Beyond the Da Vinci Code (History Channel)

This video makes you want to think.....really think about the story line that it presents. I could probably watch it about a half dozen times and learn more each time I watch it. Highly recommend this to any one that has been following the Da Vinci Code movies. JLMcK

Another one of Tom Hanks films. Interesting presentations and though provoking. Great film.

thank you very much

I saw this program on the History Channel, and while of its programming is generally objective and non-sensationalistic, the Da Vinci Code is not one of them. So-called scholars frequently refer to events "according to legend and myth" and the narrator tells us "if true" then treats such and such as if it were true. The basic facts are these: even in the Gnostic gospels, there is nothing that suggests that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married, merely one or two references that suggest they may have been more than passing acquaintances, nothing more. One, claims believers in the myth, points to the alleged "envy" the Disciples felt in regard to Jesus supposed relationship to her. But it doesn't make any sense that they should be so if she was in fact his wife; a more plausible explanation would be the confusion the felt over what they saw as Jesus' unwarranted attention to what they saw as a "sinner." There is also no reference anywhere to a child; the fact that believers of this myth assume that it is a female suggests that there is a political agenda fueling this. Furthermore, that believers in this myth also imagine themselves to be one of perhaps millions of "descendents" of Jesus lends itself to easy bemusement. For a slightly more objective view, try the National Geographic video; it has a special feature in which each of the Da Vinci Code "proofs" are shown to fall into one of three categories: fraud, forgery, and wild imagination.

This movie was very helpful in finding the facts. yet, it also provided information about the fiction. Both sides were fairly represented while also letting the viewer know when real factual evidence was available and when it wasn't. Not all of my questions were answered, but that is just history for you....all the questions that could be answered were in this movie, and those left unanswered showed both sides to the story.....i would recommend this movie for those who are confused about the davinci code or who just want to learn a few things regarding the da vinci code.

I JUST LOVED IT.

good movie

This DVD presents the appearance of being unbiased because it presents counterevidence to the Da Vinci Code from the Medieval and post-Medieval eras. However, readers of the Da Vinci Code and viewers of this DVD are most interested in PRE-MEDIEVAL history, most especially the life of Jesus and the first centuries after his death. Unfortunately, the pre-Medieval facts and historical theories considered in this DVD are those which are most congenial to the revisionist historical accounts of Holy Blood, Holy Grail, The Woman with the Alabaster Jar, and The Da Vinci Code. The pre-Medieval historical facts most condemning of the revisionist position are not mentioned.Thus, so far as pre-Medieval history goes, this DVD misses major facts and strongly supportable theories, as if Gandhi's name were left out of India's independence, or Hitler's name out of the causes of WWII. The following four points [1]-[4] regarding pre-Medieval history should suffice to encourage viewers to do more homework in order to supplement the woefully weak and one-sided pre-Medieval "evidence" presented in this DVD, which pretends to support both revisionist and non-revisionist explanations equally.[1] The Council of Nicea: Timothy Freke states in the DVD interview that not agreeing with the conclusion of the Council of Nicea (325CE) probably meant death, but Constantine's 313CE Edict of Milan guaranteeing freedom of religion to all faiths was still in effect. Christianity did not become a state religion until Theodosius in 392, and even then pagans and heretics practiced their faiths with a relative impunity. (Certainly, persecutions against non-Christians did pick up speed from the 400s.) The post-Constantine / post-Nicea pagan emperor Julian even suppressed Christianity for a time in the mid 300s. However, the DVD strongly suggests a monolithic Christianity brutally enforced from Nicea onward, through the death penalty.> All the historical records which we have of this council (misspelled as the Council of "Mycea" in the DVD scene selection!) indicate that the Council basically covered the questions of the Arian heresy, the celebration of Passover, and the status of believers who had lapsed in their faith due to the persecution of Christians immediately previous to Constantine. The primary sources documenting the Council include the writings of Athanasius, who was himself banished for a time while the Arians took the upper hand with the emperors. If the emperors were so set on destroying the works of their enemies, as the DVD suggests, they would have had the chance with Athanasius.> The Da Vinci Code claims that it was a very close vote at the Council whether or not the divinity of Jesus was to be recognized, but all members present, including the Arians, acknowledged the divinity of Jesus. Further, it was not a close vote, but the Athanasian party (whose leader Athanasius was soon to be banished by the Arians) won by a vote of 300 to 2.> As to the question of Christians believing in the divinity of Jesus, even pagan authors such as Pliny the Younger (late first century) and Lucian of Samosata (mid second century) record that the Christians worshiped Jesus as a god. Voices presented in the DVD strongly suggest that Jesus was not considered divine until Nicea (325CE).[2] The Gnostics: The DVD presents this group as being a major feature of the Council of Nicea, but there is no evidence whatsoever that this was the case. Further, the revisionist thesis presented in the DVD presents the Gnostics as close to the teachings of the historical Jesus, but the DVD fails to note that for the Gnostics, all matter is evil and all spirit is good. This radical dualism led the Gnostics toward Docetism and denying the humanity of Jesus. This central humanity-denying tenet of historical Gnosticism is completely opposite to the revisionist thesis argued for in the DVD, which claims that Jesus was considered much more human by pre-Nicene Christian groups (especially the Gnostics).[3] The Nag Hammadi Library: The DVD presents its discovery as a radically new window into Gnostic doctrine, a treasury of previously unknown knowledge perhaps deviously hidden by church authorities. But the basic points of Gnostic doctrine have been available for the educated since their inception, preserved for pre-Nag Hammadi research by the writings of Christian, Neo-Platonic, and Pagan contemporaries.[4] The Gospel of Philip: The only statement given is by revisionist Margaret Starbird. She correctly notes that the text states that Jesus kisses Mary Magdalene, but the tone set by the DVD is that this is strong evidence for a romantic relationship between them. The DVD does not provide the context available in The Gospel of Philip itself, nor even in the New Testament. Not only do several of the letters of Paul encourage believers to greet each other with a holy kiss, but the Gospel of Philip (58:34-59:4) states: "For this reason we all kiss one another. We receive conception from the grace which is in one another." The fact that Gnostic texts use sexual imagery in metaphorical and spiritualized senses is also not mentioned. In other words, the fact that Jesus kisses Mary is presented in the DVD only in our contemporary cultural context, where a kiss is more likely to be interpreted as romantic or erotic.

Definately Reccomend this boxset if your interested in davinci & bible history.5**** really is an excellent boxset.Although Da vinci is on the cover,Its not only about him.The da vinci discs were very good .But i found the other discs to be much more interesting.IE.my favourites were.The Unknown Jesus,Opus Dei unveiled & Mary magdelene The hidden apostle.Some of the Information seems a bit far fetched,Especially the Mary magdelene DVD.But it was still interesting & a very good watch.I Definately Reccomend this boxset if your interested in davinci & bible history.5*****

This 90-minute film betrays the worse features of the modern docu-drama. Too much time is spent trying to portray events as if the viewer has no imagination. What are books for if not for stimulating the imagination? And, despite the execrable writing-style of Mr Brown, at least the Da Vinci Code is a book. So why do we need actors simulating Jesus and Mary Magdalene staring inanely into each other's eyes, or actors dressed up as Templar knights cowering at the fateful knock at the door of the French king, etc etc. And the actor playing the part of Leonardo himself, painting the Last Supper, was just laughable.The talking heads are not all who I would consider to be experts in their fields either, although it was interesting to see Richard Leigh of 'Holy Blood, Holy Grail' fame expostulating in front of the camera.The film is also bedevilled with repeated entries in the script, made worse by the inclusion of what are or were obviously breaks for commercials. And talking of the script, why does the narrator assume that we know nothing if anything about the Da Vinci Code's story? Why the build-up for fifteen minutes at the beginning about this great and fabulous mystery, when the very title of the DVD declares itself to be BEYOND the Da Vinci Code, i.e. that it is designed for those who already know what the novel predicates. In short, I learned precious little from this DVD that I did not know already.Neither this nor the Tony Robinson DVD covering the same material is perfect, but I would recommend the latter for at least not taking itself too seriously and for a more worthy selection of talking heads.But since, to me, the whole Da Vinci Code circus is an exercise in speculation (and making money), it seems impossible to be satisfied by any commentary about it.