the King of the Jews.  Understandably, his life was recorded by thousands of followers across the land.”

The last page of the Coptic Gospel of Thomas

 

“More than eighty gospels were considered for the New Testament, and yet only a relative few were chosen for inclusion—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John among them.”

 

“Originally, Christianity honored the Jewish Sabbath of Saturday, but Constantine shifted it to coincide with the pagan’s veneration day of the sun.  To this day, most churchgoers attend services on Sunday morning with no idea that they are there on account of the pagan sun god’s weekly tribute—Sunday.”

 

The Council of Nicaea (325 C.E.)

“Until that moment in history [the Council of Nicaea in 325 C.E.], Jesus was viewed by his followers as a mortal prophet . . . a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless.  A mortal.”

“Not the Son of God.”

“Right.  Jesus’ establishment as ‘the Son of God’ was officially proposed and voted on by the Council of Nicaea”

“Hold on.  You’re saying that Jesus’ divinity was the result of a vote?”

“A relatively close vote at that . . . . “

 

 

“Jesus as a married man makes infinitely more sense than our standard biblical view of Jesus as a bachelor [because] Jesus was a Jew, and the social decorum during that time virtually forbid [sic] a Jewish man to be unmarried.  According to Jewish custom, celibacy was condemned. . . .  If Jesus were not married, at least one of the Bible’s gospels would have mentioned it and offered some explanation for his unnatural state of bachelorhood.”

Jesus at the Wedding at Cana

 

Jesus and Mary Magdalene, Giotto de Bondone, 14th cent.

 

 Quoting the Gospel of Philip: “And the companion of the Saviour is Mary Magdalene.  Christ loved her more than all the disciples and used to kiss her often on her mouth.”

The Gospel of Philip can be found in this book, and elsewhere.

 [Discussing the passage from the Gospel of Philip in which Jesus is said to have loved Mary Magdalene and kissed her often, Sophie comments], “It says nothing of marriage.”  Responding to her, Teabing says, “Au contraire.  As any Aramaic scholar will tell you, the word companion, in those days, literally meant spouse.”  Then, “Langdon concurred with a nod.”