The Truth about the DaVinci Code (3)...
In The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown makes many incorrect assertions about a supposed marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene, about Mary Magdalene, about how we got the Bible, and about Jesus' divinity. He thinks these assertions are based on historical documents. In these articles I show that each of his assertions is based on faulty interpretations of those documents and the historical facts they present. For those desiring more explanation I provide more informations from other sources that gives more detailed background information to support my answers.
Dan Brown's Assertions about Mary Magdalene
Introduction
In The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown makes several assertions about Mary Magdalene, all but one of which are false. In this article I address some of these assertions, quoting the actual dialogs in his book and providing the page number where it is found. I also include the chapter number in case the text appears on different page numbers in future editions. Second, I give brief answers to each assertion to show how it is wrong. I know that many people are only seeking a brief answer and will be satisfied. For those desiring more explanation I provide links to other resources that give more detailed background information to support my answers.
Brown also makes assertions about Mary and Jesus being married and having a child. I deal with those in the article Assertions about a Marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.
Assertion 1: The Early Church smeared Mary's reputation.
"That, my dear," Teabing replied, "is Mary Magdalene." Sophie turned. "The prostitute?" Teabing drew a short breath, as if the word had injured him personally. "Magdalene was no such thing. That unfortunate misconception is the legacy of a smear campaign launched by the early Church. The Church needed to defame Mary Magdalene in order to cover up her dangerous secret-her role as the Holy Grail." (Chapter 58, p. 243 - 244)
Brief answer
Brown/Teabing actually gets the first part of this right. There is no evidence that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. However, there is also no evidence pointing to a "smear campaign" against her, especially one that tried to cover up Brown's fiction that she and Jesus married and had a child. Pope Gregory (6th century) certainly was wrong in connecting Mary Magdalene with the unnamed prostitute in the Gospel of Luke 7: 36 - 50, but there is no evidence of malice. Please refer to my article What We Know and Don't Know About Mary Magdalene from the Bible.
Assertion 2: Mary Magdalene was royalty.
Sophie could now see the title of the family tree. THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN "Mary Magdalene is here," Teabing said, pointing near the top of the genealogy. Sophie was surprised. "She was of the House of Benjamin?" "Indeed," Teabing said. "Mary Magdalene was of royal descent." "But I was under the impression Magdalene was poor." Teabing shook his head. "Magdalene was recast as a whore in order to erase evidence of her powerful family ties." Sophie turned back to Teabing. "But why would the early Church care if Magdalene had royal blood?" The Briton smiled. "My dear child, it was not Mary Magdalene's royal blood that concerned the Church so much as it was her consorting with Christ, who also had royal blood. As you know, the Book of Matthew tells us that Jesus was of the House of David. A descendant of King Solomon, King of the Jews. By marrying into the powerful House of Benjamin, Jesus fused two royal bloodlines, creating a potent political union with the potential of making a legitimate claim to the throne and restoring the line of kings as it was under Solomon." (Chapter 58, p. 248)
Brief answer
There is no mention in the Bible, early Christian literature or in any other ancient literature of her ancestry. Brown or someone else made this up for their own literary purposes. Of course, as a Jew of that time period she was a descendant of one of the twelve original tribal leaders, but we simply can not know which one. What is really important, however, is that it would not have mattered anyway, especially to Jesus. It is clear to see that according to Jesus' teachings He did not associate His Kingdom with any earthly ruler or human government. Jesus plainly stated to Pilate,
"My kingodom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." (John 18:36)
Obviously, Dan Brown did not read this, or he intentionally ignored
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