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Da+Vinci+Code
Da Vinci Code
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Description

The book concerns the attempts of the protagonist, Dr. Robert Langdon to solve the murder of Jacques Saunière the curator of the Louvre Museum in Paris. The title of the novel refers, among other things, to the fact that Saunière's body is found inside the Louvre naked and posed like Leonardo da Vinci's famous drawing, Vitruvian Man, with a cryptic message written on his torso in his own blood [on page 35].

The interpretation of hidden messages inside Da Vinci's famous works, including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper figure prominently in the solution to the mystery.

The main conflict in the novel revolves around the solution to two mysteries:

• What secret was Saunière protecting that led to his murder?
• Who is the mastermind behind his murder?

PLOT FOCUS

While much press has focused on the purported marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, Brown makes it clear by the book's end that this is about Sophia, the Great Goddess and the lost feminine and scriptural revisionism in Christianity.

Description

The book concerns the attempts of the protagonist, Curtis Davis to solve the murder of Geoffrey Martini, a prominent Da Vinci scholar who has been found murdered in Amsterdam with a cryptic message written on his torso in his own blood [on page 35].

The interpretation of hidden messages inside Da Vinci's famous works, including the Codex Leicester and involving The Last Supper and Da Vinci's inventions figure prominently in the solution to the mystery.

The main conflict in the novel revolves around the solution to two mysteries:

• What secret was Martini protecting that led to his murder?


• Who is the mastermind behind Martini's murder?

PLOT FOCUS

The Vatican cover-up of a secret that could destroy the Church and the quest for lost Da Vinci documents detailing a power weapon.

Description

The book concerns the attempts of the protagonist, Dr. Seth Ridgeway to solve the disappearance of his wife, Zoe following the murder of Willi Max, a wealthy art curator/collector in Zurich. Missing are works by Da Vinci and a mysterious ancient manuscript hinting at a Vatican cover-up of the divinity of women.

The interpretation of hidden messages in ancient manuscripts and works of art figure prominently in the solution to the mysteries.

The main conflict in the novel revolves around the solution to two mysteries:

• What secret was Max protecting that led to his murder and Zoe's disappearance?


• Who is the mastermind behind Max's murder and Zoe's disappearance?

PLOT FOCUS

This book is about the Sophia, the Great Goddess and the lost feminine and scriptural revisionism in Christianity.

The novel has several concurrent story lines that follow different characters. Eventually all the story lines are brought together and resolved at the end of the book.

The unraveling of the mystery requires the solution to a series of brain-teasers, including anagrams and number puzzles.

The solution itself is found to be intimately connected with the possible location of the Holy Grail and to a mysterious society called the Priory of Sion, as well as to the Knights Templar.

The [non-fictional] Catholic organization Opus Dei also figures prominently in the plot.

The novel is the second book by Brown in which Robert Langdon is the main character. The previous one, Angels and Demons, took place in Rome and concerned the Illuminati.

WHAT IS BEING SOUGHT?

A centuries-old cache of documents, relics and bones that offer proof that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and had children by him.

Further, Brown establishes that Mary Magdalene is synonymous with Sophia, the Great Goddess, the feminine Divinity.

Opus Dei, views itself as the rightful inheritors of the Papacy, the last bulwark against the abandonment of conservative church values. It seeks the Grail cache for the power it gives them over the Vatican.

WHAT IS BEING PROTECTED?

The bones of Mary Magdalene, and the secret of her divinity, marriage to Jesus and their bloodline.

The novel has several concurrent story lines that follow different characters. Eventually all the story lines are brought together and resolved at the end of the book.

The unraveling of the mystery requires the solution to a series of brain-teasers, including mysterious messages and word puzzles.

The solution itself is found to be intimately connected with the possible location of a Holy Grail-like prize and to a mysterious society called the Elect Brothers of St. Peter which is modeled after the Priory of Sion and the Knights Templar.

The [non-fictional] Catholic organization Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith also figures prominently in the plot.

The novel is the first of three books by Perdue intertwining Da Vinci, art and Vatican cover-ups of secrets that could destroy the church. The subsequent books were The Linz Testament (1985) and Daughter of God (2000).

WHAT IS BEING SOUGHT?

A centuries-old cache of Da Vinci's documents, a Codex, describing an idea that could be used to create a modern day weapon of mass destruction much like that described by Brown in his previous book, Angels and Demons.

The Elect Brothers of St. Peter, views itself as the rightful inheritors of the Papacy., the last bulwark against the abandonment of conservative church values. It seeks the Da Vinci Codex, for the power it gives them over the Vatican.

WHAT IS BEING PROTECTED?

The bones of St. Peter, and the secrets of Da Vinci's awesome weapon.

The novel has several concurrent story lines that follow different characters. Eventually all the story lines are brought together and resolved at the end of the book.

The unraveling of the mystery requires the solution to a series of brain-teasers, brain-teasers, including mysterious messages and word puzzles.

The solution itself is found to be intimately connected with the possible location of a Holy Grail-like prize and to a mysterious society within the Vatican

The [non-fictional] Catholic organization Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) also figures prominently in the plot.

The novel is the third of three books by Perdue intertwining Da Vinci, art and Vatican cover-ups of secrets that could destroy the church. The previous books were The Linz Testament (1985) and Daughter of God (2000)

WHAT IS BEING SOUGHT?

A centuries-old cache of documents, relics and bones – the Sophia Passions – that offer proof of a second messiah, a woman named Sophia.

Sophia is established in the book as synonymous with the Great Goddess, the feminine Divinity.

The CDF views itself as the rightful inheritors of the Papacy, the last bulwark against the abandonment of conservative church values. It seeks the Sophia passions (Grail cache) for the power it gives them within the Vatican.

WHAT IS BEING PROTECTED?

The bones of Sophia, and the secret of her divinity.

Characters -These are the principal characters that drive the plot of the story:

Robert Langdon - Professor of Religious Symbology at Harvard University. A well-respected scholar.

At the beginning of the story, he is in Paris to give a lecture on his work.

Having made an appointment to meet with Jacques Saunière, the curator of the Louvre, he is startled to find the French police at his hotel room door.

They inform him that Saunière has been murdered and they would like his immediate assistance at the Louvre to help them solve the crime.

Unbeknownst to Langdon, he is in fact the prime suspect in the murder and has been summoned to scene of the crime in order that the police may extract a confession from him.

Langdon is physically almost identical to the heroes in Perdue's books and also shares a near-identical educational background, personal quirks, motivations and other close parallels. See Olsson documents for more.

Characters -These are the principal characters that drive the plot of the story:

Curtis Davis, a maverick petroleum geologist for an independent oil man and art collector with an emphasis on works by Leonardo. Davis is also a well-respected Da Vinci scholar

At the beginning of the story, he is in Los Angeles to present his discovery of forged pages in a famous Da Vinci Codex, The Codex Leicester.

Following a lecture at an international Da Vinci symposium in Milan, he goes to Amsterdam, having made an appointment to meet with Da Vinci Scholar Geoffrey Martini. He interrupts an intruder at Martini's residence and gives chase.

When he returns to Martini's home, Davis is startled to find Amsterdam police at the scene.

They inform him that Martini has been murdered and they would like his immediate assistance to help them solve the crime.

Unbeknownst to Davis, he becomes in fact the prime suspect in the murder.

Characters -These are the principal characters that drive the plot of the story:

Seth Ridgeway - Professor of Comparative Religion at UCLA, a well-respected scholar.

After the opening scene where Ridgeway's wife (and heroine, Zoe) visits Willi Max's collection of priceless art in Zurich, we see Seth in a Zurich hotel explaining the significance of an ancient manuscript that Max has given to Zoe. The manuscript concerns the Catholic Church's attempts to relegate women to second class status through revisions of its holy scriptures beginning with Constantine and the Nicean Conference. The manuscript contains hints of the existence of a female messiah named Sophia.

Zoe goes to put the manuscript in the hotel's safe deposit box and never returns.

Seth is startled to find Max has been murdered and Zurich police skeptical that Zoe's disappearance is due to foul play.

Unbeknownst to Seth Ridgeway, he eventually becomes in fact the prime suspect in the murder.

Sophie Neveu - the granddaughter of Jacques Saunière.

She is a French government cryptographer. She was raised by her grandfather after her parents, grandmother, and brother were killed in an automobile accident when she was a girl. Her grandfather used to call her "Princesse Sophie" (French for Princess Sophie) and trained her to solve complicated word puzzles. As a girl, she accidentally discovered a strange key in her grandfather's room inscribed with the initials "P.S." . Later, as a college student, she made a surprise visit to her grandfather's house in Normandy and observed him participating in an occult sex ritual. The incident led to her estrangement with her grandfather until the night of his murder.

Sophie is physically identical to the heroines in Perdue's books and also shares a near-identical educational background and other close parallels. See Olsson documents for more.

RELIGIOUS SYMBOLISM

Sophie is the diminutive of Sophia, the Gnostic name for the Great Goddess. The Gnostics (and author Margaret Starbird, cited by Brown as a source) hold that Mary Magdalene was the Great Goddess or that she was sent to Earth by the Goddess.

Thus Sophie is symbolically the descendent of Sophia, The Great Goddess.

THE PROTECTED BLOODLINE

Jesus and Mary Magdalene

Suzanne Storm – a U.S. government agent, working under cover for the CIA. Raised in a wealthy family surrounded by fine art, her cover is as a fine arts journalist for Haute Culture magazine.

THE PROTECTED BLOODLINE

St. Peter

Zoe Ridgeway – She is a detective of forged art works and an appraiser of fine art. She was raised by her father after her mother disappeared when she was a girl. She was trained by her father to solve puzzles through logic and perseverance.

RELIGIOUS SYMBOLISM

The name, "Zoe" in the Gnostic Gospels means "the daughter of Sophia. Sophia is viewed by Gnostics and others as the Great Goddess.

The Gnostic Gospels hold that Zoe was sent to the earth as a messenger from Sophia, and that her name on Earth was Eve, the first woman.

Thus Zoe is symbolically the descendent of Sophia, The Great Goddess.

Jacques Saunière - the curator of Louvre, secret head of the Priory of Sion, and grandfather of Sophie Neveu.

Before being murdered by Silas in the museum, he reveals false information to Silas about the Priory's keystone, which supposedly contains information about the true location of the Holy Grail.

After being shot in the stomach, he uses the last minutes of his life to arrange a series of clues [including one in his own blood on his body] for his estranged granddaughter Sophie to unravel the mystery of his death and preserve the secret kept by the Priory of Sion.

He is the fourth Priory of Sion official to be murdered.

* Bezu Fache - a captain in the DPJF, the French equivalent of the FBI. Tough, canny, persistent, he is in charge of the investigation of Saunière's murder. From the message left by the dying curator, he is convinced the murderer is Robert Langdon, whom he summons to the Louvre in order to extract a confession. He is thwarted in his early attempt by Sophie Neveu, who knows Langdon to be innocent and surreptitiously notifies Langdon that he is in fact the prime suspect. He pursues Langdon doggedly throughout the book in the belief that letting him get away would be career suicide.

Ironically, Neveu and Langdon are allowed to escape when a subordinate – seconds away from apprehending them but fearing his superior officer's (Fache's) wrath if orders and regulations are not followed exactly – hesitates to take direct action.

Geoffrey Martini – a world-renowned Da Vinci scholar.

Before being murdered in Amsterdam, he reveals information about a missing Da Vinci document, which supposedly contains information about a weapon with modern day uses.

After being stabbed in the stomach, he uses the last minutes of his life to write one last clue in his own blood on his body which will help Storm and Steele to unravel the mystery of his death and uncover the secret kept by the Elect Brothers of St. Peter.

He is the fourth Da Vinci scholar to be murdered.

Enrico Carducci – Bologna policeman who pursues Storm and Steele once they have become fugitives, accused of the murder of Geoffrey Martini. Carducci is driven by thoughts that capturing the two fugitives will be a sure-fire career advancement.

Ironically, Storm and Steele are allowed to escape when a Carducci – seconds away from apprehending them but fearing his superior officer's wrath if orders and regulations are not followed exactly – hesitates to take direct action.

Willi Max – wealthy art collector and curator of a vast and priceless collection of art. Retains Zoe Ridgeway.

Before being murdered, he reveals information about the existence of a female messiah and the location of irrefutable proof.

After Max's death, the clues that he sent allow Zoe and Seth to unravel the mystery of his death, her disappearance and locate the secrets hidden for centuries.

No directly parallel character to Fache..

Silas - an albino devotee (erroneously called a "monk") of Opus Dei who practices severe Corporal mortification. He was orphaned in Marseilles as a young man, fell into a life of crime, and was imprisoned in the Pyrenees until accidentally freed by an earthquake. He finds refuge with a young priest named Aringarosa who gives him the name Silas and who eventually becomes the head of Opus Dei.

Silas serves as a henchman/assassin. He dies before the end of the book.

Before the beginning of the events in the novel, Aringarosa put him in contact with the Teacher [shapeshifter] and tells him that the mission he will be given is of the utmost importance in saving the true Word of God.

Under the orders of the Teacher, he murders Jacques Saunière and the other three leaders of the Priory of Sion in order to extract the location of the Priory's "keystone".

Discovering later that he has been duped with false information, he chases Langdon and Neveu in order to obtain the actual keystone. He does not know the true identity of the Teacher. He is reluctant to commit murder, knowing that it is a sin, and does so only because he is assured his actions will save the Church.

Mehmet Karasoz – an Islamic religious fanatic who calls himself the "Sword of Allah." His efforts to assassinate the Pope are orchestrated primarily by Brother Gregory, the head of the Elect brothers of St. Peter and by shapeshifter James Elliott Kimball IV.

Mehmet serves as an assassin. He dies before the end of the book.

Before the beginning of the events in the novel, Brother Gregory put him in contact with the Kimball [shapeshifter] and tells him that the mission he will be given is of the utmost importance.

Under the orders from Brother Gregory and Kimball, he nearly murders the Pope while others under their control, including The Teacher murder Geoffrey Martini and the other three Da Vinci scholars in order to extract the location of the missing Da Vinci Codex pages.

George Stratton – An American religious devotee patterned after the members of Opus Dei who, in addition to their occupations, stand ready to serve the Catholic Church in any way requested. S

Stratton serves the dual roles of henchman/assassin and shapeshifter. He dies before the end of the book.

Before the beginning of the events in the novel, he has been summoned to Rome by Cardinal Neils Braun, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CD who tells him that the mission he will be given is of the utmost importance in saving the true Word of God.

Under the orders of the Braun, he murders a number of people and chases Seth and Zoe in order to extract the location of the "Sophia Passions."

Bishop Manuel Aringarosa - the world-wide head of Opus Dei and the patron of the albino monk Silas. Six months before the start of the narrative, he is summoned by the Vatican to a meeting at an astronomical observatory in the Italian Alps and told, to his great surprise, that in six months the Pope will withdraw his support of Opus Dei.

Since he believes that Opus Dei is the force keeping the Church from disintegrating into the corruption of the modern era, he believes his faith demands that he take action to save Opus Dei. Shortly after the meeting with the Vatican officials, he is contacted by a shadowy figure calling himself the "The Teacher" who has learned somehow of the secret meeting. The Teacher informs him that he can deliver an artifact to Aringarosa so valuable to the Church that it will give Opus Dei extreme leverage over the Vatican.

The Teacher - shadowy figure who drives the plot of the story. He has learned not only about the plight of Opus Dei, but also the identities of the four leaders of the Priory of Sion, who in turn know the location of the keystone. He contacts Aringarosa and agrees to supply him with a fantastic artifact that will give Opus Dei great power, namely documents that, if released, would destroy the Church. Aringarosa, acting out of self interest and piety, agrees to his offer in order to save both Opus Dei and the Church. The Teacher uses Silas, Aringarosa's protectee, to carry out his plans.

Brother Gregory- the head of the Elect brothers of St. Peter, a shadowy organization patterned after the Knights Templar and Priory of Sion. All of its members trace their bloodline to St. Peter. The Elect Brothers also posses the bones of St. Peter and are dedicated to continuing he bloodline and protecting the bones.

Since he believes the Vatican has strayed from its root and that that the Elect Brothers are the force keeping the Church from disintegrating into the corruption of the modern era, he believes his faith demands that he take all measures to obtain an artifact so valuable to the Church that it will give The Elect Brothers extreme leverage over the Vatican.

In a scene reminiscent of the first scene in Da Vinci Code, Gregory is discovered by Steele and Storm bloody, naked and dying and uses his last moments to reveal vital clues to them.

The Schoolmaster – shadowy figure who arranges for a spectacular murder in which a man is impaled upon Giambologna's crucifix during the holy sacraments in the Duomo in Pisa. He is subsequently killed.

Cardinal Neils Braun – head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), a shadowy, worldwide organization devoted to requiring and coercing orthodoxy to hard-line Vatican theology and policies.

Since he believes that the CDF is the force keeping the Church from disintegrating into the corruption of the modern era, he believes his faith demands that he take all measures to obtain an artifact so valuable to the Church that it will give him extreme leverage over the Vatican.

Sir Leigh Teabing - British Royal Historian, [blueblood] a Knight of Realm, Grail scholar, and friend of [hero] Robert Langdon.

Independently wealthy, he lives outside Paris in a chateau where Langdon and Neveu take refuge after escaping from the Depository Bank of Zurich with the rosewood box containing the keystone.

He [along with Langdon] reveals to Neveu the "real" interpretation of the Grail (see below). After they are discovered at his home simultaneously by Silas and the French police, the three of them flee with his chauffeur Rémy, flying to England in his private jet.

Langdon and Neveu use Teabing's name to obtain access to a computer system that provides vital clues.

After Neveu solves the combination lock of the keystone, he interprets the enclosed riddle as meaning they should go to the Temple Church in London to find the next hidden clue that will let them unlock the second combination lock of the keystone.

As a shapeshifter, Teabing tricks Opus Dei, Langdon and Neveu in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to obtain the Grail relics and documents for himself.

Tony Fairfax – British blueblood, Rome station chief for MI-12 and a friend of heroine Suzanne Storm.

Storm and Steele seek refuge with and help from him after escaping from the Elect Brothers of St. Peter monastery in Como.

Steele and Storm use Fairfax's name to obtain access to a computer system that provides vital clues.

James Elliott Kimball IV – American, New England Blueblood, member of the global Bremen Legation and a friend of heroine Suzanne Storm. Kimball helps save Steele's life and Suzanne seeks help from him early in the book.

As a shapeshifter, Kimball tricks the Legation, the Brothers, Steele and Storm in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to obtain the documents for himself.

George Stratton – American New England blueblood, agent working for the National Security Administration and a friend/associate of hero Seth Ridgeway.

Using the cover of a diplomatic functionary in Zurich, Stratton befriends Seth as he looks for Zoe. Later in Los Angeles, Stratton saves Seth's life after an attack by people seeking clues to the location of the Sophia Passions.

Independently wealthy, he lives outside Paris in a chateau where Langdon and Neveu take refuge after escaping from the Depository Bank of Zurich with the rosewood box containing the keystone.

He reveals to Neveu the "real" interpretation of the Grail (see below). After they are discovered at his home simultaneously by Silas and the French police, the three of them flee with his chauffeur Rémy, flying to England in his private jet.

After Neveu solves the combination lock of the keystone, he interprets the enclosed riddle as meaning they should go to the Temple Church in London to find the next hidden clue that will let them unlock the second combination lock of the keystone.

As a shapeshifter, Stratton tricks Seth and Zoe in an attempt to obtain the Sophia Passion relics and documents for Braun.

André Vernet - president of the Paris branch of the Depository Bank of Zurich. He is surprised when Neveu and Langdon arrive at the bank and inform him that Jacques Saunière, a long-time account holder at the bank, has died and that Neveu now possesses the depository key to the account.

A bank security officer makes a telephone call to alert police that the two fugitives they are seeking have showed up there.

His[Vernet's] suspicions are aroused when Neveu and Langdon, after accessing the bank with the key, do not know the account number, indicating that they have no legitimate business being in the bank. When he sees a news report that Neveu and Langdon are fugitives suspected in Saunière's murder, he returns to where he left them, but he finds that they have indeed entered the correct account number and retrieved the contents of Saunière's deposit box.

Realizing they are legitimate clients according to the strict rules of the bank, he feels duty-bound to help them escape.

Alerted by the bank security officer, police arrive to arrest Langdon and Neveu.

Acting as a bank driver, he bluffs his way past the police in one of the bank's trucks with Langdon and Neveu concealed in the back of the truck. He later changes his mind and attempts to turn them in, but is thwarted by Langdon, who steals the truck and escapes with Neveu to the nearby chateau of his friend, Sir Leigh Teabing.

No directly parallel character

Josef Mutters - vice president of the Thule Gesellschaft Bank of Zurich. He is surprised when Seth and Zoe arrive at the bank and inform him that they now possesses the depository keys to an account dating from decades before.

A bank security officer makes a telephone call to alert an unknown party that the two fugitives they are seeking have showed up there.

The suspicions of bank personnel are aroused when Zoe and Seth, after first entering the bank do not know how to proceed, indicating that they have no legitimate business being in the bank

Realizing they are legitimate clients according to the strict rules of the bank, Mutters assists them in accessing the box despite the fact that they are obviously unfamiliar with the procedures to be followed. Alerted by the bank security officer, assailants arrive to attack Seth and Zoe. Mutters is killed; Seth and Zoe escape.

Rémy - chauffeur of Leigh Teabing. After flying with Teabing, Langdon, and Neveu to England, he drives them to the Temple Church in London. Unbeknownst to the others, he is in fact working for the Teacher. While they are inside the Temple Church, he meets with Silas, who was tipped off by the Teacher to meet Rémy there. Armed with a pistol, he enters the church before the others can locate and solve the riddle supposedly hidden there. He takes Teabing hostage and demands the keystone from Langdon. When Langdon gives him the keystone, he and Silas flee in his car with Teabing as hostage.

Minor Character - No direct parallel.

Minor Character - No direct parallel.

Docent at Rosslyn Chapel - he is giving a guided tour of Rosslyn Chapel to Langdon and Neveu when he sees the rosewood box they are carrying and realizes that it seems to be an exact duplicate of a box owned by his grandmother, who is the head of the trust that oversees the chapel.

Guardian of the Rosslyn Trust - she is, in fact, the wife of Jacques Saunière and Sophie Neveu's grandmother. The docent is Sophie's brother. Believing that they had been targeted for assassination by the Church for knowing the powerful secret of the Priory of Sion, she and Saunière agreed that she and Sophie's brother should live secretly in Scotland. Only Sophie's parents were in the car at the time even though the whole family was supposed to be there. Saunière told the authorities that Sophie's grandmother and her brother were in the car. She tells Neveu and Langdon that although the Holy Grail and the secret documents were once buried in the vault of Rosslyn Chapel, they were removed to France by the Priory of Sion only several years ago. Reading the parchment inside the second keystone, she realizes where the Grail is now hidden, but refuses to tell Langdon, saying he will figure it out eventually on his own. According to her, the Priory of Sion never intended to reveal the secret of the Grail according to any set timetable.

She believes that such a revelation is unnecessary anyway, since the true nature and spiritual power of the Grail is emerging into the world without the location of the actual artifact being revealed.

She also informs Sophie Neveu of her true identity through her bloodline.

Minor Character - No direct parallel.

Minor Character - No direct parallel.

Minor Character - No direct parallel.

Minor Character - No direct parallel.

The Sophia Passions are ultimately destroyed in a fire. But the Pope comments on the destruction by saying that the true nature and spiritual power of faith is a stronger when people believe without having an actual artifact.

Secret of the Holy Grail According to the novel, the secrets of the Holy Grail, as kept by the Priory of Sion, are as follows:

Mary Magdalene was of royal descent (through the Jewish House of Benjamin) and was the wife of Jesus, of the House of David.

That she was a prostitute was a slander invented by the Church to obscure their true relationship.

At the time of the Crucifixion, she was pregnant. After the Crucifixion, she fled to Gaul where she was sheltered by the Jews of Marseilles. She gave birth to a daughter, named Sarah. The bloodline of Jesus and Mary Magdalene became the Merovingian kings of France. The French expression for the Holy Grail, San gréal, actually is a play on words for Sang réal, which literally means "royal blood".

The Grail relics consist of the documents that testify to the bloodline, as well as the actual bones of Mary Magdalene.

The Church has suppressed the truth about Mary Magdalene and Jesus' bloodline for 2000 years. This is principally because they fear the power of the sacred feminine, which they have demonized as Satanic.

Sophie Neveu and her brother are descendants of the original bloodline of Jesus and Mary Magdalene (their last name was changed to hide their ancestry).

The existence of the bloodline was the secret that was contained in the documents discovered by the Crusaders after they conquered Jerusalem in 1099 (see Kingdom of Jerusalem). The Priory of Sion and the Knights Templar were organized to keep the secret.

The relics possessed by the Elect Brothers consist of the documents that testify to the bloodline, as well as the actual bones of St. Peter.

The Church has suppressed the truth about St. Peter and his true inheritors of spiritual power and bloodline for 2000 years. This is because the orthodox ruling structure fears losing its power.

Brother Gregory and the other Elect Brothers of St. Peter are descendants of the original bloodline of St. Peter.

The existence of St. Peter's bloodline has been covered up by the Vatican since the Renaissance.

Secret of the Sophia Passion According to the novel, the secrets of the Sophia Passion are as follows: There is not one Christian messiah, but at least two and one is a woman, Sophia. The story that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute was a slander invented by the Church to obscure her true relationship with Jesus Christ and the indication that he saw her, and not Peter, as the head of his ministry.

The Sophia Passion and relics consist of the documents that testify to the indisputable existence, as well as the actual bones of Sophia. The Church has suppressed the truth about Sophia and the divine feminine for 2000 years. This is principally because they fear the power of the sacred feminine, which they have demonized as Satanic.

Zoe Ridgeway is the symbolic descendent of the feminine diving which includes Mary Magdalene and Sophia.

The existence of Sophia was the secret that Constantine and every pope since him tried to cover up. But the internecine battles, including those involving the Crusaders and the Knights Templar created chaotic conditions that allowed the secret to slip away from their grasp.

The secrets of the Grail are connected to Leonardo Da Vinci's work as follows:

Da Vinci was a member of the Priory of Sion and knew the secret of the Grail. The secret is in fact revealed in The Last Supper, in which no actual chalice is present at the table. The figure seated next to Christ is not a man, but a woman, his wife Mary Magdalene. Most reproductions of the work are from a later alteration that obscured her obvious female characteristics.

The Mona Lisa is actually a self-portrait by Leonardo as a woman. The androgyny reflects the sacred union of male and female which is implied in the holy union of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

Such parity between the cosmic forces of masculine and feminine has long been a deep threat to the established power of the Church. The name Mona Lisa is actually an anagram for "Amon L'Isa", referring to the father and mother gods of Ancient Egypt (namely Amon and Isis).

The Mystery within the Mystery

Part of the advertising campaign for the novel was that the book itself held four codes, and that the reader who solved them would be given a prize. Several thousand people actually solved the codes, and one name was randomly chosen to be the winner. The prize was a trip to Paris. The solution to the mystery involved discovering that the book jacket conceals latitude and longitude coordinates, written in reverse. Adding one degree to the latitude coordinates gives the coordinates of the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in northern Virginia, which is the location of a mysterious statue called Kryptos, which will supposedly figure prominently in Dan Brown's next novel.

Da Vinci served most of the great Renaissance courts as an artist, scientist, inventor and military architect and strategist. As such he was close to the power figures of the day, both secret and above-board including Antonio de' Beatis, the secretary of the Cardinal of Aragon.

The first written reference to the Mona Lisa (one pivotal Painting in The Da Vinci Code) appears in the diary of Antonio de' Beatis who visited Leonardo on the 10th October 1517. He was shown three paintings by the master, who was aged sixty-five at the time.

The diary of Antonio de' Beatis figures prominently in Derek Steele's detection of the Da Vinci Codex forgery.

Sophia was killed by Constantine and her entire village wiped out because the parity of masculine and feminine in the form of a divine woman were a threat to the established power of the Church.

Inspiration and influences

The novel is part of the late twentieth century revival of interest in Gnosticism. Its emphasis on the role of Mary Magdalene in early Christianity comes straight from Gnostic scriptures, as does much of its portrayal of fertility rites and mystery cults in the practices of the ancient church.

The later ecclesiastical history described in Langdon and Teabing's lengthy soliloquies is largely adapted from modern interpretations of the relationship between Gnosticism and Christianity; the most influential of these is probably Holy Blood, Holy Grail. (The book explicitly names this work, among several others, on p. 253.)

Inspiration and influences

The novel is part of the late twentieth century revival of interest in Gnosticism. Its emphasis on the role of Mary Magdalene in early Christianity comes straight from Gnostic scriptures, as does much of its portrayal of fertility rites and mystery cults in the practices of the ancient church.

The later ecclesiastical history described in Seth, Zoe's and Hans Morgen's lengthy soliloquies is largely adapted from modern interpretations of the relationship between Gnosticism and Christianity; the most influential of these is probably "The Gnostic Gospels" by Elaine Pagels.

Summary of Spoilers

• Jacques Saunière was the head of the Priory of Sion and therefore possessed the knowledge of the "keystone", which in turn reveals the location of the Holy Grail, as well as documents which would shake the foundation of Christianity and the Church. He was killed in order to extract this information from him and eliminate the members of the Priory of Sion.
• The reason that Sophie Neveu broke off contact with her grandfather is that she witnessed him participating in a pagan sex ritual (Hieros Gamos) at his home in Normandy, when she made a surprise visit there during a break from college.
• The message Saunière wrote with a black-light pen on the floor before dying contained the extra line "P.S. Find Robert Langdon". This was the reason Bezu Fache suspected Langdon of being the murderer. Fache had erased this line before Langdon arrived so that Langdon would not be aware that the police suspected him. Sophie Neveu saw the entire text of the message by accident when it was faxed to her office by the police. Sophie realized immediately that the message was meant for her, since her grandfather used to call her "Princesse Sophie" (i.e. "P.S.") when she was a girl. From this she also knew Langdon to be innocent. She informs him of this secretly when they are in the Louvre by telling him to call her personal voicemail box and listen to the message that she had left there for him.

Summary of Spoilers
(Not directly applicable, but some similarities are apparent.)

• Geoffrey Martini was one of four top Da Vinci scholars who therefore possessed the knowledge of the "missing Da Vinci Codex" which describes an awesome weapon. Knowledge of this also reveals the location of St. Peter's bones, as well as documents which would shake the foundation of Christianity and the Church. He was killed in order to extract this information from him.
• No direct parallel










• No direct parallel

Summary of Spoilers
(Not directly applicable, but some similarities are apparent.)

• Willi Max possessed knowledge of a "female messiah" and had obtained a painting which, which in turn reveals the location of the Sophia Passion as well as documents which would shake the foundation of Christianity and the Church. He was killed in order to extract this information from him

  
  

• No direct parallel










• No direct parallel

The other three lines of Saunière's blood message are anagrams. The first line are the digits of the Fibonacci sequence out of order. The second and third lines ("O Draconian Devil!" and "Oh, Lame Saint!") are anagrams respectively for "Leonardo da Vinci!" and "The Mona Lisa!" (in English). These clues were meant to lead to a second set of clues.

On the glass over the Mona Lisa, Saunière wrote the message "So Dark the Con of Man" with a curator's pen that can only be read in black light. The second clue is an anagram for Madonna of the Rocks, another Da Vinci painting hanging nearby. Behind this painting, Saunière hid a key. On the key, written with the curator's pen, is an address.

The key opens a safety deposit box at the Paris branch of the Depository Bank of Zurich. Saunière's account number at the bank is the Fibonacci sequence digits, arranged in the correct order.

The instructions that Saunière revealed to Silas at gunpoint are actually a well-rehearsed lie, namely that the keystone is buried in the Church of Saint-Sulpice beneath an obelisk that lies exactly along the ancient "Rose Line" (the former Prime Meridian which passed through Paris before it was redefined to pass through Greenwich). In reality, the message beneath the obelisk simply contains a reference to a passage in the Book of Job which reads "Hitherto shalt thou go and no further". When Silas reads this, he realizes he has been duped.

By following a clever set of clues, Derek Steele concludes that pages are missing from Da Vinci's Codex Leicester and that forged pages have been inserted to cover this up.

When top Leonardo scholars begin to die mysteriously, Steele concludes that the missing Da Vinci Codex pages are somehow connected.

He follows a set of obscure clues, hints and word games including a name written in blood on the body of one slain scholar, that leads him to a meeting beneath Da Vinci's "Last Supper," the monastery of a strange sect of renegade and murderous Catholic monks on the shores of Ago DI Como.

Interestingly, the Da Vinci Code describes its albino assassin, Silas as a "monk" of Opus Dei despite the fact that Opus Dei has no monks.

Seth Ridgeway is perplexed when a desperate woman shows up at his live-aboard sailboat in Los Angeles during a fierce winter storm seeking an old painting

The name of the painting, "The Home of the Lady our Redeemer," is similar to "Madonna of the Rocks," the Da Vinci painting in the Louvre behind which Saunière hid the gold Zurich bank safe deposit box key so Sophie would find it.

After following a series of obscure clues including a dying man's admonition to "Beware of Brown," Seth eventually finds that his painting, like the one in Da Vinci Code, conceals a gold key that provides access to a safe deposit box in a Zurich Bank.

The following sequence is identical in events, pacing and tone and sequence both this book and Da Vinci Code:

1. A slain curator of art leaves a gold key,
2. concealed in a work of art,
3. painted on wood.
4. That work of art is named for the divine feminine at the center of the book.
5. The gold key is not a traditional key that opens a tumbler.
6. The key is left (with no instruction) for the book's heroine
7. who is, herself, a symbol of and related to the divine feminine.
8. The gold key allows access (but does not turn a lock) to a safe deposit box in a Zurich bank.
9. The safe deposit box holds another container which has a combination that must be set.
10. The contents of the container holds additional clues to finding the object of their search that send the hero and heroine to a foreign country.
11. The object of their search is a set of bones and documents relating to the divine feminine at the heart of the book.

The keystone is a actually a cryptex, a cylindrical device invented by Leonardo Da Vinci for transporting secure messages. In order to open it, the combination of rotating components must be arranged in the correct order.

If forced open, an enclosed vial of vinegar will rupture and dissolve the message, which was written on papyrus.

The rosewood box containing the cryptex contains clues to the combination of the cryptex, written in backwards script in the same manner as Leonardo's journals. While fleeing to England aboard Teabing's plane, Langdon solves the riddle and finds the combination to be "S-O-F-I-A", the ancient Greek form of Sophie's name, also meaning wisdom.

The keystone cryptex actually contains a second smaller cryptex with a second riddle that reveals its combination. The riddle, which says to seek the orb above a tomb of "a knight a pope interred" refers not to a medieval knight, but rather to the tomb of Sir Isaac Newton, who was buried in Westminster Abbey, and was eulogized by Alexander Pope (A. Pope). The orb refers to the apple observed by Newton which led to his discovery of the Universal Law of Gravitation, and thus the combination to the second cryptex is "A-P-P-L-E".

The Elect Brothers of St. Peter prevent valuable captives from ever escaping by implanting them with a sac of deadly poison.

If forced open by attempts to remove it, the membrane would rupture, causing a painful death.

No direct parallel.