Jesus, Mary, and Da Vinci? Exploring The Da Vinci Code

Was Jesus Married?

Probably the most controversial suggestion made by the Da Vinci Code is that Jesus may have been married- not necessarily who he may have been married to. Even the possiblity of a married Jesus is viewed as a threat, as a married Jesus presents a raft of theological problems for churches that depend upon a divine Jesus, undefinled by human sexuality. This was not always the case.

The Early Church

Whether Jesus was married or not was simply not an issue for the early Church, who simply accepted that Jesus was a married man, but offered little comment. It wasn't until the second century that the idea of marriage came into conflict with developing ideas about Jesus as a divine being. Later, ideas about the impurity of sexual behavior would make a married Jesus intolerable. So distasteful was the idea that even Jesus' mother was declared to have been a virgin her entire life.

Many early Christians believed the Old Testament Song of Solomon was prophetic of a marriage between Jesus and Mary magdalen. Two Christian authors, Hippolytus of Rome and Origen of Alexandria, subscribed to this belief.*

Unmarried Men in Judaism

One of the strongest arguments in favor of a married Jesus is that a Jewish bachelor in the first century would have been unheard of- a curse. Marriage and children were a cornerstone of Jewish theology and an unmarried man would have ordinarily have been the subject of much comment. However, there was a precedent for celibate Jewish men in the Essene community, as you will read below.

The Gospels

Some take the silence of the gospels as evidence in favor of marriage, as an unmarried Jewish man would have been enough of a rarity at the time that it would almost certainly have been commented on.. Many assume Mary Magdalene to be that wife, as she is the only candidate mentioned in narratives about the crucifixion, and because she apparently fulfils the role of spouse in many symbolic moments in the gospels, such as the annointing of Christ with funeral unguents carried out before the crucifixion.**

On the other hand, Jesus appears to be referring to his own celibacy when he comments in the book of Mathew on "eunuchs for the Kingdom", a comment later picked up by Paul in his own arguments in favor of celibacy. In the end, there's a chicken-or-the-egg effect- did a celibate Jesus lead to a celibate priesthood, or were scriptures interpreted in accordance with Paul's teaching on celibacy?

Another note of interest is an accusation against Jesus in the scriptures of the Mandeans, namely, that he caused Jews to stop having children, an affront to Jewish doctrine:

"Thou hast lied to the Jews and deceived the priests. Thou hast cut off their seed from the men and from the women bearing and being pregnant. The Sabbath, which Moses made binding, hast thou relaxed in Jerusalem. Thou hast lied unto them with horns and spread abroad disgrace with the shofar."

Jesus the Rebel?

According to the Da Vinci Code, the marriage of Jesus and Mary is a dynastic marriage, intended to bring together two royal lines. Many authors suggest that Jesus was not out to found a religion, but claimed to be the Jewish messiah- a seditious rebel who was crucified not for spiritual claims, but for threatening to overthrow Roman rule in Palestine. Scripture makes much mention of Jesus' royal lineage, and his fulfilment of messianic prophecies- but the messiah expected by the Jews was not a god, but a warrior-prophet who would defeat the gentiles and restore the throne of David and the ascendency of his people.

Crucifixion

This is not too farfetched, as Jesus makes many messianic claims at a time when the expected Messiah was not a god, but a man of the royal House of David- and the authors of the canonical scriptures take great pains to connect Jesus to David through both his mother and his 'stepfather' Joseph. Jesus is also presented in scriptural stories as quite conscious of fulfilling messianic prophecies, and surrounds himself with members of the Zealot party, rebels who opposed the Roman occupation.

The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Essenes

Some "Da Vinci debunkers" point out that Dan Brown is making a factual error when he refers to the Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of scriptures preserved by the messianic Essene community at Qumran, as 'early Christian scriptures. While many of the Scrolls are versions of 'canonical' Jewish scripture, (including the oldest known copy of Isaiah) there are many unusual references to a Messianic figure some believe may have been John the Baptist, Jesus or even his brother, the apostle James. One related text, known as the "angel scroll," describes the desert visions of one Yeshua ben Padiah.

The Wedding at Cana, "Magdaleder"

In the Gospel accounts, the Wedding at Cana is the setting of one of Jesus' most impressive miracles, that of changing water into wine. Noted Magdalene author Mary Starbird suggests that the 'miracle' was symbolic of the marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalen, a symbol of new hope for Jerusalem. A royal claim would almost certainly boost a messianic position, and a messianic royal without marriage or children would be as good as useless- the messiah expected by the Hebrews was a warrior-king, not a god.

It is often pointed out that it was the tradition in Jesus' time for the host of a wedding (that is, the groom or groom's family) to provided the wine, making it likely that the wedding was either jesus' own or that of a close family member.

Starbird also points out the messianic prophecy of Micah, which fortells of a coming messianic age, refers to the "magdaleder," or tower; it has been suggested that associations between Mary and the prophecy of the "Daughter of Zion" may have led to the name "Magdalen. Likewise, the reference to "flocks" in the prophecy may have been a source of Jesus' shepherd metaphors.

The Family of Mary and the Apostle whom Jesus loved

Many legends, beginning at about the fourth century, tell of the journey of Mary and other biblical characters travelling to the regions in what is now Southern France; most often the story tells of Mary Magdalen travelling with Lazarus, and with Salome,* the sister of Lazarus, her sister Martha, and with Sarah, who is variably Mary's handmaiden or her daughter. Sometimes, Joseph of Arimathea is in tow, and he later figures in many legends of the Holy Grail.** In Voragine's Golden Legend, it is recounted that one of Mary's first acts after arrival is to convert the King. These legends have led to theorising that the "San Graal," or "Holy grail" was in fact the "Sang Real," or "Holy blood."

The Merovingians

The Merovingians were a Frankish dynasty that ruled large areas of what are now France and Germany. The dynasty began in the fifth century with the warrior Merovech, one of a series of warrior-kings noted for their ritually significant, uncut hair.

Merovech's grandson Clovis, a Christian convert, united a large area of Gaul in the sixth century, fixing the family's position in history and becoming the first of the Merovingian Kings. Eventually, the Merovingians supplanted Roman administration of the area. A series of bloody feuds and squabbles over territory followed, until the last Merovingian king, Childeric the Third, was deposed (and shorn) in the eigth century.

Numerous legends have emerged over time, linking the Merovingian kings with the children of Mary Magdalen; it has been suggested that Mary arrived in France pregnant with the child of Jesus, and that his descendents then intermingled with Merovingian royalty. it is further theorized that the placement after the first Crusade of Godfroi of Bouillon as the "King of Jerusalem" was an attempt to restore this royal bloodline to the historical throne of Jerusalem.

The Secret Church?

Another theory is that the allusions to the grail or even to Mary's pregnancy are not meant to be taken literally, but indicate the transmission of a hidden church. The historical record ios vague, but there are many tantalizing clues abounding in the region where Mary's sea journey is said to have ended. It is known that there were some early gnostic communities in the area, most notably the Carpocratians, a group that claimed to have received secret teachings from Jesus. In the early centuries of Church rule, their reach and influence were much less, and gnostic sects and ideas flourished for many years beyond their reach.

Going back to the days of the emerging Church, it is clear that there was not one unified following of Christ; many Christian groups existed, many with very different theologies. While the emerging orthodoxy pinned the Apostle Peter as their leader, sects later labeled 'gnostic****' appear to have favored Mary. Several Gnostic gospels present Peter as an almost violent opponent of Mary, which may be evidence of a schism amongst the apostles. Curiously, the later orthodox Acts of the Apostles makes no mention of Mary at all- she has vanished.

Mary's disappearance in the bible would certainly have been noticed, especially in regions where ancient gnostic ideas were still popular. It is not outside the realm of possibility that among those with gnostic sympathies the idea that Mary carried the "true Church" to their lands, and that they were the true spiritual successors of Christ. This might be the true meaning behind the grail legends that sprouted up in these regions.

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How the Bible came to be.

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Mary Magdalen Resources

*Origen, at least, took this to be a celibate, spiritual marriage. Origen was so enamored of celibacy that he castrated himself.

**An account of early Jewish historian Josephus makes mention of a linen apron used during these ceremonies, a detail that would be easily overlooked if it wasn't for a striking coincidence in "Secret Mark," a rediscovered portion of the gospel of Mark which mentions Jesus baptising or initiating Lazarus containing similar details.

****Later tales tell that Joseph continued his travels, continuing on to england, bearing the cup of the last supper, in which he had caught the blood of Christ. oddly, the tale includes the detail that his staff, planted in the ground, blossomed- a reference to the "root of Jesse?"

****The so-called gnostics never referred to themselves as such. Like their rivals, they referred to themselves as Christians and believed themselves orthodox. "Gnostic" refers to their belief that salvation must be "known" through an experience of the divine, rather than simply by faith in Jesus' death.

Read More:

• Articles about Mary Magdalen
  Theories and speculations from various authors about Mary's role as Jesus' wife, the Grail Bearer, Temple Priestess, Saint, and archetypal Goddess.
• Mary the Prophetess
• Gospel accounts of Mary
  Selections from canonical and Gnostic gospels featuring Mary Magdalen.
• Images of Mary Magdalen
  Artist's renditions of Mary- dozens of artist's representations.
• Cathars

Recommended Reading:

• The Yellow Cross
• The Perfect Heresy
• Woman with the Alabaster Jar
• Goddess in the Gospels
• Holy blood, Holy Grail
• Massacre at Montsegur
• The Dark Side of Christian History
• Jesus and the Lost Goddess : The Secret Teachings of the Original Christians
• The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
• Gnostic Gospels