Dan Brown's book has started a whole industry
Was Mary Magdalene really the wife of Jesus? And did she bear him a child, starting a dynasty that passed the bloodline of Jesus down through the centuries? Did Leonardo DaVinci belong to a secret society that hid this story through the ages, and did he plant clues in his paintings?
Based on Dan Brown's phenomenally successful novel, "The DaVinci Code," the National Geographic Channel (NGC) digs deep inside the mysteries raised by the book in its two-hour special, "Unlocking DaVinci's Code: The Full Story," premiering Sunday, Dec. 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT . The show explores the credibility of the claims in the book, and follows the trail of clues from Jerusalem to Paris, through the villages of southern France and all the way to Scotland.
The heart of the book reveals that DaVinci hid the answer to the mystery of the Holy Grail within his masterpiece, "The Last Supper." Who is really seated at the right hand of Jesus? Is it a very feminine Apostle John, with long flowing hair and no beard, or -- as some suggest -- Mary Magdalene herself? You'll see what evidence exists to support this explosive interpretation.
Viewers will also learn what may have led to Mary Magdalene's reputation as a prostitute. Was she instead the closest confidant of Jesus and maybe even the greatest of Apostles? Was she actually his wife?
Even Dan Brown, author of "The DaVinci Code," admits: "I began as a skeptic. As I started researching the DaVinci Code, I really thought I would disprove a lot of this theory about Mary Magdalene and holy blood and all of that. I became a believer."
The Rev. Richard McBrien, a Catholic priest and author of the book, "The Lives of the Saints," said, "Is it possible he (Jesus) was married? Yes."
To understand, the show digs even deeper into the mystery, exploring the discovery in the early 1960s of a set of documents in France called "The Secret Files," which list members of "The Priory of Sion." Some believe that this society, later called the Knights Templar, carried the secret that the descendants of Jesus still walked among us.
Da Vinci's The Last Supper...more than meets the eye?
But what facts actually support the legend? Why have the rumors persisted for thousands of years? One little coastal town in France, called The Saints Marys of the Sea ("Les Sts. Maries de la Mer") cherishes the tradition of Saint Sara, the Egyptian servant girl of Mary Magdalene. Was the dark-skinned Sara, today the patron saint of the Gypsies, actually the daughter of Jesus and Mary?
If Jesus and Mary Magdalene did have a family, where else might we find their descendants? "The DaVinci Code" mentions one family name that appears often in secret French files -- the Saint Clair family. You'll meet the most recent of this noble line, still living in Scotland, who open their family histories to the search for evidence.
And what about the tradition of the Holy Grail? For centuries, knights traveled through Europe and to the Holy Land to seek the chalice Jesus used in the Last Supper. Would that vessel hold the secret to eternal life? The show explores the book's revolutionary theories on the grail and what may have been its ultimate fate.
The special also delves into the Gnostic Gospels, scrolls that tell alternative versions of early Christian beliefs. These scrolls, discovered just 50 years ago in Egypt, depict Mary Magdalene as one of the closest companions of Jesus and maybe even his most beloved disciple. Was she later the victim of a power struggle that pushed women into lesser roles in the Church?
As Dan Brown reminds us, "The mysteries of spirituality, the Holy Grail, the origins of our religions -- these are topics that resonate at a deep, deep spiritual level, really at the core of the human psyche!"
"The DaVinci Code" has set off an avalanche of books, theories and conversations about the life of Jesus and his followers. Will we ever know for certain? With NGC's "Unlocking DaVinci's Code: The Full Story" you can decide for yourself.
You can read the M&C review of the book here and also check out the forthcoming movie in our database .
For more information, please visit http://www.nationalgeographic.com/channel .
KristinaDec 5th, 2005 - 02:13:08
I know my comment may somewhat be thought of as irrelavant, but I thought the music to go with your presentation at 8:00 p.m. was quite lovely. Sort of classical yet with a new age almost techno-y feel. I was wondering if I could find a list of the artists who composed music for it, or if there was a soundtrack available somewhere... Please get back with me if you can. My email is nekochankrikett@yahoo.com Thank you ^_^
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