Dear Readers,
Do you like
conspiracy theory books? Today I read, The Jesus Papers; by author Michael
Baigent. This is a very provocative book that is similar to Dan Brown’s; The Da Vinci Code. It’s written from a
historian perspective rather than a novel format.
The book begins
with the introduction; May 28, 1291, The Holy Land: Acre, the Crusader Kingdom’s
last port city, lay in ruins. The Arab armies of Khalil al-Ashraf, the young
Sultan of Egypt, had first besieged and then attacked the city. The last
capitol of the Christian Kingdom was finished. This was a battle between The Marshal
of the Templars and the Sultan.
Michael Baigent
gives the Templars credit for introducing the power of money over the sword by
means of checks and safe financial transfers from city to city and country to
country. They helped open a space for the middle class-according to Michael.
He and Richard
Leigh wrote Holy Blood, Holy Grail. They
believe in an important bloodline, a dynasty; that of the Jewish royal lineage,
the line of David. They believe the line of David lives in Southern France; a descendant
from the marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. The wedding at Cana was Jesus
and Mary’s wedding. When Jesus turned the water into wine, they were Mr. and
Mrs. Christs—according to Michael and Leigh.
In Chapter one Michael
writes, during his twenty-year search, he believed when Jesus was crucified, he
either had a child by his wife or she was pregnant.
He also writes,
both kings and high priests were anointed and were thus a meshiha, a messiah. In fact, he writes, from as early as the
second century B.C. the term “messiah” was used to name a legitimate king of
Israel, one of the royal line of David, who was expected to appear and to rule.
According to the Gospels, through his Father, Jesus was of the Line of David;
through his mother, he was of the line of Aaron the high priest.
Michael restates
several times in this book; in his book Holy Blood,
Holy Grail, the wedding at Cana was Jesus and Mary’s wedding. He
believes at the crucifixion, Mary already had Jesus’ baby or was pregnant with
Jesus’ baby. He claims; if Jesus was unmarried and celibate, Paul would have
told us. He admits there is no proof to support his allegation; only circumstantial
evidence. He cites the 1977 publication, Nag Hammadi; the Gospel of Philip.
Also The Gospel of Mary as his evidence.
His book centers around the concept; The Church is at pains to conceal secrets about
Jesus. One incident he cites; Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. He believes
Matthew’s account is filled with cover-ups. He explains his theories in detail.
Michael Baigent
also questions Jesus’ death on the cross. In this book, he analyses details in
the bible and cross references them with his own understanding of history. He
believes God’s Word is impregnated with cover-ups—thus the cover text; Exposing the Greatest Cover-Up in History.
He believes the
Church is covering up Jesus’ life on Earth and offers no solid proof to support
his claims.
To be fair, I
reread John 2: 1-11-NIV; Jesus Changes
Water to Wine. “On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.
Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to
the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, They have no
more wine.”
“Dear woman, why do you involve me?”
Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
His mother said
to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Nearby stood six,
stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each
holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus said to
the servants, “Fill the jars with water”;
so they filled them to the brim.
Then he told
them, “Now draw some out and take it to
the master of the banquet.”
They did so, and
the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He
did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the
water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out
the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too
much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
This, the first
of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed
his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
I believe God’s
Word is flawless and perfect—without cover-up; and to be followed as written—not
manipulated or twisted. I disagree with Michael
Baigent or anyone else’s theory that the wedding in Cana was a wedding between Jesus
and Mary Magdalene. And that Mary was either pregnant or had Jesus’ child before
the crucifixion.
I also disagree
with Michael’s conclusion that if Jesus was unmarried and celibate, Paul would
have told us. Because something isn’t stated, doesn’t presume it to be non-factual.
In my opinion, Dan Brown’s
novel, The Da Vinci Code, was entertaining
fiction about the same fantasy hypothesis. I read the book and watched the
movie. I’m a big Tom Hanks fan. Michael Baigent’s novel, The Jesus Papers, is about the same topic while also fiction; but, without
the writing skills.
As Christians,
it’s imperative that we believe the Bible is flawless, perfect, and without
cover-ups. After all, it is God’s Holy Word. Could it be anything else?
May good fortune guide your path,
J.A. Ireland
H
