danbrown.thedavincicode-第57章

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　Teabing　flipped　through　the　book　and　pointed　out　several　other　passages　that；　to　Sophie's　surprise；　clearly　suggested　Magdalene　and　Jesus　had　a　romantic　relationship。　As　she　read　the　passages；　Sophie　recalled　an　angry　priest　who　had　banged　on　her　grandfather's　door　when　she　was　a　schoolgirl。
　〃Is　this　the　home　of　Jacques　Saunière？〃　the　priest　had　demanded；　glaring　down　at　young　Sophie　when　she　pulled　open　the　door。　〃I　want　to　talk　to　him　about　this　editorial　he　wrote。〃　The　priest　held　up　a　newspaper。
　Sophie　summoned　her　grandfather；　and　the　two　men　disappeared　into　his　study　and　closed　the　door。　My　grandfather　wrote　something　in　the　paper？　Sophie　immediately　ran　to　the　kitchen　and　flipped　through　that　morning's　paper。　She　found　her　grandfather's　name　on　an　article　on　the　second　page。　She　read　it。　Sophie　didn't　understand　all　of　what　was　said；　but　it　sounded　like　the　French　government；　under　pressure　from　priests；　had　agreed　to　ban　an　American　movie　called　The　Last　Temptation　of　Christ；　which　was　about　Jesus　having　sex　with　a　lady　called　Mary　Magdalene。　Her　grandfather's　article　said　the　Church　was　arrogant　and　wrong　to　ban　it。
　No　wonder　the　priest　is　mad；　Sophie　thought。
　〃It's　pornography！　Sacrilege！〃　the　priest　yelled；　emerging　from　the　study　and　storming　to　the　front　door。　〃How　can　you　possibly　endorse　that！　This　American　Martin　Scorsese　is　a　blasphemer；　and　the　Church　will　permit　him　no　pulpit　in　France！〃　The　priest　slammed　the　door　on　his　way　out。
　When　her　grandfather　came　into　the　kitchen；　he　saw　Sophie　with　the　paper　and　frowned。　〃You're　quick。〃
　Sophie　said；　〃You　think　Jesus　Christ　had　a　girlfriend？〃
　〃No；　dear；　I　said　the　Church　should　not　be　allowed　to　tell　us　what　notions　we　can　and　can't　entertain。〃
　〃Did　Jesus　have　a　girlfriend？〃
　Her　grandfather　was　silent　for　several　moments。　〃Would　it　be　so　bad　if　He　did？〃
　Sophie　considered　it　and　then　shrugged。　〃I　wouldn't　mind。〃
　　
　Sir　Leigh　Teabing　was　still　talking。　〃I　shan't　bore　you　with　the　countless　references　to　Jesus　and　Magdalene's　union。　That　has　been　explored　ad　nauseum　by　modern　historians。　I　would；　however；　like　to　point　out　the　following。〃　He　motioned　to　another　passage。　〃This　is　from　the　Gospel　of　Mary　Magdalene。〃
　Sophie　had　not　known　a　gospel　existed　in　Magdalene's　words。　She　read　the　text：
　And　Peter　said；　〃Did　the　Saviour　really　speak　with　a　woman　without　our　knowledge？　Are　we　to　turn　about　and　all　listen　to　her？　Did　he　prefer　her　to　us？〃
　And　Levi　answered；　〃Peter；　you　have　always　been　hot…tempered。　Now　I　see　you　contending　against　the　woman　like　an　adversary。　If　the　Saviour　made　her　worthy；　who　are　you　indeed　to　reject　her？　Surely　the　Saviour　knows　her　very　well。　That　is　why　he　loved　her　more　than　us。〃
　〃The　woman　they　are　speaking　of；〃　Teabing　explained；　〃is　Mary　Magdalene。　Peter　is　jealous　of　her。〃
　〃Because　Jesus　preferred　Mary？〃
　〃Not　only　that。　The　stakes　were　far　greater　than　mere　affection。　At　this　point　in　the　gospels；　Jesus　suspects　He　will　soon　be　captured　and　crucified。　So　He　gives　Mary　Magdalene　instructions　on　how　to　carry　on　His　Church　after　He　is　gone。　As　a　result；　Peter　expresses　his　discontent　over　playing　second　fiddle　to　a　woman。　I　daresay　Peter　was　something　of　a　sexist。〃
　Sophie　was　trying　to　keep　up。　〃This　is　Saint　Peter。　The　rock　on　which　Jesus　built　His　Church。〃
　〃The　same；　except　for　one　catch。　According　to　these　unaltered　gospels；　it　was　not　Peter　to　whom　Christ　gave　directions　with　which　to　establish　the　Christian　Church。　It　was　Mary　Magdalene。〃
　Sophie　looked　at　him。　〃You're　saying　the　Christian　Church　was　to　be　carried　on　by　a　woman？〃
　〃That　was　the　plan。　Jesus　was　the　original　feminist。　He　intended　for　the　future　of　His　Church　to　be　in　the　hands　of　Mary　Magdalene。〃
　〃And　Peter　had　a　problem　with　that；〃　Langdon　said；　pointing　to　The　Last　Supper。　〃That's　Peter　there。　You　can　see　that　Da　Vinci　was　well　aware　of　how　Peter　felt　about　Mary　Magdalene。〃
　Again；　Sophie　was　speechless。　In　the　painting；　Peter　was　leaning　menacingly　toward　Mary　Magdalene　and　slicing　his　blade…like　hand　across　her　neck。　The　same　threatening　gesture　as　in　Madonna　of　the　Rocks！
　〃And　here　too；〃　Langdon　said；　pointing　now　to　the　crowd　of　disciples　near　Peter。　〃A　bit　ominous；　no？〃
　Sophie　squinted　and　saw　a　hand　emerging　from　the　crowd　of　disciples。　〃Is　that　hand　wielding　a　dagger？〃
　〃Yes。　Stranger　still；　if　you　count　the　arms；　you'll　see　that　this　hand　belongs　to。。。　no　one　at　all。　It's　disembodied。　Anonymous。〃
　Sophie　was　starting　to　feel　overwhelmed。　〃I'm　sorry；　I　still　don't　understand　how　all　of　this　makes　Mary　Magdalene　the　Holy　Grail。〃
　〃Aha！〃　Teabing　exclaimed　again。　〃Therein　lies　the　rub！〃　He　turned　once　more　to　the　table　and　pulled　out　a　large　chart；　spreading　it　out　for　her。　It　was　an　elaborate　genealogy。　〃Few　people　realize　that　Mary　Magdalene；　in　addition　to　being　Christ's　right　hand；　was　a　powerful　woman　already。〃
　Sophie　could　now　see　the　title　of　the　family　tree。
　THE　TRIBE　OF　BENJAMIN
　　
　〃Mary　Magdalene　is　here；〃　Teabing　said；　pointing　near　the　top　of　the　genealogy。
　Sophie　was　surprised。　〃She　was　of　the　House　of　Benjamin？〃
　〃Indeed；〃　Teabing　said。　〃Mary　Magdalene　was　of　royal　descent。〃
　〃But　I　was　under　the　impression　Magdalene　was　poor。〃
　Teabing　shook　his　head。　〃Magdalene　was　recast　as　a　whore　in　order　to　erase　evidence　of　her　powerful　family　ties。〃
　Sophie　found　herself　again　glancing　at　Langdon；　who　again　nodded。　She　turned　back　to　Teabing。　〃But　why　would　the　early　Church　care　if　Magdalene　had　royal　blood？〃
　The　Briton　smiled。　〃My　dear　child；　it　was　not　Mary　Magdalene's　royal　blood　that　concerned　the　Church　so　much　as　it　was　her　consorting　with　Christ；　who　also　had　royal　blood。　As　you　know；　the　Book　of　Matthew　tells　us　that　Jesus　was　of　the　House　of　David。　A　descendant　of　King　Solomon…King　of　the　Jews。　By　marrying　into　the　powerful　House　of　Benjamin；　Jesus　fused　two　royal　bloodlines；　creating　a　potent　political　union　with　the　potential　of　making　a　legitimate　claim　to　the　throne　and　restoring　the　line　of　kings　as　it　was　under　Solomon。〃
　Sophie　sensed　he　was　at　last　ing　to　his　point。
　Teabing　looked　excited　now。　〃The　legend　of　the　Holy　Grail　is　a　legend　about　royal　blood。　When　Grail　legend　speaks　of　'the　chalice　that　held　the　blood　of　Christ'。。。　it　speaks；　in　fact；　of　Mary　Magdalene…the　female　womb　that　carried　Jesus'　royal　bloodline。〃
　The　words　seemed　to　echo　across　the　ballroom　and　back　before　they　fully　registered　in　Sophie's　mind。　Mary　Magdalene　carried　the　royal　bloodline　of　Jesus　Christ？　〃But　how　could　Christ　have　a　bloodline　unless。。。？〃　She　paused　and　looked　at　Langdon。
　Langdon　smiled　softly。　〃Unless　they　had　a　child。〃
　Sophie　stood　transfixed。
　〃Behold；〃　Teabing　proclaimed；　〃the　greatest　cover…up　in　human　history。　Not　only　was　Jesus　Christ　married；　but　He　was　a　father。　My　dear；　Mary　Magdalene　was　the　Holy　Vessel。　She　was　the　chalice　that　bore　the　royal　bloodline　of　Jesus　Christ。　She　was　the　womb　that　bore　the　lineage；　and　the　vine　from　which　the　sacred　fruit　sprang　forth！〃
　Sophie　felt　the　hairs　stand　up　on　her　arms。　〃But　how　could　a　secret　that　big　be　kept　quiet　all　of　these　years？〃
　〃Heavens！〃　Teabing　said。　〃It　has　been　anything　but　quiet！　The　royal　bloodline　of　Jesus　Christ　is　the　source　of　the　most　enduring　legend　of　all　time…the　Holy　Grail。　Magdalene's　story　has　been　shouted　from　the　rooftops　for　centuries　in　all　kinds　of　metaphors　and　languages。　Her　story　is　everywhere　once　you　open　your　eyes。〃
　〃And　the　Sangreal　documents？〃　Sophie　said。　〃They　allegedly　contain　proof　that　Jesus　had　a　royal　bloodline？〃
　〃They　do。〃
　〃So　the　entire　Holy　Grail　legend　is　all　about　royal　blood？〃
　〃Quite　literally；〃　Teabing　said。　〃The　word　Sangreal　derives　from　San　Greal…or　Holy　Grail。　But　in　its　most　ancient　form；　the　word　Sangreal　was　divided　in　a　different　spot。〃　Teabing　wrote　on　a　piece　of　scrap　paper　and　handed　it　to　her。
　She　read　what　he　had　written。
　Sang　Real
　　
　Instantly；　Sophie　recognized　the　translation。　Sang　Real　literally　meant　Royal　Blood。
　　
　CHAPTER　59
　
　The　male　receptionist　in　the　lobby　of　the　Opus　Dei　headquarters　on　Lexington　Avenue　in　New　York　City　was　surprised　to　hear　Bishop　Aringarosa's　voice　on　the　line。