The Da Vinci Code: (Robert Langdon Book 2) by Dan Brown

Author:Dan Brown [Brown, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3
ISBN: 9781409091158
Publisher: Transworld
Published: 2010-07-06T00:00:00+00:00

Many have made a trade of delusions and false miracles, deceiving the stupid multitude.

– LEONARDO DA VINCI

‘Here’s another,’ Teabing said, pointing to a different quote.

Blinding ignorance does mislead us.

O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!

– LEONARDO DA VINCI

Sophie felt a little chill. ‘Da Vinci is talking about the Bible?’

Teabing nodded. ‘Leonardo’s feelings about the Bible relate directly to the Holy Grail. In fact, Da Vinci painted the true Grail, which I will show you in a moment, but first we must speak of the Bible.’ Teabing smiled. ‘And everything you need to know about the Bible can be summed up by the great canon doctor Martyn Percy.’ Teabing cleared his throat and declared, ‘The Bible did not arrive by fax from heaven.’

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of God. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times, and it has evolved through countless translations, additions and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book.’

‘Okay.’

‘Jesus Christ was a historical figure of staggering influence, perhaps the most enigmatic and inspirational leader the world has ever seen. As the prophesied Messiah, Jesus toppled kings, inspired millions and founded new philosophies. As a descendant of the lines of King Solomon and King David, Jesus possessed a rightful claim to the throne of the King of the Jews. Understandably, His life was recorded by thousands of followers across the land.’ Teabing paused to sip his tea and then placed the cup back on the mantel. ‘More than eighty gospels were considered for the New Testament, and yet only a relative few were chosen for inclusion – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John among them.’

‘Who chose which gospels to include?’ Sophie asked.

‘Aha!’ Teabing burst in with enthusiasm. ‘The fundamental irony of Christianity! The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great.’

‘I thought Constantine was a Christian,’ Sophie said.

‘Hardly,’ Teabing scoffed. ‘He was a lifelong pagan who was baptized on his deathbed, too weak to protest. In Constantine’s day, Rome’s official religion was sun worship – the cult of Sol Invictus, or the Invincible Sun – and Constantine was its head priest. Unfortunately for him, a growing religious turmoil was gripping Rome. Three centuries after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Christ’s followers had multiplied exponentially. Christians and pagans began warring, and the conflict grew to such proportions that it threatened to rend Rome in two. Constantine decided something had to be done. In 325 AD, he decided to unify Rome under a single religion. Christianity.’

Sophie was surprised. ‘Why would a pagan emperor choose Christianity as the official religion?’

Teabing chuckled. ‘Constantine was a very good businessman. He could see that Christianity was on the rise, and he simply backed the winning horse. Historians still marvel at the brilliance with which Constantine converted the sun-worshipping pagans to Christianity. By fusing pagan symbols, dates and rituals into the growing Christian tradition, he created a kind of hybrid religion that was acceptable to both parties.

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