Jesus book ‘a howler’

Press, 21 January 1982, Page 17

Jesus book ‘a howler’

NZPA-Reuter London A New Zealander. Michael Baigent. has co-authored a controversial book which suggests that Christ married and had a child by Mary Magdalene, staged and survived his crucifixion, and has living descendants among European noble families.

'The book has been called “academically absurd," by the Rt Rev. Hugh Montefiore, Anglican Bishop of Birmingham.

"It’s worthless ... (it contains) howler after howler." “Absolutely obnoxious.” said the Duke of Devonshire who. according to the book, is one of the descendants of Jesus.

The derision is inevitable, says a co-writer, and filmmaker. Henry Lincoln, aged 51. “We have been expecting it."

Lincoln, a Briton, and his co-authors, an American novelist. Richard Leigh, aged 39. and Baigent. aged 34.

spent more than 10 years researching the book, entitled. “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail."

In the book, published by Jonathan Cape, the authors say that their version of events “is a plausible hypothesis which makes coherent sense ... it constitutes a more likely account than any we have encountered of events and personages which, 2000 years ago. imprinted themselves on Western consciousness."

Research began with Lincoln's preparation of a 8.8. C. documentary in 1972 on a nineteenth century French priest. Berenger Sauniere. The cleric reputedly amassed great wealth after discovering and deciphering four parchments hidden in a hollow pillar of his church at Rennes-le-Chateau, a hill-top village in the south of France.

The authors say they have discovered that those parchments, or facsimiles, still exist and disclose the exist-

ence of a secret society called the Prieure de Sion, founded in the eleventh century at the start of the Crusades. Its aim was to guard the Holy Grail which, according to medieval legend, was the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper.

The authors assert that the society remains active, and that its adherents over the years included Isaac Newton, Andre Malraux, Victor Hugo, Claude Debussy, and Charles de Gaulle.

According to the authors the words "Holy Grail" are a mistranslation of early French words for “royal blood,” and the true purpose of Prieure de Sion is to protect alleged royal descendants of Jesus and prepare the way for their accession to world power. To bolster their description of the society, they provide several chapters of scholarly references from legends, romances, paintings, documents, and the Bible. All this is controversial enough, but Leigh said it led the three to re-examine the conventional interpretations of the New Testament.

That study led them to propound a “hypothesis’’ that. • Jesus literally had a claim to being “King of the Jews." and was descended from the royal house of the Israelite King David.

• He married Mary Magdalene and had at least one child by her.

•He and sympathisers staged his Crucifixion and

Resurrection and he survived into old age somewhere outside the Holy Land.

• Mary Magdalene and ner offspring made their way to southern France. then Roman-ruled Gaul.

• Jesus’ bloodline was mixed with that of the Franks and started the Merovingian dynasty of the early Middle Ages.

• The Merovingian line extends into the modern noble houses of Europe, so the descendants of Jesus are alive today.

The book's contentions have met a religious fire storm.

“It is a sign of the degeneracy of our times that a publisher like Jonathan Cape should take this book,” Bishop Montefiore said.

He catalogues what he calls 79 “instances ... of gross errors, vital omissions, gravely misleading statements,’ or the adoption of way-out hypotheses.” Another Anglican Bishop, the Rt Rev. Mervyn Stockwood. was even less reserved. “Let them write a second book suggesting that Caesar married Boadicea and that the offspring is lan Paisley," he was quoted by “The Times” of London as saying.

“It will upset a great many people ... good, honest Christian folk," said the Duke of Devonshire who, according to the book, is one of the descendants of Jesus because he is descended from the Merovingian kings.