Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code

Astaggeringly popular work of fiction, Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Codehas stood atop The New York Times Bestseller List for well over ayear, with millions of copies in print. But this fast-paced mysteryis unusual in that the author states up front that the historicalinformation in the book is all factually accurate. But is this claimtrue?As historian Bart D. Ehrman shows in this informative and wittybook, The Da Vinci Code is filled with numerous historical mistakes.Did the ancient church engage in a cover-up to make the man Jesusinto a divine figure? Did Emperor Constantine select for the NewTestament--from some 80 contending Gospels--the only four Gospelsthat stressed that Jesus was divine? Was Jesus Christ married to MaryMagdalene? Did the Church suppress Gospels that told the secret oftheir marriage? Bart Ehrman thoroughly debunks all of these claims.But the book is not merely a laundry list of Brown's misreading ofhistory. Throughout, Ehrman offers a wealth of fascinating backgroundinformation--all historically accurate--on early Christianity. Hedescribes, for instance, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (whichare not Christian in content, contrary to The Da Vinci Code);outlines in simple terms how scholars of early Christianity determinewhich sources are most reliable; and explores the many other Gospelsthat have been found in the last half century.

Ehrmanseparates fact from fiction, the historical realities from theflights of literary fancy. Readers of The Da Vinci Code who wouldlike to know the truth about the beginnings of Christianity and thelife of Jesus will find this book riveting.