Okay, so I'm finally getting something posted on the DaVinci Code, but only thanks to Bill Bode. Bill pulled this together for your viewing and reading pleasure.

One of Many Cracks in the Code

The fictional storyline of The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown its author weaves “historical” assertions meant to shake the foundations of Christianity.

The following is an excerpt from “Cracking Da Vinci’s Code” by James L. Garlow and Peter Jones. Cook Communication Ministries.

Garlow holds a M.Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary, a Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminayr, and a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Drew University.

Jones holds a B.A. from the University of Wales (UK), an M.Div. from Gordon-Cronwell Theological Seminary, a Th.M. from Harvard Divinity School, and a Ph.D. from Princeston Theological Seminary.

The Priory Hoax

The Priory of Sion, according to The Da Vinci Code, is one of the oldest secret societies still in existence. It is the Priory that has been charged with guarding the secret of the Holy Grail, starting in 1099 when the Knights Templar discovered the long-lost documents beneath the ruins of Solomon’s Temple. Leonardo da Vinci was Grand Master of this society, says Robert Langdon (A character in the book), from 1510 to 1519. The only problem is this: It is all a hoax.

Brown relies on a 1982 publication, Holy Blood, Holy Grail, for his information on the Priory of Sion. The authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail relied on documents provided them by Pierre Plantard, an anti-Semitic Frenchman who spent time in jail in 1953. Plantard and three other men started a small social club in 1954 called the Priory of Sion, taking the name from a nearby mountain. Their club’s “cause” was the call for more low-cost housing in France. The club dissolved in 1957, but Plantard held on to the name.

Throughout the 1960s and the 1970s, Plantard created a series of documents “proving” the existence of a bloodline descending from Mary Magdalene, through the kings of France, down to the present day to include (surprise!) Pierre Plantard. He began using the name Plantard de Saint-Clair, saying the Saint-Clairs were direct descendants of the line of Jesus and Mary.

In 1993, Plantard’s name came up in light of a political scandal involving a close friend of the French president Francois Mitterand. Plantard had, in one of his documented lists of the Priory of Sion, listed Roger-Paltrice Pelat as Grand Master. When called to testify, Plantard, under oath, admitted he had made the whole Priory scheme. The court ordered a search of Plantard’s house, which revealed futher documents that proclaimed Plantard to be the true king of France. The judge gave Plantard a stern warning and dismissed him as a harmless crank.

-Cracking Da Vinci’s Code

There are 32 questions raised in Browns book. Some of them are true. The weaving the true with the false claims makes for interesting reading. Cracking Da Vinci’s Code separates the true claims from the false ones, while offering page numbers to allow you to read along to see how the false statements are used. Feel free to pick up a copy or borrow from the Christian Education office.

Thanks again to Bill Bode.