What is the Priory of Sion?

Response

In “The Da Vinci Code,” the Priory of Sion is depicted as a clandestine organization, established in A.D. 1099, purportedly counting among its members figures such as Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo Da Vinci. According to the novel, the main objective of the Priory of Sion is to uphold the belief that Jesus was wedded to Mary Magdalene and fathered children with her. Allegedly, these offspring later married into the Merovingian dynasty of Frankish monarchs, with the sacred lineage persisting through the ages.

Much of the content presented in “The Da Vinci Code” lacks substantial evidence to substantiate the claims regarding the Priory of Sion. Contrary to the narrative, the Priory of Sion was actually established in 1956, not in 1099. The purported membership records of the Priory of Sion are widely regarded as forgeries by the majority of reputable historians and scholars. The novel takes the Priory of Sion, intertwines baseless conspiracy theories about its inception and objectives, and utilizes it as a basis for alleging a grand cover-up of Jesus’ marital relationship with Mary Magdalene.

Historically, Jesus was not married to Mary Magdalene or to anyone else, nor did he have offspring with her or anyone else. The early Christian community did not endeavor to conceal such information because there was no factual basis for it. The sole conspiracy theory involving the Priory of Sion is the one fabricated by author Dan Brown and others, who employ vivid imaginations and groundless suppositions to challenge the biblical depiction of the true identity and mission of Jesus Christ.