He was a Jewish military leader who was taken captive by the conquering Romans. There is little question that this has happened, but is history always written by the winners? Even if it was, does it mean we cannot know what really happened? The well-known first-century historian Josephus was from the losing side. The idea is that an accurate view of history cannot really be known since the winners have distorted it to paint themselves in the best light. The Da Vinci Code repeats the common but erroneous belief that “History is always written by the winners” (p. Theodosius made Christianity the state religion in AD 386-more than half a century after Constantine. 196)Ĭonstantine did not make Christianity the state religion, but he did enact the Edict of Toleration (AD 311) and the Edict of Milan (AD 313), which legalized Christianity throughout the Empire. This became a popular idea in medieval times.Ĭonstantine made Christianity the state religion because it was growing in popularity and he was “a very good businessman.” (p. The Bible never focuses on the so-called grail, nor does it instruct followers to search for it. The Bible celebrates the Last Supper as the definitive arrival of the cup of Christ.
The Last Supper was not painted to show Christ’s announcement of the New Covenant (when He used the cup) but was painted to show the moment that Jesus announced His betrayer. Frescoes are quite permanent.ĭa Vinci’s The Last Supper did not show Christ’s cup because da Vinci wanted to identify the “Holy Grail” as Mary Magdalene. The Last Supper is a tempera, which is why it has undergone numerous restorations.
The Nag Hammadi documents consisted of codices (bound books).ĭa Vinci’s The Last Supper is described as a fresco ten times. The documents found at Nag Hammadi were scrolls. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the 1950s. The Louvre’s official website states there are 673 panes of glass. Claim in The Da Vinci CodeĪt President Mitterand’s explicit demand, the pyramid at the Louvre consists of 666 panes of glass, which created a stir among conspiracy buffs who view 666 as the number of Satan. Here is a small sample of mistakes made by Brown on these lesser issues. Although these issues are not crucial, they demonstrate Brown’s uncanny ability to miss the truth or his willingness to twist the truth to tell his story. How Factual Are Dan Brown’s Facts?īefore examining the more important issues centering on Jesus Christ, it is important to understand that Brown plays fast and loose with even the most basic details. His claims have deceived millions concerning the truth about the deity of Jesus Christ, His life, His ministry, and church history. The book centers on the idea that sitting to the right of Jesus in the painting is Mary Magdalene rather than the Apostle John.īut it’s just fiction, right? Everyone knows it’s just a story, so why bother spending time refuting it? Yes, it’s just fiction, but Brown’s opening “FACT” purports that much of the story is true. 2 Brown claims that da Vinci left clues in his artwork, especially The Last Supper painting. Supposedly, a secret society called the Priory of Sion passed on the truth to its followers, which included an impressive list of scientists and scholars throughout history, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Isaac Newton. They tried desperately to destroy any documents or evidence that went against their claims. However, the apostles changed Christ’s message so they could make the church patriarchal and suppress women. The apostles were jealous of Mary’s role among the group, so she fled in fear to France where her descendants would eventually become French royalty. According to the story, Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married, and she was pregnant with His child when He was crucified. Rather than being the cup used by Christ during the Last Supper, Brown claims the grail is Mary Magdalene. The story involves a quest for a redefined holy grail. Dan Brown’s action-thriller became a cultural phenomenon and triggered a firestorm of debate due to many of the statements about Jesus Christ. All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” 1 Thus begins one of the best-selling and most controversial books in history.