danbrown.thedavincicode-第43部分

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　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　A。D。；　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。〃
　〃Transmogrification；〃　Langdon　said。　〃The　vestiges　of　pagan　religion　in　Christian　symbology　are　undeniable。　Egyptian　sun　disks　became　the　halos　of　Catholic　saints。　Pictograms　of　Isis　nursing　her　miraculously　conceived　son　Horus　became　the　blueprint　for　our　modern　images　of　the　Virgin　Mary　nursing　Baby　Jesus。　And　virtually　all　the　elements　of　the　Catholic　ritual…the　miter；　the　altar；　the　doxology；　and　munion；　the　act　of　〃God…eating〃…were　taken　directly　from　earlier　pagan　mystery　religions。〃
　Teabing　groaned。　〃Don't　get　a　symbologist　started　on　Christian　icons。　Nothing　in　Christianity　is　original。　The　pre…Christian　God　Mithras…called　the　Son　of　God　and　the　Light　of　the　World…was　born　on　December　25；　died；　was　buried　in　a　rock　tomb；　and　then　resurrected　in　three　days。　By　the　way；　December　25　is　also　the　birthday　of　Osiris；　Adonis；　and　Dionysus。　The　newborn　Krishna　was　presented　with　gold；　frankincense；　and　myrrh。　Even　Christianity's　weekly　holy　day　was　stolen　from　the　pagans。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Originally；〃　Langdon　said；　〃Christianity　honored　the　Jewish　Sabbath　of　Saturday；　but　Constantine　shifted　it　to　coincide　with　the　pagan's　veneration　day　of　the　sun。〃　He　paused；　grinning。　〃To　this　day；　most　churchgoers　attend　services　on　Sunday　morning　with　no　idea　that　they　are　there　on　account　of　the　pagan　sun　god's　weekly　tribute…Sunday。〃
　Sophie's　head　was　spinning。　〃And　all　of　this　relates　to　the　Grail？〃
　〃Indeed；〃　Teabing　said。　〃Stay　with　me。　During　this　fusion　of　religions；　Constantine　needed　to　strengthen　the　new　Christian　tradition；　and　held　a　famous　ecumenical　gathering　known　as　the　Council　of　Nicaea。〃
　Sophie　had　heard　of　it　only　insofar　as　its　being　the　birthplace　of　the　Nicene　Creed。
　〃At　this　gathering；〃　Teabing　said；　〃many　aspects　of　Christianity　were　debated　and　voted　upon…the　date　of　Easter；　the　role　of　the　bishops；　the　administration　of　sacraments；　and；　of　course；　the　divinity　of　Jesus。〃
　〃I　don't　follow。　His　divinity？〃
　〃My　dear；〃　Teabing　declared；　〃until　that　moment　in　history；　Jesus　was　viewed　by　His　followers　as　a　mortal　prophet。。。　a　great　and　powerful　man；　but　a　man　nonetheless。　A　mortal。〃
　〃Not　the　Son　of　God？〃
　〃Right；〃　Teabing　said。　〃Jesus'　establishment　as　'the　Son　of　God'　was　officially　proposed　and　voted　on　by　the　Council　of　Nicaea。〃
　〃Hold　on。　You're　saying　Jesus'　divinity　was　the　result　of　a　vote？〃
　〃A　relatively　close　vote　at　that；〃　Teabing　added。　〃Nonetheless；　establishing　Christ's　divinity　was　critical　to　the　further　unification　of　the　Roman　empire　and　to　the　new　Vatican　power　base。　By　officially　endorsing　Jesus　as　the　Son　of　God；　Constantine　turned　Jesus　into　a　deity　who　existed　beyond　the　scope　of　the　human　world；　an　entity　whose　power　was　unchallengeable。　This　not　only　precluded　further　pagan　challenges　to　Christianity；　but　now　the　followers　of　Christ　were　able　to　redeem　themselves　only　via　the　established　sacred　channel…the　Roman　Catholic　Church。〃
　Sophie　glanced　at　Langdon；　and　he　gave　her　a　soft　nod　of　concurrence。
　〃It　was　all　about　power；〃　Teabing　continued。　〃Christ　as　Messiah　was　critical　to　the　functioning　of　Church　and　state。　Many　scholars　claim　that　the　early　Church　literally　stole　Jesus　from　His　original　followers；　hijacking　His　human　message；　shrouding　it　in　an　impenetrable　cloak　of　divinity；　and　using　it　to　expand　their　own　power。　I've　written　several　books　on　the　topic。〃
　〃And　I　assume　devout　Christians　send　you　hate　mail　on　a　daily　basis？〃
　〃Why　would　they？〃　Teabing　countered。　〃The　vast　majority　of　educated　Christians　know　the　history　of　their　faith。　Jesus　was　indeed　a　great　and　powerful　man。　Constantine's　underhanded　political　maneuvers　don't　diminish　the　majesty　of　Christ's　life。　Nobody　is　saying　Christ　was　a　fraud；　or　denying　that　He　walked　the　earth　and　inspired　millions　to　better　lives。　All　we　are　saying　is　that　Constantine　took　advantage　of　Christ's　substantial　influence　and　importance。　And　in　doing　so；　he　shaped　the　face　of　Christianity　as　we　know　it　today。〃
　Sophie　glanced　at　the　art　book　before　her；　eager　to　move　on　and　see　the　Da　Vinci　painting　of　the　Holy　Grail。
　〃The　twist　is　this；〃　Teabing　said；　talking　faster　now。　〃Because　Constantine　upgraded　Jesus'　status　almost　four　centuries　after　Jesus'　death；　thousands　of　documents　already　existed　chronicling　His　life　as　a　mortal　man。　To　rewrite　the　history　books；　Constantine　knew　he　would　need　a　bold　stroke。　From　this　sprang　the　most　profound　moment　in　Christian　history。〃　Teabing　paused；　eyeing　Sophie。　〃Constantine　missioned　and　financed　a　new　Bible；　which　omitted　those　gospels　that　spoke　of　Christ's　human　traits　and　embellished　those　gospels　that　made　Him　godlike。　The　earlier　gospels　were　outlawed；　gathered　up；　and　burned。〃
　〃An　interesting　note；〃　Langdon　added。　〃Anyone　who　chose　the　forbidden　gospels　over　Constantine's　version　was　deemed　a　heretic。　The　word　heretic　derives　from　that　moment　in　history。　The　Latin　word　haereticus　means　'choice。'　Those　who　'chose'　the　original　history　of　Christ　were　the　world's　first　heretics。〃
　〃Fortunately　for　historians；〃　Teabing　said；　〃some　of　the　gospels　that　Constantine　attempted　to　eradicate　managed　to　survive。　The　Dead　Sea　Scrolls　were　found　in　the　1950s　hidden　in　a　cave　near　Qumran　in　the　Judean　desert。　And；　of　course；　the　Coptic　Scrolls　in　1945　at　Nag　Hammadi。　In　addition　to　telling　the　true　Grail　story；　these　documents　speak　of　Christ's　ministry　in　very　human　terms。　Of　course；　the　Vatican；　in　keeping　with　their　tradition　of　misinformation；　tried　very　hard　to　suppress　the　release　of　these　scrolls。　And　why　wouldn't　they？　The　scrolls　highlight　glaring　historical　discrepancies　and　fabrications；　clearly　confirming　that　the　modern　Bible　was　piled　and　edited　by　men　who　possessed　a　political　agenda…to　promote　the　divinity　of　the　man　Jesus　Christ　and　use　His　influence　to　solidify　their　own　power　base。〃
　〃And　yet；〃　Langdon　countered；　〃it's　important　to　remember　that　the　modern　Church's　desire　to　suppress　these　documents　es　from　a　sincere　belief　in　their　established　view　of　Christ。　The　Vatican　is　made　up　of　deeply　pious　men　who　truly　believe　these　contrary　documents　could　only　be　false　testimony。〃
　Teabing　chuckled　as　he　eased　himself　into　a　chair　opposite　Sophie。　〃As　you　can　see；　our　professor　has　a　far　softer　heart　for　Rome　than　I　do。　Nonetheless；　he　is　correct　about　the　modern　clergy　believing　these　opposing　documents　are　false　testimony。　That's　understandable。　Constantine's　Bible　has　been　their　truth　for　ages。　Nobody　is　more　indoctrinated　than　the　indoctrinator。〃
　〃What　he　means；〃　Langdon　said；　〃is　that　we　worship　the　gods　of　our　fathers。〃
　〃What　I　mean；〃　Teabing　countered；　〃is　that　almost　everything　our　fathers　taught　us　about　Christ　is　false。　As　are　the　stories　about　the　Holy　Grail。〃
　Sophie　looked　again　at　the　Da　Vinci　quote　before　her。　Blinding　ignorance　does　mislead　us。　O！　Wretched　mortals；　open　your　eyes！
　Teabing　reached　for　the　book　and　flipped　toward　the　center。　〃And　finally；　before　I　show　you　Da　Vinci's　paintings　of　the　Holy　Grail；　I'd　like　you　to　take　a　quick　look　at　this。〃　He　opened　the　book　to　a　colorful　graphic　that　spanned　both　full　pages。　〃I　assume　you　recognize　this　fresco？〃
　He's　kidding；　right？　Sophie　was　staring　at　the　most　famous　fresco　of　all　time…The　Last　Supper…Da　Vinci's　legendary　painting　from　the　wall　of　Santa　Maria　delle　Grazie　near　Milan。　The　decaying　fresco　portrayed　Jesus　and　His　disciples　at　the　moment　that　Jesus　announced　one　of　them　would　betray　Him。　〃I　know　the　fresco；　yes。〃
　〃Then　perhaps　you　would　indulge　me　this　little　game？　Close　your　eyes　if　you　would。〃
　Uncertain；　Sophie　closed　her　eyes。
　〃Where　is　Jesus　sitting？〃　Teabing　asked。
　〃In　the　center。〃
　〃Good。　And　what　food　ar