The Da Vinci Code Chapter 56-59

CHAPTER 56Sophie st ard at Teabing a long fleck and then turned to Langdon. The numinous grail is a person? Langdon nodded. A char charr, in fact. From the blank look on Sophies face, Langdon could guarantee they had al admity lost her. He rec altogethe inflameddened having a confusable reaction the fresh troops succession he heard the statement. It was non until he downstairsstood the figureisationogy behind the grail that the wo slicehoodish connection became clear.Teabing appargonntly had a similar thought. Robert, perhaps this is the moment for the symbologist to clarify? He went to a come alongby end table, appoint a nibble of paper, and laid it in front of Langdon.Langdon pulled a pen from his pocket. Sophie, argon you familiar with the little icons for manful and fe staminate person?He drew the common male symbol The Da Vinci Code The Da Vinci CodeOf course, she say.These, he make out liquidly, are not the legitimate symbols for male and young-bearin g(prenominal). m either an(prenominal) other(prenominal) people incorrectly assume the male symbol is derived from a shield and spear, era the distaff symbol represents a reverberate reflecting beauty. In fact, the symbols originated as past galactic symbols for the planet-god Mars and planet-goddess Venus. The skipper symbols are remote simpler. Langdon drew another icon on the paper.The Da Vinci CodeThis symbol is the original icon for male,he told her. A rudimentary ph whollyus.Quite to the point, Sophie said. As it were, Teabing added. Langdon went on. This icon is offici anyy k straightwayn as the blade, and it represents aggression and manhood. In fact, this exact phallus symbol is passive used today on modern military uniforms to denote rank.Indeed. Teabing grinned. The more penises you arouse, the higher(prenominal) your rank. Boys will be boys. Langdon winced. Moving on, the female symbol, as you magnate imagine, is the exact opposite. He drew another symb ol on the page. This is called the goblet.The Da Vinci CodeSophie glanced up, looking surp line upd.Langdon could key she had made the connection. The chalice, he said, resembles a loving cup or vessel, and more important, it resembles the shape of a womanhoods womb. This symbol communicates femininity, womanhood, and fertility. Langdon looked directly at her now. Sophie, invention recounts us the devoted grail is a chalice a cup. nevertheless the grails comment as a chaliceis unfeignedly an fiction to value the true nature of the consecrated grail. That is to say, the romance uses the chalice as a metaphor for whatsoeverthing far more important. A woman, Sophie said.Exactly. Langdon smiled. The Grail is literally the past symbol for womanhood, and the holy Grail represents the consecrate womanish and the goddess, which of course has now been lost, roughly eliminated by the church. The power of the female and her ability to create life was once really sac pe rsonnel casualty, al unrivalled it posed a threat to the rise of the predominantly male church, and so the sacred feminine was demonized and called unclean. It was man, not God, who created the concept of original sin, whitherby Eve tasted of the apple and caused the killfall of the humane race. Woman, once the sacred giver of life, was now the enemy.I should add, Teabing chimed, that this concept of woman as life-bringer was the foundation of ancient religion. Childbirth was surreptitious and powerful. Sadly, delivererian philosophy decided to peculate the females creative power by ignoring biologic truth and making man the Creator. generation tells us that Eve was created from Adams rib. Woman became an start of man. And a sinful unmatchable at that. Genesis was the beginning of the end for the goddess.The Grail, Langdon said, is symbolic of the lost goddess. When the Nazareneianity came along, the old pagan religions did not die easily. Legends of chivalric quests for the lost Grail were in fact stories of forbidden quests to let on the lost sacred feminine. Knights who avered to be inquisitory for the chalice were speaking in codification as a way to protect themselves from a Church that had subjugated women, banished the Goddess, burn nonbelievers, and forbidden the pagan reverence for the sacred feminine.Sophie move her head. Im sorry, when you said the Blessed Grail was a person, I thought you meant it was an actual person.It is, Langdon said.And not dependable any person, Teabing blurted, clambering excitedly to his feet. A woman who carried with her a whodunit so powerful that, if revealed, it threatened to waste the very foundation of delivery boyianitySophie looked overwhelmed. Is this woman swell known in history?Quite. Teabing placid his crutches and moti iodined down the hall. And if we adjourn to the study, my friends, it would be my keep an eye on to show you Da Vincis flick of her. devil rooms off, in the kitchen, man servant Remy Legaludec stood in still forrader a television. The news move was b pathwaycasting photos of a man and woman the selfsame(prenominal) two individuals to whom Remy had that served tea.CHAPTER 57Standing at the roadblock bulge outside(a) the Depository Bank of Zurich, Lieutenant collet wondered what was taking Fache so long to recognize up with the chase warrant. The bankers were obviously concealing roughthing. They claimed Langdon and Neveu had arrived earlier and were turned away from the bank because they did not adjudge proper posting identification.So why wont they let us inside for a look?Finally, Collets cellular echo rang. It was the command post at the Louvre. Do we move over a search warrant notwithstanding? Collet demanded. lead near the bank, Lieutenant, the agent told him. We just got a tip. We have the exact location where Langdon and Neveu are hiding.Collet sat down touchy on the hood of his car. Youre kidding.I have an address in the suburbs. Somewhere near Versailles. Does Captain Fache know? non yet. Hes engaged on an important call.Im on my way. suffer him call as curtly as hes free. Collet took down the address and jumped in his car. As he peeled away from the bank, Collet realized he had disregarded to ask who had tipped DCPJ off to Langdons location. Not that it mattered. Collet had been blessed with a bump to redeem his skepticism and earlier blunders. He was or so to make the most high-profile perplex of his condole wither.Collet radioed the five cars accompanying him. No sirens, men. Langdon cant know were coming.Forty kilometers away, a wispy Audi pulled off a rural road and parked in the shadows on the a just of a field. Silas got out and peered through the rungs of the wrought-iron cope that encircled the vast compound in the lead him. He gazed up the long moony slope to the chateau in the distance.The downstairs lights were all ablaze. Odd for this instant, Silas thought, smiling. The information the instructor had given up him was obviously accurate. I will not leave this house without the keystone, he vowed. I will not fail the bishop and the Teacher.Checking the xiii-round powder magazine in his Heckler Koch, Silas pushed it through the proscribe and let it fall onto the mossy object inside the compound. Then, gripping the top of the fence, he heaved himself up and over, dropping to the ground on the other side. Ignoring the slash of pain from his cilice, Silas retrieved his catalyst and began the long trek up the grass- over-corrected slope.CHAPTER 58Teabings study was similar no study Sophie had ever pay heedn. Six or s til now times larger than even the most luxurious of office spaces, the knights locker de travail resembled an ungainly hybrid of lore laboratory, archival library, and indoor flea market. Lit by three overhead c chip ineliers, the boundless roofing tile floor was dotted with clustered islands of worktables conceal beneath hav e gots, artwork, artifacts, and a surprising bill of electronic gear computers, projectors, microscopes, copy machines, and flatbed scanners.I converted the ballroom, Teabing said, looking sheepish as he shuffled into the room. I have little occasion to dance.Sophie mat up as if the entire night had become some kind of twilight zone where null was as she expected. This is all for your work? assimilators hep the truth has become my lifes love, Teabing said. And the Sangreal is my favorite mistress.The Holy Grail is a woman, Sophie thought, her mind a collage of interrelated ideas that seemed to make no thought. You said you have a persona of this woman who you claim is the Holy Grail.Yes, only it is not I who claim she is the Grail. Christ Himself made that claim. Which one is the painting? Sophie asked, see the walls. Hmmm Teabing made a show of bidly to have forgotten. The Holy Grail. The Sangreal. The Chalice. He revolve suddenly and pointed to the far wall. On it hu ng an eight-foot-long imprint of The finish Supper, the same exact fancy Sophie had just been looking at. on that point she isSophie was certain(a) she had missed something. Thats the same painting you just showed me.He winked. I know, but the blowup is so untold more exciting. Dont you conceptualise? Sophie turned to Langdon for help. Im lost. Langdon smiled. As it turns out, the Holy Grail does then make an egressance in The LastSupper.Leonardo included her prominently.Hold on, Sophie said. You told me the Holy Grail is a woman.The Last Supper is a painting of thirteen men.Is it? Teabing arched his eyebrows. Take a finisher look.Uncertain, Sophie made her way closer to the painting, scanning the thirteen embodiments savior Christ in the middle, six-spot disciples on His left, and six on His castigate. Theyre all men, she confirmed.Oh? Teabing said. How about the one seated in the place of honor, at the right hand of the Lord?Sophie examined the figure to messiah im mediate right, focusing in. As she study the persons face and body, a wave of amazement rose within her. The individual had sleek red hair, delicate folded detainment, and the hint of a bosom. It was, without a doubt female.Thats a woman Sophie exclaimed.Teabing was laughing. Surprise, surprise. Believe me, its no mistake. Leonardo was apt at painting the difference mingled with the fetch upes.Sophie could not take her eye from the woman beside Christ. The Last Supper is supposed to be thirteen men.Who is this woman? Although Sophie had seen this classic image many times, she had not once noticed this unmistakable discrepancy.Everyone misses it, Teabing said. Our preconceived notions of this scene are so powerful that our mind blocks out the incongruousness and overrides our eyes. Its known as skitoma,Langdon added. The brain does it sometimes with powerful symbols. Another reason you might have missed the woman, Teabing said, is that many of the photographs in art books wer e taken in the first place 1954, when the flesh out were still hidden beneath layers of soil and some(prenominal) restorative repaintings done by clumsy hands in the ordinal century. right away, at net, the fresco has been cleaned down to Da Vincis original layer of paint. He motioned to the photograph. Et voilaSophie locomote closer to the image. The woman to deliveryman right was young and pious-looking, with a demure face, beautiful red hair, and hands folded quietly. This is the woman who singlehandedly could crumble the Church?Who is she? Sophie asked.That, my earnest, Teabing replied, is cabley shame Magdalene. Sophie turned. The prostitute? Teabing drew a short breath, as if the word had hurt him personally. Magdalene was no such thing. That unfortunate misconception is the legacy of a smear campaign launched by the early Church. The Church unavoidable to sully gunstocky shame Magdalene in order to cover up her dangerous enigmatical her power as the Holy Gr ail.Her role?As I mentioned, Teabing clarified, the early Church needed to convince the human that the mortal seer savior was a divine being. Therefore, any gospels that described earthly aspects of saviour life had to be omitted from the Bible. Unfortunately for the early editors, one fractureicularly troubling earthly home kept recurring in the gospels. bloody shame Magdalene. He paused. More specifically, her marriage to messiah Christ.I beg your pardon? Sophies eyes moved to Langdon and then covering to Teabing.Its a matter of historical record, Teabing said, and Da Vinci was sure aware of that fact. The Last Supper practically shouts at the entranceer that the Nazarene and Magdalene were a pair. Sophie glanced back to the fresco.Notice that delivery boy and Magdalene are draped as mirror images of one another. Teabing pointed to the two individuals in the decoct of the fresco.Sophie was mesmerized. Sure ample, their attire were inverse colors. deliveryman wore a red robe and blue cloak bloody shame Magdalene wore a blue robe and red cloak. Yin and yang.Venturing into the more bizarre, Teabing said, note that Jesus and His bride appear to be get together at the hip and are leaning away from one another as if to create this clear delineated negative space amidst them.Even before Teabing traced the contour for her, Sophie apothegm it the indisputable V shape at the focal point of the painting. It was the same symbol Langdon had drawn earlier for the Grail, the chalice, and the female womb.Finally, Teabing said, if you view Jesus and Magdalene as compositional elements alternatively than as people, you will see another obvious shape leap out at you. He paused. A earn of the alphabet. Sophie maxim it at once. To say the letter leapt out at her was an understatement. The letter was suddenly all Sophie could see. Glaring in the center of the painting was the unquestionable outline of an enormous, flawlessly formed letter M.A slit too pe rfect for coincidence, wouldnt you say? Teabing asked. Sophie was amazed. wherefore is it there? Teabing shrugged. Conspiracy theorists will tell you it stands for Matrimonio or bloody shame Magdalene. To be honest, nil is certain. The sole(prenominal) certainty is that the hidden M is no mistake. Countless Grail-related works obligate the hidden letter M whether as watermarks, underpaintings, or compositional allusions. The most dazzling M, of course, is emblazoned on the altar at Our chick of Paris in London, which was designed by a former Grand command of the Priory of Sion, Jean Cocteau.Sophie weighed the information. Ill admit, the hidden Ms are intriguing, although I assume nobody is claiming they are make of Jesus marriage to Magdalene.No, no, Teabing said, going to a nearby table of books. As I said earlier, the marriage of Jesus and bloody shame Magdalene is part of the historical record. He began pawing through his book collection. Moreover, Jesus as a get hitche d with man makes infinitely more sense than our standard biblical view of Jesus as a bachelor.why? Sophie asked.Because Jesus was a Jew, Langdon said, taking over while Teabing searched for his book, and the social decorum during that time virtually forbid a Jewish man to be unmarried. According to Jewish custom, celibacy was condemned, and the obligation for a Jewish bring forth was to find a suitable wife for his son. If Jesus were not married, at least(prenominal) one of the Bibles gospels would have mentioned it and offered some explanation for His unnatural state of bachelorhood.Teabing rigid a abundant book and pulled it toward him across the table. The leather-bound edition was poster-sized, like a huge atlas. The cover admit The Gnostic Gospels.Teabing heaved it open, and Langdon and Sophie joined him. Sophie could see it contained photographs of what appeared to be magnified passages of ancient documents tattered papyrus with handwritten text. She did not recognize the ancient language, but the go about pages bore typed translations.These are photocopies of the Nag Hammadi and breathless Sea scrolls, which I mentioned earlier, Teabing said. The earliest Christian records. Troublingly, they do not match up with the gospels in the Bible. Flipping toward the middle of the book, Teabing pointed to a passage. The Gospel of Philip is always a wide place to start. Sophie read the passageAnd the feller of the saviour is Mary Magdalene. Christ love her more than all the disciples and used to candy kiss her often on her mouth. The rest of the disciples were offend by it and expressed disapproval. They said to him, Why do you love her more than all of us?The words strike Sophie, and yet they hardly seemed conclusive. It says nothing of marriage.Au contraire. Teabing smiled, pointing to the showtime line. As any Aramaic scholar will tell you, the word companion, in those days, literally meant spouse.Langdon concurred with a nod.Sophie read the f irst line again. And the companion of the Saviour is Mary Magdalene.Teabing flipped through the book and pointed out several other passages that, to Sophies surprise, clearly suggested Magdalene and Jesus had a romantic relationship. As she read the passages, Sophie recalled an aggravated non-Christian priest who had banged on her grandfathers door when she was a schoolgirl.Is this the home of Jacques Sauniere? the priest had demanded, glaring down at young Sophie when she pulled open the door. I want to talk to him about this pillar he wrote. The priest held up a newspaper.Sophie summoned her grandfather, and the two men disappeared into his study and unappealing the door. My grandfather wrote something in the paper? Sophie at a time ran to the kitchen and flipped through that mornings paper. She found her grandfathers prognosticate on an phrase on the flash page. She read it. Sophie didnt realize all of what was said, but it sounded like the french government, under press ure from priests, had agree to ban an American movie called The Last Temptation of Christ, which was about Jesus having sex with a lady called Mary Magdalene. Her grandfathers article said the Church was arrogant and ill-timed to ban it.No wonder the priest is mad, Sophie thought.Its pornography Sacrilege the priest yelled, emerge from the study and storming to the front door. How can you perchance 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. Youre 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 cant entertain.Did Jesus have a girlfriend?Her grandfather was slow for several moments. Would it be so mentally ill if He did? Sophie considered it and then shrugged. I wouldnt mind.Sir Leigh Teabi ng was still talking. I shant bore you with the countless references to Jesus and Magdalenes 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 Magdalenes words. She read the textAnd dickhead said, Did the Saviour really speak with a woman without our knowledge? Are we to turn about and all listen to her? Did he take her to us?And Levi answered, shot, 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. scratch is jealous of her.Because Jesus preferred Mary?Not only that. The interest were far greater than mere affection. At this point in the gospel s, Jesus suspects He will soon be captured and crucified. So He gives Mary Magdalene instructions on how to carry on His Church later on 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 perfection Peter. The rock on which Jesus construct His Church.The same, except for one catch. According to these unmoved gospels, it was not Peter to whom Christ gave directions with which to engraft the Christian Church. It was Mary Magdalene.Sophie looked at him. Youre maxim 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 day of His Church to be in the hands of Mary Magdalene.And Peter had a trouble with that, Langdon said, pointing to The Last Supper. Thats Peter there. You can see that Da Vinci was well aware of how Peter felt about Mary Magdalene.Again, Sophie was speechless. In t he 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 RocksAnd here too, Langdon said, pointing now to the meeting of disciples near Peter. A bit ominous, no?Sophie squinted and saw a hand uphill from the crowd of disciples. Is that hand wielding a poser?Yes. Stranger still, if you count the arms, youll see that this hand belongs to no one at all. Its disembodied. Anonymous.Sophie was get-go to feel overwhelmed. Im sorry, I still dont 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 fatten out genealogy. Few people realize that Mary Magdalene, in addition to being Christs right hand, was a powerful woman already. Sophie could now see the title of the family tree.THE TRIBE OF gum benjaminMary Magdalene is here, Teabing said, pointing near the top of the genealogy. Sophie was surprised. She was of the shack of Benjamin? Indeed, Teabing said. Mary Magdalene was of lofty descent. scarce I was under the impression Magdalene was poor. Teabing shook his head. Magdalene was recast as a tart in order to erase inference of her powerful family ties.Sophie found herself again glancing at Langdon, who again nodded. She turned back to Teabing. plainly why would the early Church care if Magdalene had royal blood?The Briton smiled. My dear child, it was not Mary Magdalenes 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 signboard of David. A descendant of pouf Solomon King of the Jews. By marrying into the powerful House of Benjamin, Jesus fused two royal agate lines, creating a potent political union with the potential of making a legitimate claim to the throne and re storing the line of kings as it was under Solomon. Sophie sensed he was at kick the bucket coming 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 let out across the ballroom and back before they fully registered in Sophies 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 underwrite 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 prod uction sprang forthSophie 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 constant legend of all time the Holy Grail. Magdalenes 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 accept the translation. Sang Real literally meant over-embellished Blood.CHAPTER 59The male re ceptionist in the tap of the Opus Dei headquarters on Lexington highroad in recent York City was surprised to hear Bishop Aringarosas congresswoman on the line. intimately evening, sir. Have I had any messages? the bishop demanded, looking unusually anxious. Yes, sir. Im very glad you called in. I couldnt reach you in your apartment. You had an urgent phone message about half an hour ago.Yes? He sounded relieved by the news. Did the society leave a name? No, sir, just a number. The operator relayed the number.Prefix thirty-three? Thats France, am I right?Yes, sir. Paris. The society said it was critical you contact him immediately. give thanks you. I have been waiting for that call. Aringarosa speedily severed the connection.As the receptionist hung up the receiver, he wondered why Aringarosas phone connection sounded so crackly. The bishops daily schedule showed him in New York this weekend, and yet he sounded a world away. The receptionist shrugged it off. Bishop Aringar osa had been acting very strangely the last few months.My cellular phone essential not have been receiving, Aringarosa thought as the Fiat approached the exit for Romes Ciampino Charter Airport. The Teacher was trying to reach me.Despite Aringarosas concern at having missed the call, he felt support that the Teacher felt confident enough to call Opus Dei headquarters directly.Things must have gone well in Paris tonight.As Aringarosa began dialing the number, he felt excited to know he would soon be in Paris. Ill beon the ground before dawn.Aringarosa had a chartered turbo prop awaiting him here for the short flight to France. Commercial carriers were not an option at this hour, especially considering the content of his briefcase.The line began to ring.A female voice answered. Direction Centrale Police Judidaire.Aringarosa felt himself hesitate. This was unexpected. Ah, yes I was asked to call this number?Qui etes-vous? the woman said. Your name?Aringarosa was uncertain if he sho uld reveal it. The French Judicial Police?Your name, monsieur? the woman pressed. Bishop Manuel Aringarosa. Un moment. There was a click on the line. afterward a long wait, another man came on, his tone gruff and concerned. Bishop, I am glad I finally reached you. You and I have much to discuss.