Da Vinci Code Decoded

• If you are looking for the expert dope on all things Da Vinci Code, this is it - no need to look elsewhere. Henry Lincoln, Dan Burstein, Picknett and Prince and even Dan Brown - basically everyone you'd want to explain the back story of The Da Vinci Code. The only omission is anything the naysayers who wrote lots of books denouncing the novel as anti-catholic, etc., but that's not to say that the people who are interviewed, especially Holy Blood Holy Grail's Henry Lincoln, don't question some of the wilder leaps made by some enthusiasts.
  
  It's really well produced, and organized so that you can drop in or out of any chapter on the DVD to learn about whichever topics interest you most. If there was a criticism it would be that some of the talking heads really go into detail, perhaps more so than you might want - but that depends on your level of interest.

• I picked up the Da Vinci Code about a year ago to read on a long train ride, and of course I wasn't disappointed-as we all know it was immensely entertaining and exciting, a great read all around (and now I can't wait to see Tom Hanks in the movie!) But then my husband Bernie, who noticed how much I liked the book (don't you just love it when men pay attention for once?) bought this DVD for me for my birthday. There was so much new information inside that I had to watch it several times, so I was glad that I owned it. I had never heard of "Gnosticism" before or any of the other stunning data contained inside, it was like a whole treasure chest opened up of stuff they never told you in Sunday school that makes religion exciting all over again. Now I've got Bernie reading the Dead Sea Scrolls! A great value for the money

• It's hard for me to describe the 9 million Americans and growing who have read The Da Vinci Code as a cultural cliché - Dan Brown's novel has resonated with many people in this country who are curious about the roots of Christianity and its development throughout history.

• The DVD is divided into two sections, Chapters and Extras, the first having five topics, and the second, Extras, nine topics of discussion ... The running time for these topics are anywhere from 37 minutes to 3 minutes depending on the material discussed. Actually, the difference between the Chapters and the Extras is ONLY the fact that the Chapters are dedicated to more specific discussion of Dan Brown's book and the Da Vinci references in the book.
  
  Certainly one of the central themes of the DVD, and the book, is the 'sacred feminine' and the proposition that Jesus was, in effect, married to Mary Magdalene, and he had children by her.
  
  For those viewers that have studied the the works of Da Vinci, the bible, theology or the history of the Christianity the authors in this DVD, particularily, Henry Lincoln, author of Holy Blood Holy Grail, will most certainly be known to you...
  
  Certainly the origins of Christianity and the important role that the Roman General Constantine, having to fight with mostly very pacific Christian soldiers, is discussed in some detail and makes the viewer think about all those things that perhaps the Church never wanted us to think about. Constantine was one of the first that set the dates of Christian holidays so that they may more accurately fall at the same time as the pagan and sun worshippers of Rome, Greece and Egypt of the time. For example, there is no proof that Jesus was born on December 25th, nor is there any specific reason that if the birth of Jesus was pinned to one specific day, His the death and resurrection is also not a specific day, but rather a floating holiday that is pegged to crop and fertility cycles and, a Sunday after the first moon of the solstice... or something like that .... The Christian holidays fall on the same days as the old Sun and Pagan worshippers timetable ......
  
  Just think, back in the days of Jesus, the most powerfull people were all considered the 'Son of God', most of them in Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology were born of virgin mothers, since as you know many Greek fables .... where the gods used to come to earth and take advantage of the most beautifull virgins.... and of course as well the pagan religions of the day most certainly belived in the resurrection of the dead after 3 days .... The fact that the Christian God is monoeithic, God is still described as multiple with The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ... HMMMMMM