A staggeringly popular work of fiction, Dan Brown's
The Da Vinci Code has stood atop
The New York Times Bestseller List for well over a year, with millions of copies in print. But this fast-paced mystery is unusual in that the author states up front that the historical information in the book is all factually accurate. But is this claim true?
As historian Bart D. Ehrman shows in this informative and witty book, The Da Vinci Code is filled with numerous historical mistakes. Did the ancient church engage in a cover-up to make the man Jesus into a divine figure? Did Emperor Constantine select for the New Testament - from some 80 contending Gospels - the only four Gospels that stressed that Jesus was divine? Was Jesus Christ married to Mary Magdalene? Did the Church suppress Gospels that told the secret of their marriage? Bart Ehrman thoroughly debunks all of these claims. But the book is not merely a laundry list of Brown's misreading of history. Throughout, Ehrman offers a wealth of fascinating background information - all historically accurate - on early Christianity. He describes, for instance, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (which are not Christian in content, contrary to The Da Vinci Code); outlines in simple terms how scholars of early Christianity determine which sources are most reliable; and explores the many other Gospels that have been found in the last half century.
Ehrman, chair of religious studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, has written widely on
the subject of early Christian documents and the formation of the biblical
canon. While acknowledging that Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is an exciting
mystery novel, Ehrman questions some of its historical claims. Focusing on 10
areas of concern, including the role Constantine played in the formation of
the both the church and the Bible and the evidence for Jesus' personal
involvement with Mary Magdalene, Ehrman reviews the historical record and
demonstrates that Brown's history behind the mystery is seriously flawed.
Ehrman is not concerned with theology; he has no interest beyond that of the
professional historian who wants to arm the everyday reader with sound
research and helpful historical perspective. His is a documentary approach,
avoiding speculation and theory. This tone distinguishes the book from many
other responses to Brown's novel that uphold a particular theological agenda.
Ultimately, Ehrman believes that readers should not try to learn history from
speculative fiction. This is a very readable treatment of some difficult
themes, such as the reasons for the exclusion of some early gospels from the
canon and the enormous influence of recent archeological discoveries. Readers
at every level will appreciate this book. (Nov.) Copyright 2004 Reed
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