"The Da Vinci Code" and the Jews

well... i agree that this movie is exciting and it flourished an expandable amount of doubt about christianity!!i guess it's just a book like others since we know that there are many different types of belies,what we need are live facts that show that this book is a historical fact ....i advise you to think twice before blindly accepting this

Da vinci code not only challenges some basic catholic tenets of faith. It speaks in favour of so-called "Goddess-Worship" and says quite explicitely that "Hieros Gamos", the ritual union of man and woman in the framework of a public religious ceremony should not be frowned upon. If this does not go against jewish values, I do not know what will. Furthermore, jewish religion is not less paternalistic, male dominated than christianism.

This is such a brilliant article and we should be so proud to have such wonderful Rabbi's, but most of all such gracious teachings.

It should be born in mind that this is simply a book,written to look like historical fact in order to excite the reader of all persuasions,and so increase sales. It is simply a novel,and should be treatd as such.

The Da Vinci code is indeed offensive to Christians, but it is also offensive to historians, artists, anyone who is an expert in Da Vinci, and those who believe in intellectual honesty. Moreover, the Code ought to be insulting to Jews as well. This is not only a popular (and fictional) assault on Christianity, but, in the larger scheme, on religious faith. Both Catholics and Jews should stick up for one another against the common enemy: those who wish to trivialize religious faith and replace it with a market designed consumer popular culture willing to demoralize society, youth, families, communities of faith, all in the name of ratings and profit. Shalom haverim, A Catholic friend of Jews and of Israel.

I think it is ironic that the very same audience that dismissed Jewish concerns over Mel Gibson's movie is now so vocal in its denunciation of the Da Vinci Code, especially considering that the latter has been advertised as nothing more than a work of fiction, whereas the former was advertised as the "gospel" truth! The Christian testament has Jesus criticising hypocrites as people who "swallow camels but choke on gnats." In this case, the camel is "The Passion" and the gnat is "The Da Vinci Code."

I believe it is good to cause people to think about their religious beliefs. It only takes a sentence to make someone investigate the truth of their beliefs and their history. We jews have paved the way for searching for truth. We have the right to stand up to all 70 nations and say to them, look at your religion not through the haze of blind belief, but through the eyes of someone who really wants to worship G-D. Seek out answers to your questions and don't ever take for an answer "we are not able to understand", nothing is beyong our comprehension except the essense of G-d. As jews we do not convert, but we can not idly watch people get misled. All people are bound by 7 noachide laws given to Noah by G-d.

I looked up this article in aish.com because of a very disturbing statement made in this book – that “early Jewish tradition involved ritualistic sex. In the Temple…. Men seeking spiritual wholeness came to the Temple to visit priestesses…” (pg. 309). This goes against what is explicitly forbidden in the Torah – several times. In Parashat Balak, Pinchas kills the Nassi of Shim’on and Kozbi, the daughter of Nassi Midyan for doing just that, as part of the worship of Baal Pa’or. This is pure idol worship, against which we are strongly prohibited.
Aside from this, there are so many discrepancies in the book, unrelated to ‘facts’, that undermine the books credibility: how could a (supposedly) well respected Harvard scholar, and a British Royal Historian assume even for a second, that an English text in mirror-writing looks like Semitic letters? And with the obsession several characters have with Leonardo Da Vinci, not recognizing the mirror writing for what it is, shows of plain stupidity. After finishing the book, I was left with the strong feeling that Dan Brown’s objective is to be provocative.
A word regarding Jewish people being celibate: during the turbulent period when Jesus lived, there were the Essenes, who lived in the Judea desert, and whose writing were found in Qumran (not those of early Christians, as the book claims). They had an extremely ascetic existence, and they believed in celibacy.

The writing in the novel is so bad that it gives me, a writer, an almost terminal case of the blues. The biggest bestseller of all time? I give up. The movie was tedious, preposterous, ridiculous and stultifying, but at least it was long. The gigantic hysteria surrounding this lousy book and lousier movie adds up to serious discouragement for a nonbeliever like me: humans are utterly mad, and religion--any religion, by any name--is the overwhelming expression of that madness.

What Rabbi Bleich says about a married Jesus who is simply a human being is all well and good, and yes, of course, Judaism has always rejected standard Christian theology on this matter. However what the authors of the Da Vinci Code book and movie intend is not simply to move Christians from a borderline polytheism to a pure monotheism. Their intention is to undermine religious faith altogether. They attack the Catholic Church frontally but all religions by implication. The thesis really is that all religions hide "The Truth" from their believers, and "The Truth" is that all religions are man-made and full of lies. This is the true credo of today's media elite.

To all the people brothers and sisters who complaing about a lousy novel like this, Iwant to tell that is more important reading our litterature than looking for an antisemitic compendium.
After 2000 years of exile i learn that tihs cain of garbage is antisemitic in essence and is THEIR way and ist´n nothing to do about.
An advice spend less time reading this piece of nonsence and read in stead ours saviors teachings, w´ll help in the Olam Hava.

Dan Brown and many of the other experts point out that the Romans were worshipping the "sacred Feminine" and Mithros. However, I think that an important issue is that Judaism Rejects the idea of a demigod. Constantine's Rome, was quick to accept the idea of a demigod. Weren't they used to stories about Achilles, and Hercules....half god and half man? Why not make the new Messiah a demigod too?

Second, Christians and many Jews are not aware that Judea was a border state between the Greek Ptolomy's of Egypt and the Salucid Greeks from Syria. The border between the two kingdoms was around the Jordon River. after the Jews drove out the Salucids from Judea (Chanuka story), they were afraid that they would be reoccupied, so they made a treaty with the Romans, who began trading and established a Garrison in Judea. Like other big powers, they began to bribe their way and the Hasmoneans were corrupted and became very unpopular. So, Herod, who was brought up in Augustus Ceaser's home in Rome, replaced the Hasmoneans. He became so unpopular, that Pontius Pilot brought a ROMAN army into Jerusalem from Cesarea for the first time to quell the discontent and perceived sedition. Herod had hand picked the priests and the people in power who were making money were corrupt and being compromised by the Romans. Anti-establishment Young people like Jesus were pointing this out like the hippies in the 1960's.
It was in the interest of the Romans and their hand picked leaders and corrupt business connections to do away with people like Jesus who were making waves. (Jesus was not the only casualty. Previously Herod had appointed his brother in law as the High Priest and he was so popular for upholding the law that Herod had him drowned in his swimming pool)

Finally, I think the movie missed a very important point when it did not explain to people that the word Heresy comes from the Greek word "to Chose" People who chose any of the other 80 gospels were therefor called Heretics ... Because the CHOSE ANOTHER GOSPEL!!
In the movie, he told a little bit about the Cathars who were murdered in southern france where the Merovinian Kings lived. He did not explain that this was also a very prominent movement in Central Asia....and that the Moslems in BOSNEA HERTZOGEVINIA believed the same way as the people of southern France who were murdered by Catholic Church. The Remnants of the Bogomil Christians found refuge in Bosnea before they chose ISLAM over the beliefs of the Orthodox and Roman Catholics, whom they believed were worshiping the teachings of Satan instead of Jesus.

He was right about priestesses practicing prostitution,but the temple was in fact Babylonian.Maybe that's where the reference to the "Whore of Babylon"is derived in the Book of Revelations from the New Testament.

i will visit page again and again and again

I saw "The Davinci Code" last night and it reall hit home everything I have believed about Christianity and it's beliefs in Jesus. I am, what I consider to be, baal tshuvah to Judaism from growing up in the falsities of Roman Catholicism.

R. Blech pointed out that it is for us to be more like YHVH and not YHVH to come be more like us. Dan Brown's final conclusion, whether fact or fiction, is a poignant one- that we should all be united under YHVH. All else is trivial.

On a side note, I did find it interesting that the adopted symbol of Judaism- the Magan Dovid- was portrayed as being the "spear (male)" and the "vessel (female)" united as one. What a cool idea.

Dan Brown makes several factual errors in his understanding of Judaism. Firstly,upon coming upon an indecipherable text, he rejects the opinion that it might be Semitic (i.e.Hebrew) because it has no Nekkudot (vowels). It is common knowledge that Hebrew can be written without vowels. Another gross error is Brown's blasphemous comments that there are two deities dwelling at the site of the Temple (Beit HaMikdash). This denies Judaism's fundamental belief in monotheism. He errs also in claiming that the Tetragrammaton (Y-H-V-H) name of G-d comes partly from Chava's (Eve)name and that it represents the male component of G-d. This is totally wrong. The Name ends with the letter Heh, which is always the feminine ending in Hebrew. Finally, Brown makes the most outlandish claim of all; that there were priestesses in the Temple who acted as prostitutes. This goes completely against what our Torah says in Deuteronomy 23:18: "There shall not be cult prostitutes among the daughters of Israel..." Rashi explains this to mean women who make themselves available constantly for znus (immorality). These glaring errors should invalidate the entire book, even those parts where Brown gets it right.

This article should bring Jewish guilt of the worst kind to all of you at Aish.com Jewish people thinking of this 'good read' as truth and not fiction is laughable. I really expected more from you.

This was a slant on the book that I had not really thought through. Thank you for opening this avenue. I am a Jew by birth, but a practicing Christian, and now I have some tough facts to digest.

The furor at the Vatican about “The Da Vinci Codeâ€NSM_BADCHAR=<0x9d>, a work of fiction is interesting. Considering that the New Testament account that it negate was written in some cases hundreds of years after the events. Can you name anything else to be considered reliable history if written centuries later?

An account recorded at the very time of the events is non-longer available because the Vatican censored every mention of Jesus in it. If someone, somewhere discovers a Talmud that escaped the Vatican’s censorship will the furor ever end?

Albert Reingewirtz
3645-G Village Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92008
760-720-4223
albr@adelphia.net

I think, frankly, that we Jews should stay out of this frakas, and that this article is ill advised. We know we don't believe in Jesus' divinity, we don't need the rabbi to come out in print and say that the G-d of a billion Christians is just a human.

Intentional or not it makes people reevualate their concept of Jesus's actual life and death. Rabbi Blech is himself,quite a story teller as well as a thought provoker.

I did find neither in Brown's nor in Baigent-Lincoln book accent on Goddess version. You are slightly exaggerated this issue. Holy Grail is genealogy of Jesus and that is all. In addition my own research convinced me that this information is looking as a true. I found independent references about Jewish Princehood in other sources that has been published before. In all other aspect your article is very interesting.

Excellent, wonderfully explained!

excellent

It's amusing to see the Vatican up in arms over the Da Vinci code where it challenges their beliefs. Funny, when Passion of the Christ was getting ready for release the Vatican thought it was a wonderful film and endorsed all to see it as if it were a religious experience. The fact that it villified Jews meant nothing. The New Testament is my Da Vinci code: some historical facts with a story drawn up much later in time to connnect them.

I am a gentile, taught by many denominations many falsehoods. This website, along with other Jewish websites and many wonderful Jewish books and music, is bringing me back to the One True God.

Having read The Da Vinci Code, I was eager to read this commentary which, by the way, I found to be diplomatic and succinct (as another comments below). The only comment I wanted to make was about Jesus being the founder of Christianity.

Being raised in a Christian doctrine (not RC), I always had questions about the cohesiveness between the "old testament" and the "new testament" that no pastor or Sunday School teacher seemed able to satisfactorily answer for me. That lead me to study the Bible more closely and to continue to seek out the answers (often making me quite unpopular with Christian teachers).

More and more I am aware that Jesus did not come to found a new religion! He was born a Jew, lived as a Torah-obedient Jew, and died as a Torah-obedient Jew. Had he ever taught anything against the Torah, or changed it in any way, he would have immediately elimated himself as the promised Messiah. I believe that is the single most important fact which escapes most Christians.

I'm not sure who could be 'credited' as being the actual "founder" of Christianity - it seems to have been more a process - but it definitely was NOT Jesus.

Thank you for a well-balanced review of The Da Vinci Code, Rabbi.

How could your organization lower itself to agree with Dan Brown? What a slap in the face to millions of Christians that love Israel and the Jewsih people!

We Jews, being the victims of many calumnies throughout history, ranging from the Blood Libel to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, should be very sensitive to the dangers of a plausible but misleading story about religion like The Da Vinci Code. Whatever we think of Christian doctrine, Christianity has brought millions of people closer to God, which is nothing to despise.

Dear Sir:

I just want to commend Rabbi Blech and Aish.com for the article on the "Da
Vinci Code". Rabbi Blech was very diplomatic yet succinct and direct in his
discussion of some of the differences in the viewpoints between Judaism and
Roman Catholicism. His treatment of the differences in viewing Moses and
Jesus were particularly "on the mark".

I am on several of Aish.com's email lists and look forward to all of your
articles. My appreciation to
Rabbi Blech and Aish.com.

Kindest regards

the gathered thoughts of a man's mind do not make anyone believer's. believing is done so in the spirit, not the mind. and a book should not shake what truth your spirit believes. doctrine is a thought process, belief is a heart process. a child will not jump into a hole in the floor to the basement, unless he believes that it is his dad's voice that is telling him to jump. if he decides to jump it is done so with his heart. all the doctrine in the world will not feed the hungry or clothe the naked, but the hearts of the compassionette that will.

I see no harm in it. And why don't Christians research their true history. If they did so without people doing their thinking for them, they might find real problems with it's teachings. They might also find a bit of history regarding Jesus's name: It might have been the Roman's version of Zeus! Do the research.

Sorry Curt, Jesus didn't found the (Roman) Catholic Church but Caesar Constantine and his mother Helena did. Jesus founded Christianity, you too better get your informations right!

I suppose enough has been commented about this already, but I wanted to say: when Jews jump on a bandwagon that we think is bashing Christianity, or "revealing the sordid truth about" Christianity, we more often than not end up shooting ourselves in the foot, because the same sources that take it against Christianity also attack Judaism and Torah truths as well. These are our friends, allies? We do ourselves no favors being so anxious to get in a slap against the "idolatry" of Christianity that we join up with the G-d hating forces of the anti religious. For shame!

We are all God's children, and it is time we grow up and realize our shortcomings as imperfect beings, and how we can compensate for this by our diversity. Then, we can be God's Grown Children.
"God is a loving Parent to all humankind - and Who made the universe such that we could live in it.
"God is Unique and is One, each human being is unique and different, and so humankind is diverse.
"God is Perfect, we are imperfect - therefore God has made us diverse, so that, in our diversity, we can approach, but never reach, Perfection.
"God has given us free will, and wants us to grow in understanding - to grow towards, even if we never reach, His Wisdom."

i doubt there is ever an acceptable way for jews to vent frustration, but i must say i am awed at the variation of comments. the only concern i have is that the front of the book has a statement that all document and art are factual. when i told a girl that the jews had never had sexual rites she looked at me and spoke to meas though i was making it up. i am a fan of the book in general, but it is "teaching" people about judaism and it is teaching them sensationalist, immoral things that are untrue and damning. that bothers me.

hamadinejab (sorry for the spelling) may be the hand of God towards the jewes.

As a direct descendent of the Merovingian line (and orthodox Jewish), I should perhaps be putting myself forward as the next messiah. Mr Brown has does some rather superficial research, basing himself on flawed research that appeared in the 1980. I have spoken to the authors of the original research and was quite unimpressed. As many posts have stressed, Mr Browns book maligns Judaism more than it does Catholicism. Rabbi Blech should do his research before publicising such rubbish.

Rabbi,
I am saddened by your comments. We are chosen by Hashem to be a light to the gentiles. I would have expected more compassion; Jews one of whom was Jesus, founded the Catholic Church. We know what it is to be persecuted for our beliefs; we may empathize with them and remain fully Jews, people of the one G-d and of the same strong tree.
One whose wisdom is greater than his deeds, what is he comparable to? To a tree with many branches and few roots; comes a storm and uproots it, and turns it on its face... But one whose deeds are greater than his wisdom, to what is he compared? To a tree with many roots and few branches, whom all the storms in the world cannot budge from its place.
Ñ Ethics of the Fathers 3:17

It’s an interesting, brief discussion about some significant differences between Judaism and Christianity, or at least Catholicism. I found it informative. Using the Da Vinci Code as a springboard to this discussion, as the Rabbi does, however, is just odd. It reads, unfortunately, kind of like its pay-back-time. I kept getting the feeling that beneath it all, the Rabbi is saying to Christians, “Where were you when Mel Gibson’s The Passion was in theaters, making Jews look bad? You were flocking to the theater, sucking it all up and loving every minute, that’s where. Well, now it’s your turn.” While the debate should not be shied away from, the timing and forum is certainly open to question. I’m afraid that the article is symptomatic of Jewish resentments that remain repressed, and which should be expressed in a much healthier way. I’m afraid that the article may foster more distrust and resentment between Jews and Christians. That is, if Christians bother to read such musings by Jews. I don’t think they do. Rather, considering how well funded and technological savvy the Vatican and some rightwing Christian groups are, they’ve probably got "bots" scouring the web for every mention of the Da Vinci Code, which then gets forwarded to interpreters and then some review committee. You know, kind of like the NSA looking for terrorists. On the bright side, if this article does fuel tensions between Christians and Jews, it might serve to take some of the heat off gays for awhile.
Well, to paraphrase Macbeth, Read on Macduff,

In his book, The DaVinci Code, Dan Brown also makes some blasphemous claims against the Kohenim and the Shekinah, the holy dwelling presence of G-d, blessed be He.

Brown suggests that the ancient Hebrew sacrificial system involved pagan-like fertility acts in the Mishkan and the first and second Temples in Jerusalem!

What about that? Where is the outrage against that? Perhaps you haven't read this crazy book.

Shalom.

I read the book...made me think...even though i know some things are real and some are not. I think Rabbi Blech has certainly raised more questions for us to ponder. That is being a Jew. We are thinkers and I look at things in the world with the help of Torah. But as a Human, I also look at things with human eyes. This is a deep book and a great "story" like any other. We are all free to think what we wish, but not act on those things that are bad. Rabbi Thanks for raising up the bar for those of us who like a challenge. Jesus was a man, with mans faults, it will be a mystery for a life time whether he was married or had children. and good for him if he did.

Rabbi Blech is my teacher, he's the man!

Shekinah? female deity? What is the deal with that? Or did the author make a coment without reading the book. (I hope I did not offend you). However I see a lot of danger coming from the book like that, I don't think we should take so easy all the insult that is there in the book. I feel it is not just anti-Catholic, but attacking Judaism and Kabbala as well.
I hope to see tha author's responce to it soon.
Thank you for your work.

Interesting article. I enjoyed reading it. However, as a former Christian, I feel it is important to point out that the historical "Jesus" didn't found the new religion of Christianity nor do I believe he intended to do so. It was Paul who took some of the teachings of "Jesus", turned them around and made a new religion. "Jesus" was a Jew, lived as a Jew and believed/taught as a Jew. For 2000 years what he said and taught have been twisted and re-interpreted. I hope this book will cause people to re-examine what they have been taught and believe as truth.

Very interesting

I've read the book and it led me to do some serious research on several points (beliefs?) of Christianity. I found the book and what my personal research revealed fascinating. But I must say that it is probably very, very sad for Christians have to contemplate the truth that there is only ONE God and thier "Savior" may well be the myth based on the life of a mortal being.

Mah Neeshtana halayla hazeh? Somehow theworld will still cast aspersions on us

Since The Da Vinci Code appeared in print, my friends and colleagues have been shocked (and, yes, dismayed) that I'd managed to avoid it. There seems to be so much else to do other than reading a novel these days: BUT! The Da Vinci Code, once I relinquished self-control, captivated me for the same purpose everyone had said that it would: For the past 25+ years I, and a plethora of other Jews interested in the HISTORIC Jesus, have averred what is presented therein. We now have a JEWISH Jesus. We have returned Miriam to her rightful place (and, with any luck, their child(ren). And, the Church (along with its millions & millions of adherants) have a challenge on their hands. The tables have - hopefully - turned. Christians may begin actually thinking and questioning dogma that makes NO SENSE. And, I cannot help winking at this...IT'S ABOUT TIME!

As an ex-Christian (Protestant and not Catholic) who converted and became an orthodox Jew, I cannot comment from knowledge of the book. Although, I would suspect from the hype that it is designed to promote controversy in order to create as much revenue for the book and for the film as possible.

However, I found I could only really agree with what Rabbi Blech had to say. Everyone's spiritual journey is individual and I believe deeply in respecting the differences that we all have in how we are drawn closer to Hashem. Why there are different paths to Him is in the end only something that G-d can answer. Certainly, there are some wonderful people who are Christians who are very good people whom I greatly respect, as there are also in any other religion, and there are also evil and unpleasant people in every religion as well.

My own journey was deeply difficult and also completely unexpected. I spent a long time very confused as to why I had become drawn so intensely to Judaism, needing to do Jewish things and also longing all the time to be in Israel, and I wanted with all my heart to follow where Hashem was clearly leading me, but I was also scared to leave the religion which promised eternal damnation if you did not believe in JC. Eventually, when I could take no more of being spiritually schizophrenic and I feared for my health if my confusion continued, I simply asked Hashem to take away all my illusions. At that point when I truly needed it, I was deeply privileged literally to be shown by Hashem Himself in an indescribably profound and amazing way the truth - that all there is is G-d, there is no need for an intermediary, and the infinite and incomprehensible mind of Hashem could never begin to fit into that of a created human being.

But, had I not been first a Christian and spent a few years developing spiritually and emotionally in that context, learning to trust G-d more deeply, then I doubt I would have found years later where I truly belong, because I needed help from Hashem to come home. Though I also feel pain for the fact that I never met anyone who offered me a real alternative (as a Noachide) during those years and I have had to unlearn what I now see essentially as blindness and worship of a false god.

Now I am a Jew I feel whole for the first time in my life. I feel a much deeper connection to Hashem than ever before, I could not possibly conceive ever of returning to what I came out of and I am very glad not any longer to be in my previous religion.

This article was very well written. Concise but thorough, Rabbi Blech has captured the essence of the issue. I have read the DaVinci Code, and I felt that tingling excitement at the notion of people waking up and smelling the falsehood upon which the Christian religion is based (although I'm not sure what that would actually do for us Jews). How ironic that a work of fiction should expose the shortcomings of an untrue story . . .

As Jews we should be very upset. Please read page 309 of the book. Where Langdon tells Sophie that early Jews were having relations inside the temple in the Holy of Holies. Inside the Holy of Holies is a woman called the "sacred-feminine" where she was performing orgasms as a form of prayer. To me this is pure blasphemy and a desecration of our beliefs.

The priory of sion; described in the book, is an organization founded by a con-artist and anti-Jew Pierre Plantard on the 1950's. Dan Brown also express his anti-Semitic beliefs in his other book named Angels and Demons as well as another book named Holly Blood Holly Grail is anti-Semitic and anti-Christian as well. Please don't ignore the hidden messages that this fictional story.

The issue is not that Dan Brown is making *any* deep theological point. Give us a break. Priory of Sion, Knights Templar, Rosicrucian and Bavarian Illuminati conspiracy theories have been around for centuries. It's quirky and cool and sure to be a money maker.

Some take it much further than Brown. Some of the tales hold that the Merovingian line of French kings, ending with Dagobert II, was actually of the line of Jesus and Mary Magdaline. There was even a Millenium episode (great show from 1998) that picked up on that story. It's intriguing, but impossible to prove.

There are even excised gospels that directly challenge normative Christianity. This of course, would be why the various early Christian councils excised them.

I'm sure we wouldn't be keen on a popularized novel based on the writings of Sabbatai Zvi.

The important point has nothing to do with Dan Brown's novel. It is much more to do with why it would be popular in the first place.

What the book did was give a trendy excuse for people to support their own disatisfaction with Christianity by using a cloak pseudo-scholarship. It is a measure of how unpopular Christianity has become. All the cool poeple - with airs of being "in the know" - can now use this book to justify what they already believed anyway. It generally gets summed up by "as an educated, modern person, I think all organized religion is bunk, and now I can wave around this, easy to read, book - that like, you know, *smart* people, read - to back up that idea."

Some Jews may even like the idea of Christianity taking some body blows. Certainly, we have no problem with questioning if Jesus was Divine. But I don't think that it is healthy to enjoy an "I told you so" attitude with the Church, at this time.

Why? Because in the post-modern, everything is relative world that
this book fundamentally appeals to, Judaism is as much a target as Christianity. This is the world in which *everything* is just another boring lie, and the only thing that is *fun* intellectually anymore, is casting aspersion on "frauds." This view will take down Christianity. It is also the world view that tolerates all manner of foolishness and produces the emptiness that is eating away the core of western culture.

The real Da Vinci Code and the Jews point is that on this issue. We are actually more the allies of the Christians than many of us would like to realize. The real point is that when they go down, and they are going down, we alone, are not going to convince the rest of society to live a life where things have meaning. We will continue to loose our children to the "nothing matters" world too.

In fact, the masses wil fill the spiritual void with two possibilites:

1. Feel-good substitutes for any faith that demands growth, silly New Age pap, watering down of faith to make it palatable, or silly cults like Scientology.

2. Reactionary Christianity (anyone remember the early days of the Dominicans?)unreasoning "fundamentalism" and Islam.

So maybe we should be a little sympathetic to the Catholics on this one.

Evangelical Christianity is not in harmony with the Roman Catholic Church.You cannot allow Chatholic Theology to speak for all Christianity. I am a part of Aish.Com because I believe that the History of Israel and America are tied together. I am an avid supporter of Israel, and believe that our support of Israel is critical. Suggest that you read "Breaking the Da Vinci Code" by Darrell L. Brock published by Nelson Books.

Dear Rabbi,

I think you missed a few details in the book that can be upsetting to Jewish people. First, Brown mentions that High Priest had sex with a pristess named Shekinah in the holy temple. He explains that Priory of Sion have sexual origies to immitate what the Jewish priests did! Just this nonsense fact alone discredits Brown's boook.
I have to disagree with your comments about rabbis by having large families contributing to Nobel prize laureates. Most of smart Jews do not come from rabbinical families, it's true that some of them came from religious families. Anyway, I think allowing rabbis to multiply does not answer the question why Jews are smart. Also, it is often that a smart father might have a not so smart son, so that would also disprove your theory.

In any case, of course I agree with your notion that this book should upset Christians more than us.

Dan Brown researched and then wrote a book that is making him a very rich writer. I applaud his efforts and am tickled that he is getting what he deserves; fame, fortune, and plenty of gelt.

Being a Dan Brown fan for a number of years, I doubt that he had any ulterior motive other than to concoct an entertaining book that might bring him, if successful, a nice income to repay him for the years that he spent doing what he does best: writing outstanting books.

I'm chuckling over the storms of protest that his book has kicked up. Long live the dust he's displaced and long live one of my favorite authors.

The big danger of the book for the jews is that it puts organization Priory of Sion as opressed carrier of truth. In fact, Priory was founded in 1956 by french fascist Pierre Plantard. Before the war, Plantard founded a french fashist movement, and during the war two more. At the begining of Vichy france, he began correspondence with Marshal Petain, begging him to exterminate french jews. After the war he made up a hoax, that frankish king Dagobert II was from bloodline of yoshke and mary magdalen, and that he was the soul surviving descendant. He wrote an article about it, a french journalist picked it up and wrote a booklet, and american on vacation in france found the booklet in a antique book store, and wrote his own book, Holy Blood Holy Grail. Dan Brown was a hassid of that book, and he based Da Vinci Code on that book.

If we take the book seriously, conclusion is, Plantard should be king of france, pope, or king of the world, or what ever. It is a fascist occult theory, similar to Thule Society theories that gave birth to Nazism.

I don't like it a least bit. Occult is allways bad for us. It is not surprising that we are villans of every occult theory. G-d gave us Torah to combat the occult idolatrous cultsm, to rid us of Baalim and Asherot. Torah is anthitesys of the occult.

I am not saying that Dan Brown is a nazi, he is just a dupe who fell for Plantard's hoax. He didn't know all the background. We would not know if the book was not such a hit, and serious people researched the matter. After his book was criticised, he retracted the claim that it is based on facts.

You can use archive.org to check out the changes he made to the Da Vinci FAQ on his home page.

Hey Rabbi Blech and Aish! Please feel free to knock off a quick article dissing 2000 years of Chrisitian history, faith and theology. It's not like we Jews need friends and allies these days. They just grown on trees right?

I do not think that this is true and i think that it will be a bad movie

The DaVinici Code is a wonderful example of what Jews and Christians both agree upon...our deep convictions that many of our disagreements can be talked about, that our history serves as a teacher of what mistakes not to repeat and our history gives us models of faith to follow. However both religions agree that our main focus must remain in a daily walk that requires us to love our neighbor, to find God in ourselves when we search for Him with all our hearts and to live out His commandments. I have found that myself in particular, as well as some of my Christan and Jewish friends have a difficult time living according to Godly principles. Isaiah, of both Jews and Christians , delcares that this is the fasting that God wishes...releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke, setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when your see them, and not turning your back on your own. " When we listen to Isaiah, "Then your light shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say : Here I am! " As we work together acheiving this assignment, God will continue to give Jews and Christians uncommon blessing and favor. Let's keep up the good work!

... will hopefully bring about the universal understanding of the fallacy of Christianity - the biggest fraud ever perpetrated on the humanity. Perhaps a small number of Christians will use facts instead of emotions and thus understand that for three thousand years, they made god in their own image.

I am an Orthodox Jew and find this book very problematic regardless of my opinion of Christianity. Da Vinci Code sends out the message that Christianity is a hoax, and many people assume that all "organized" religions are the same and lump Judaism into the pot. When a secular person bashes one religion for what they see as stupid and fake, you can be certain those same words are implied about Judaism and other religions.

Not all Christians believe that Jesus was purely God - a large number accept that Jesus was as human as us when he walked this earth - as to marriage, well it's unclear from the later testament but he was certainly, as that testament verifies, just like you and me in every way. Please allow this distinction between Christians in your writings or you do them a great dis-service and create artificial separation.

I heard one Rabbi say once that Jesus was a Rabbi with a good PR machine.

Your "rabbi" forgets that Brown's book also proclaims that the Jews worshipped a god consorted with a female goddess in the Temple. The whole book is about paganism. In his zeal to dis Christ, he forgets about the shameful preaaching of paganism: something the Torah roundly condemns.

How Can you enlighten someone who has been taught threw tradition, for ages upon their ways are in light rather than darkness, and in the right path
g-d, when the teachings come from g-d to these that he choces?

Dan Brown's book mixes facts, supposed facts and lies in a unique way and seem to be anti-Roman Catholic.
I would hope that Rabbi Blech realizes that all Christians are not of the Roman Catholic faith or tradition. There is a lot in both Jewish and Christian history of which to be ashamed. I prefer to emphasize what both have taught that have made the world a better place and hopefully have been pleasing to God.
We need also to be careful that neither falls into the error of the Church of the Latter Day Saints who teach that not only should we "strive to become more like God," but that we should strive to become a god.
Brown has created a forum of/for conversations I hope will keep us from sleeping through the abundance of stimulating challenges.
May we not forget that our enemy is not back in history, but is present in radical Islam; and perhaps in all of Islam as it is being taught even in this country. [I asume you have heard about what some Islamic "chaplians" are teaching in some of our prisons.]
Enough for now.
Thanks for all you are sharing. I'm new to your site and have been blessed.
Shalom!

Hi,
I read this article and it only convinced me to not see this film or read the book. Anything that causes this much confusion can not be good.

I do agree with many of the points that I have seen....However, I was a Associate Pastor of a Church that left the church to convert to Judaism.

If there is anything not needed now, it is this film. I don't know that the damage will be over night, but it will not be good. You must remember that Jesus, repeatedly said not to worship him!!! Make no graven images of me!! And so many things that the church chooses to ignore! I could go on with the knowledge that I have aquired, but I don't want to add anymore fuel to the fire!! It is hard enough in life without more issues like this coming up!

Shalom

Well... at least we don't need to worry about Christian suicide bombers and the like--all because their religion has been "challenged." :)

Excellent article; I am Catholic, but I never have "eaten" easily what the clerics tried tried to teach me. I wouldn't disturb me if Jesus was married, for I believe that he was a human being of extraordinary personality and wisdom that teached us to work hard in becoming someday like God. I don't know a lot about Judaism, buit it seems and I suspect thay there is a lot in comon.

As a non Jew and ex Christian,I read articles like these on this website in order to get true wisdom, not the hocus pocus gobbledegook that I would otherwise get from a priest.

The fictional book will shake the 'faith' of many people.
I judge myself by the choices I make using rational thought (well best I can anyhow) and not regarding my belifs.

I think all the accounts of Jesus should be made public to aid the search for truth, many of these have been hidden by humans with an agender to gain control.

Pax, ab imo pectore
GAH

I found Rabbi Blech's article very insightful. I grew up in Oceanside, N.Y. and my family attended Young Israel for many years. Rabbi Blech was a wonderful source of inspiration to his congregants

As a 'recovering Catholic' undergoing a halachic conversion, you have eloquently stated what I have been saying all along...except I'm not a rabbi! :-)

Such a well-expressed article. Astonishing that so many people find facination in this book. It actually says near the end that the "Jewish priests of the Temple" used to have relations with temple prostitutes in order to symbolically achieve union with God. I know, it's hard to believe, and I've met Jews who have read the book and "don't remember that part", but I've found it again and showed them. Imagine, as Rabbi Blech says, that Dan Brown writes in a supposedly "authoritative" way-----how many people he has convinced that this is true! Furthermore, who is Brown to try to convince people of such a far-fetched theory about what the "Holy Grail" means? Although I am perpetually astounded at the aspects of Christian theology, I don't see why someone would write a story that would
cause a large religious group to be upset. I'm all for writing and discussing differences in theological beliefs, but to write a story purporting itself to be based on documented facts that upsets Christian believers is irresponsible and cruel. Lastly, for those of you who read the book, and were on the edge of your seats as to what Sophie saw in her grandfather's cellar that horrified her so much that she refused to speak with him for the rest of his life: Why is it, when she hears the reason for what she saw, she is so reconciled and at peace with it?!

I don't think it's like Protocols -- I think it's like The Last Temptation of Christ: a work of fiction written by a non-Jew, that will anger a lot of Christians, who'll then decide that it's all obviously a Jewish plot meant to discredit their "god". The rest of 'em will probably react as if it were the movie Dogma, and view all religion as a bunch of baloney...and then trace the orgins of Christianity and Islam back to Judaism.

But maybe that's the first step for the world to wake up.

We'll see.

How are we to seperate the truth from the lies? What I find so thrilling about the success of Brown's novel is the way it's causing EVERYone to question--even those in denial are defending their ignorance with a passion! What is so discouraging is that the vast majority of us are missing G-d's message to us in this: Love the LORD your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind....and love your neighbor as yourself. HE tells us that we are created in His image. How many of us aren't living that divine truth?!

hello, i am theoretically a catholic girl and I just want to say that I liked very much your article and not only reading that book has made me realize how ridiculous the theories or dogmas of the catholic church are but the more I read about Judaism and your wisdom and your views of the world and God and humans, I realize how much it makes sense and how absurd christianity is. How can we be so stupid? because unfortunately we are taught from a very early age not to question our religion. We are taught that we are blessed if we believe what we don't see, that is OK to live in contradiction. Thank you for teaching me something different, you have a wonderful website and I hope to continue learning from you (I mean Judaism and Jews)

I have been brought up as a good Catholic boy by Nuns of the order of Mary. It was a lovely time and I was told only about the Catholic New Testament plus all the other Catholic tales and I also believed them. When I got older I started to read the Old Testament and realised this was actually all Jewish History. Gradually I have leant more and more towards the Jewish faith and as a Catholic, I began more to believe in Judaism than in most of the Catholic fairy tales!
One of the greatest fable is that Jesus was the son of GOD because he called him his father and therefore he is the son of GOD. Are we not all calling to GOD as our father? The Catholics biggest Prayer even begins "Our Father, ...." Yes, we too call him father and we are all his children, but this does make neither us nor Jesus GOD! Jesus, the Jew, in my own humble opinion, was one of the greatest human being who ever walked the earth and a great Rabbi and great teacher, but GOD, he was not!

Good article until the second to last graph. Unfortunately, if Christians doubt their religion, they will also doubt that
Jews have any claim on being G-D's messengers or being the guardians of G-D's Torah. The loss of religiousity among Christians does not lead to their recognition of Judaism's truths, but to their return to paganism. Like we need pagans in the world today! Weaken Christianity and you get a WORSE world, not a better one, as whatever replaces it among the nations (look at Europe) will not be better but worse. Sorry.

Robert Jacobs

I LOVE TO BE CHALLENGED IN MY THINKING, HOW CAN ONE LEARN OTHERWISE.

I do not know if I would forward this to my Christian friends as they might find the idea that Jesus was not God to be offensive. Jesus might find the opposite offensive. Still, I ask myself was it bashert that he be perceived as such and what lesson were we supposed to learn from it. It certainly cost us a great deal of Jewish blood.

...so 'an exciting mistery novel' is still a novel'; 'mingling fact with fiction' is still fiction; Rome STILL needs to revise its faith and its past, its beliefs as well as the story of its beginnings; I'll stick to Judaism. Thank You HaShem.
But we do fail as Jews, to let the goyim know that their other viable option is becoming a Ben Noach... no 'faith'required,just Truth for Goyim,no fiction or flavour of the century for truth... but even Jews don't know about the Noachides!!
I have little time to read, and am a slow reader, I'll reserve my time for the real & good stuff - the many comments say it all.

To correct a mistake in this article, Catholics do not believe that Jesus was a God without any humanity. We believe that he is fully human and fully divine, perfect man and perfect God. Physical frailties and human weaknesses were fully present in him, but he wrestled with them and subjected them to the divine will, exemplifying the way we humans are called to live.

The Jewish author may not believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ, but it is irresponsible and misleading to misrepresent Catholic beliefs about Him.

reqired reading for clergy in training!

Mind Bogling

I agree with those here who've said they didn't think it was appropriate to disprove another religion based on a work of fiction. A religion should be scrutinized on it's own terms within its own doctrine, not with a book that uses "research" that is dubious at best and fabrication at worst. It may sound extreme to compare it to "Protocols" but the feelings it causes for some may be very similar, and this should not be discounted. The last thing we need to be at this time is hypocritical.

As for a rabbi surely being married at the time J lived, we shouldn't rush to judge this too easily - for one thing, there's no requirement to be married in order to be a rabbi, there's just the general commandment upon men to marry and have children, no matter when that is, but you don't have to be married in order to be a rabbi - after all, let's not forget two Talmudic sages who did not marry, Ben Zoma and Ben Azai, who were among those called "Ben" because they still lived with their parents and did not have households of their own. In both their cases, they said marriage was a distraction from learning and they did not want to take time away from that. It's not at all inconceivable for a rabbi in his early thirties to have not yet found the time or the right woman to marry. Wasn't Rabbi Akiva 40 when he married and began to learn ?

Christianity has enough flaws within its own doctrine even without the issue of Yashka being human because he was married. I know it blows a big hole in the whole thing, but I would rather something non-fictional prove it - supposition about his level of practice of Judaism doesn't prove anything, and surely a book of fiction can't. Will it cause public discourse ? It has for as long as it's been on the best seller list. Will it cause any changes in the Church, or cause masses of people (woops! 'scuse the pun) to leave their faith ? I don't think so. If anything, it might make its way into the minds of people who see the movie who already have been having doubts, who are already on their way to not feeling like being Believers anymore. Either way, I truly think the whole thing is NONE of our business, and this book should not be used in a game of "I told you so." I think we Jews should just keep out of it.

While it is very easy for us Jews to show Christians how ridiculous their religion is, that is dangerous stuff for a Rabbi to put in print. Dan Brown, hopefully is not a Jew, and thus the criticism is from one of their own. I wish you well Rabbi, and I support your point of view. However, there is more than just the humanization of Jesus in the DaVinci Code. He claimed that the Jews had sacred prostitution in the temple. What do you say about that? Elinor

Indeed for the Church Jesus was not God until he Council of Nicaea (325) were they started to fix the dogma and establish thar Jesus and God were the same and ended with the theological view of the arrianism. Until then the dominant view was to see Jesus as divine being, created by the Father (and consequently inferior to Him). This dispute took more than 400 years to end.
As we already now, the early fathers of the church rewrote all their history and the Davinci Code is another consequence of this early decisions.
http://users.bigpond.net.au/theparsonsapple/church%20history/Lecture14.pdf

After Moses returned from communing with God on Sinai I belive the sages teach that a glowing Moses no longer lived as a married man with his wife. There may be something to a close encounter with God and becoming transformed from the experience into such a pure spirit that certain normal human relations are impossible . Some of the miracles descibed in the Tanach such as reviving dead, creation of a woman from a part of Adam, the plagues and miracles told during the exodus and subsequent wanderings in the desert seem as difficult to believe as a virgin birth. The idea that God came to earth in the form of a man seems to me an area that is completely at odds with Judaism.If Christianity did not recall the birth of Jesus and they claimed that he was an angel they're may be more common ground. Judaism believes God sent angels to visit Abraham but not that God ever appeared in a human form. Even messianist hassidim within Judaism to my knowledge don't claim that their Rebbe is God.For Christians to believe that Jesus was the messiah it may be necessary to believe that he was also human but to achieve his purposer he had to be God. To worship him as God is hard to comprehend from a Jewsish view point. Maybe as a symbol of God. Now it seems to to get close to messianic Judaism.

This is a wonderful article and I couldn't agree more. I think a lot of christians should read this article. BUT of course that may not do any good for a closed mind....

In the church world they forget they are told... one will come like Moshe...but the one they portray is nothing like Moshe.

I have not seen the movie or read the book. And even though I believe it to be fiction… it’s no more fiction than what is being taught in most churches.

Judith

Ultimately, I don't think it will make any difference. There was alot of worry with the release of "The Passion of Christ" that it would feed people with misinformation about the Jews and create anti-semitism. It simply didn't happen. Most people just read books and watch movies for entertainment and they don't think that deeply into it. By the following week, it's all but forgotten.

The Closing of the Western Mind, Freeman, is a history of Christianity from a historical, and developmental viewpoint. e.g. - The Holy Trinty HAD to be taken, and here is the difference betweeen the two religions, without question. And why, for almost 1500 years, Greek writings on Philosophy, etc. were surpressed to quash anything supportive of independent thought and analysis. Included also is the power struggle between Rome, Greece and Africa for supremecy deciding Church doctrine. e.g. Why it was possible that the Gnostic Gospel of Judas was real, but rejected for being a direct opposite to Roman Doctrine; another reason to surpress writings which would promote further questions by those still on the "fence." Which made converting those North of Rome an easier "sell."

The Da Vinci Code is a hoax. Also, the author doesn't seem to be more fond of Judaism than he is of Christianity. Both are religions that has been categorized as male-oriented and chauvenist. We believe in changing the world into a better place, not just leaving it alone, scared to be politically incorrect if we dare raise our voice. (And yes, I talk about the Mother Theresas and Wiesenthals, not the Crusaders or Kahanes.) Our God is One, and He's above the limits of His creation. That's why He's neither male or female, not a male God or a Goddess. We worship the Creator, not creation.

I am interested in information concerning Jewish thougt, problems and challenges

It is interesting that "The Gospel of Judas" which its translation from Coptic had been finished recently and articles regarding the book are at the National Geographic website, this book shakes the common Catholic teaching regarding the motives of Yehuda, who apparently was the favoured pupil and bravely took upon himself the heavy mission to alowing his teacher to rid himself of the physical "clothes", a mission so heavy - cost Judas his life. The "Gospel of Phillip" is the basis of Da Vinchi code, as it describes Jesus often kissing maria, the dissiple.
The war of the children of light against the children of darkness, a scroll found also in Qumeran, a Judaic book who was considered holy at the time of Jesus and the many other sects, maybe was the inspiration of many at that time.
Indeed many facts had been kept away from the Christian beleivers. However,
the Bible had also been edited by human beings with agenda. (Re- Yehudit book, Ben Sira, Milchemet Bnei Or...etc).

As a former minister of Christianity, I remember the awakening and the question I asked myself one day while I was in a service. How can a man be God? How can God who is everywhere and everything, contract and diminish himself to become a man?? How can that be? It was then I understood that I only needed to follow jesus as he was..a jew...jesus knew hebrew and therefore torah, as a jew, kept kosher, kept shabbat, knew God in a way I did not..and I wanted to know God as he did..I understood at that moment, that no man can be God. Years later, when I converted, I would hear Rabbi Shimon Kessin, ask: How can a man who has to use the bathroom, take a shower, sweat, and need to eat and drink, be God?? Yes, Rabbi Blech, it is true, man needs to become God like, that is why we are created in His image and likeness, to become like him..following jesus in truth was a good thing..lol...

i have thouroughly enjoyed your e!mail
article on the interpretation of the
( da vinci code )relating to jews versus
catholic. very interesting

Neither the book, nor the film, nor Rabbi Blech's comment will, I'm afraid, stem the present growth of anti-Judaism. The comment itself is rational and logical.

As a "fallen away" (does not subscribe to church beliefs)Catholic, who would like to become a Jew...I appreciate Rabbi Blech article. Even before reading the "Da Vinci Code" I was convinced the dogma of the church as suspect or written to suit it's current needs. My Catholic friends are horrified at my questioning most of the beliefs of the church. They tell me "it's faith" to believe in the teachings, such as the "immuculate conception". The book "Papal Sin" by Garry Wills, on the structures of deceit illustrates how the church has manipulated so many people for eons.
I can't think of anything more appealing than to imagine Jesus as married and as a prophet of his time. I do believe as the Jews believe Jesus was not G-d but a human being.

Thank you, Rabbi Blech, for an excellent article. But let's not forget: There is still no actual historical evidence (evidence, as opposed to belief) that this Jesus-fellow did, in fact, exist. More likely, he was the invented personification of the many messianists in Judea who were killed by the Romans.

Jesus is famous because of who Christianity says he is. Early Germanic (and other pagan) royal families often claimed a divine progenitor and it stands to reason that many would've claimed Jesus after he became known but before the triumph of Orthodox Christianity. But the notion that any pagan or medieval Christian noble family would actually accept the daughter of an executed Jewish carpenter as one of their own is highly unlikely. If Jesus has descendants, they are far more likely be moden Jews than European royals.

This is a very interesting article. It has also occurred to me that Jesus being married would be more acceptable to Jews. I am Jewish and so I understand that as you say in your article that celibacy would have been an idea that would have been foreign to a person like Jesus who was raised Jewish. Also, it states in the Torah that G-d is One and we shall worship Him alone. I don't think that Jesus wanted people to worship him as a god. Yours is an astute observation when you state that this is a tremendous difference between Judaism and Christianity.

According to a CNN article, top historians historians argue claim Brown got his history totally wrong and anyone regarding his book as reliable are being misled. Yes, Christians are wrong, but not because of Brown's "findings."

I think this article has some wonderful points about the strengths and truths of Judaism, BUT Rabbi you have glossed over disturbing truth in play with the DaVinci code.

Here we have a book which twists truth and fiction together; it purposly and grossly claims a religon is lying to its members and that their g-d is false. As a Jew I think this is a dangerous and disturbing event. If it was based on scholarship it would be different, but this is a book which attacks a religon with lies in order to make profit. How can Jews not be upset by this? When lies about Jews and our religon have been spread to hurt us in the past I think it is important to stand up and seperate an honest comparison of religons and something more sinister such as a book which makes lies and calls it fiction.

I'm not the best with words, and I don't want to make a crass example of someone writing a book claiming Judaism has lies (would you want christians to support reading that book?).

But I think I have an ok analogy. Would you eat a vegiburger? Of course if it was kosher. Now would you eat a vegiburger with cheese? Sure if the burger was parve or dairy. BUT would you eat this outside were other religous jews would see you and think you were eating a cheeseburger? Its ok to eat a vegicheeseburger (a fictional cheeseburger), but if everyone else believes that you are eating traif this really isn't ok. People would get the wrong idea, some might think its ok for a rabbi to eat meat and milk together, they'd be confused. If it was clear to everyone that what you were doing was a vegicheeseburger (clearly fiction) it might be acceptable to do, I'd have to get a rabbis opinion these are my own views.

A scholarly work which seeks to explain the differences between Judaism and Christianity is what this article is for the most part. This is perfectly acceptable and I think shows what is wonderful about how we see g-d. But I won't see a movie or read a book that uses lies to attack another religon, and I hope you reconsider your approval of this book.

This message should go out to all Christians.The rabbi makes a great point. I agree wholeheartedly.

After having read this book over a year ago, I was pleased to discover a more scholarly and believeable book by Dr. James Tabor, Chair of the religious Studies Department of UNC Charlotte. His book, The Jesus Dynasty: Search For the Historical Jesus is a facinating read. He uses his background as a scholar to prove (at least to me) that Jesus was most likely the son of a Jewish soldier serving in the Roman army and never claimed to be G-D. In fact his goal was, with others in the Davidic line, to restablish his forebearer's Davidic Kingdom and run the Romans out of Palestine. He was killed for it and his brother James was his successoir. What a novel concept: Jesus was a man, he wanted to reestablish Israel as a world power and failed. Nice Jewish boy just like so many nice Jewish boys before and after him who had a dream for Israel. Maybe we as Jews can look at Jesus a littke differently now that there is evidence we were right all along. No Jew will ever be G-D, but we all have a duty to "repair the world." I highly reccomend this book for anyone (espically Jews) who liked the Da Vinci Code and want to discove a new scholarly slant on Jesus.

Just wanted to say first that I converted from christianity to Judaism a couple years ago and recently I read the Da Vinci Code. This Aish article by Rabbi Blech is great. Many of my christian relatives are reading/have read this book and it is causing some of them to question the validity of their religious belief system.

It would be a very big mistake to read the Da Vinci Code as if it were a scholarly work of history, because it is very, very far from it. Our confidence as Jews in the rightness of our theology must be based on both emunah and solid reasoning, not on a paranoid misrepresentation of Xianity. David Klinghoffer has written an excellent article on this point:

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDY0YmNhMjc5YThmZWIxY2VjNmM3MWE0YjU1MDFhYTg=

After Mel Gibson's "Passion" movie came out, I attended a presentation/discussion of this movie and early Christian history in my local Jewish community. I liked what the presentor said about the origin of Jesus: that Jesus is a "compilation of ideas." That works for me. There's more historical evidence for the origin of Santa Claus and King Arthur than there is for a real human named Jesus.

MY CONCERN IS.. SHOULD A RABBI BE COMMENTING ON A BOOK WHICH IS INSULTING TO CHRISTIANS.

I found the book's explanation of the Star of David a bit strange especially since Judaism has no concept of female deity. IMO G-d has no sex. Secondly referring to Shekinah as a female deity shows a questionable knowlege of the hebrew language. But I presume that part of the book falls under the fiction. All in all a thrilling read.

Thank you!

How can you take a story that is admittedly fiction and use this fiction to discredit a religion? Isn't this similar to the Moslems and anti-semites using the Protocols to discredit Judaism?

Too many reviewers of the Da Vinci Code focus on the humanity versus divinity of Jesus; I believe the crux of the novel is historical global misogyny...and the lovely, pure femininity of Mary Magdalene, rather than the insidious but prevalent tendency to call any woman threatening male egos or a desired world order a "whore". The Da Vinci COde is a sad and feasible book. I appreciate Rabbi Blech's take on it, but feel that beyond divisive comparisons of Christians and Jews the code describes the denigration of the feminine through the Millennia. - Samantha Shaw

For the Catholic perspective read THE
DA VINCI HOAX by Carl E. Olson and
Sandra Miesel.....very interesting.

Blessings!

In Issaish it says "Arise and shine for your Light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you, for behold, darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people, but the Lord shall arise upon you and His Glory shall appear upon you, and NATIONS shall surely come to your Light."
Indeed, to continually bring the balance between Heaven and Earth in Holy Harmony is what we have covenanted to do. The above article by Rabbi Benjamin Blech is just another wonderful example of our people seeing the balance of Life.

Thank You!
Bracha Ahuva Judith

"Be fruitful and Multiply". Sacred?
in the condition that LOVE is felt. To do it just to obey the commandment...messed up. When love IS, it is beyond sacred, how about 'natural'to procreate? . Lots of single childless people have made fabulous indelible prints for the world or it's future( yes I have kids...). We are all in it together, responsible to (question), respect.

In this beautifully and logically written essay, Rabbi Blech is undoubtedly telling us the obvious truth. But I doubt his assertion that Christianity will be disturbed by it, as Christianity has always been based on illogical and irrational emotional attachments to traditions and notions that ignore simple and obvious truths.

Is so replete with errors in fact that it can only be compared with the Protocols of Zion. The whole is pure slander.

To be fair, we shouldn't pick on Christianity and cheer Dan Brown's supposed 'factual revelations'. I mean do you really think that one man, in one little book is going to undue, ultimately erase, over 2,000 years of faith for so many people? I'm curious. Isn't it our own Jewish scholar Josephus that gives us most of the historical sources for that time? Is there anything in his writings that discusses whether this Jesus was married? If this Jesus was such an important historical figure, and Jewish, wouldn't Josephus have noted that? Isn't the fact that Jesus wasn't a macher in Jewish society up to that point indicative of his not having a wife or family? You really couldn't be anyone of great stature in Jewish society back then if you didn't have at least a wife. I think as Jews we need to be careful and respectful of others' beliefs, as is our nature. It seems Rabbi Blech has a bone to pick with the goyim. Better to use their own sources to contradict them than to use a piece of fiction like Brown's book.

Just wanted to say first that I converted from christianity to Judaism a couple years ago and recently I read the Da Vinci Code. This Aish article by Rabbi Blech is great. Many of my christian relatives are reading/have read this book and it is causing some of them to question the validity of their religious belief system.

Obviously the material in the book sets well with the Jewish world. It supports what they have already decided to believe. But before giving the thumbs up to Dan Brown and his book, perhaps it might be a good idea to check if he has published "truth" or just more unsubstantiated fables.

It's looking more and more like this is indeed the "fiction" that it was initially classified to be. Research being done to verify and/or validate the stories that are told as fact, seem to be crashing and burning. And looks like it's just getting started.

Looks like this isn't the documentary you've been waiting for after all. Sorry.

Drawing conclusions from a fictional book is not logical, reasonable or fair, as with the Protols of the elders of Zion the authors may be on a personal mission. The Holy Scriptures (Moses and the Prophets)surely is the only true guide to who the Messiah is and. If you are to falsify Jesus and his atributes aledged or otherwise, or indeed prove them, best stick to The Word of Truth and not someone who confesses right from the start that his work is fiction.

After reading this article I do confirm my believes

Think really hard about the consequences of this book. Contrary to a billion Christians suddenly believing that Jesus Christ was only a mere man, there exists a far more sinister possibilty. What if they suddenly start believing that somewhere today is living the flesh and blood descendant of a god? This is a more likely reality since people do not lightly throw away their faith. This is just as true with Christianity's faith in the divinity of Jesus.
What if tomorrow a billion people were to start worshiping one human being as god? Where would that leave the Jewish people? We would have not only a new Caesar with absolute power, but likely a Fourth Reich on our hands.

Thank you for this. I have not read it yet...I will very soon.

My copy of the book states "In this work of fiction the chacters, places and events are either the product of the author's imagination or they are use entirely fictitiously". So please explain the problem.

Thank you Rabbi from this excellent article, as a Jewish American I could never quite understand why certain people took Christianity seriously, dispite all the holes within. I'll pass this article around to some friends.

Thanks and G-d bless.

The danger of The Da Vinci Code is that by making people question their religion without offering a better alternative, it is also increasing the likelihood that they will become irreligious or atheists rather than Noahides. The likelihood that they will become Jews is slimmer still because of the significant lifestyle change required and Judaism’s discouragement of conversion. In short, being Christian is still better than being an atheist, even if Christianity is not the truest religion. This is true because God does not punish people for remaining adherents of their religion of birth regardless of how false it may be from our perspective, since He caused them to be born into that particular religion! For how can God punish a Chinese person living in 500 C.E. for not converting to Judaism when he had no way of knowing that a religion called Judaism existed?

We can, however, ask why God would cause people to be born into religions we consider to be false. A possible answer is to realize that from God’s perspective each religion has truth, but some are truer than others. In other words, each religion is ranked by God according to how moral it is and how much truth it contains. Each human soul progresses from one life to another through the process of reincarnation. At each life it can spiritually evolve or devolve based on its moral actions. Prior to each incarnation, God chooses a religion for the soul most suitable for its level of advancement (e.g., a religion that does not demand too much or too little relative to what the soul can cope with). As the person progressively improves morally from life to life, the religion she is born into also changes to one that is ranked progressively higher. The most advanced souls are reincarnated as Jews.

When I initially read Dan Brown's best seller, it left me quite confused, and yet, with a whole bunch of questions and thoughts which I couldn't put to words. I think R' Bleich did an excellent job in his article putting at least some of my thoughts into perspective and into words and then going the extra mile to explain it. Thank you - and I'm glad others share some of my “un-voiced” views.

I agree with you, the storyline has a positive logic

Jesus was a Rabbi, it is very difficult to understand from a Jewish standpoint a a Jewish leader 30 years old, never being married teaching Torah key concepts to followers

In fact who knows the real truth ?

Why Jesus is portrayed in paintings as a handsome man, blonde with blue eyes when all the semitic people at that time bore dark skin and dark hair

I love everthing about Aish, a couple of the most incredible things you put out is 1) the camera you have for the world to see the Western Wall is great-a number of gentiles I've talked with have viewed your site because of the view of the wall, which leads me to number 2) Since I am Jewish, in my line of work I deal with many "religious" gentiles, when these genitles find out I am Jewish, most really believe that if I don't believe in their man g-d Jesus that I will go to their hell. The reason I am writing this is to say "thank you" for this fantastic article, but one major thing I've learned in my forty years on this planet is one rarely can change someones faith, ie the Isalamic terrorist's, the Christians belief in their man g-d...this article was great from our (Judiasm) perspective-I just don't belive that most other faith's will appreciate it the way we do. Just like we believe that our Old Testament doesn't say "to be continued"-after 2,000 years the gentiles are not going to change their views...

I enjoyed this article tremendously because it deciphers much of the heavy symbolism in "The Da Vinci Code" movie. I hope this movie helps more people understand what Rabbi Benjamin Blech describes in the last line of this article. Only when that is fully believed and not contested can we, as a people, move forward and perhaps the Messiah will come to us.

I felt the "Book" was true to life and valued it as a tour through history.The Rabbi's statements helped cement the Book's hypothosis.

Solomon teaches that one must keep one ear closed to hear the other side of the story.