Product Description

From the bestselling author of Bloodline of the Holy Grail comes an explosive historical detective story. Essential reading for all fans of Dan Brown's novels, Gardner presents secret archives on the true identity of Mary Magdalene, the hidden lineage of Jesus and Mary, and the 2,000-year-old conspiracy that forms the basis of Christianity itself. Laurence Gardner's impeccable research takes us on an exciting detective trail to piece together the true, controversial significance of the Magdalene. / Mary Magdalene is described in the New Testament as Jesus' close companion and a woman that he loved. And yet, the Church teaches that she was a prostitute who, at some stage, became repentant. Why the discrepancy between scripture and dogma? / Why does Mary appeal so romantically to artists, who have painted her throughout the centuries as something much more significant than the Church traditionally portrays? / What is the secret of Mary Magdalene and how much do we really know about her relationship with Jesus? Were they married? Did they have children, and if so, who makes up the messianic lineage? The book includes exclusive insights into: -- the Da Vinci connection: The real meaning behind Leonardo da Vinci's paintings and why the Renaissance Church censored portrayals of the Magdalene - the sacred marriage of Jesus and Mary - the truth about the enigmatic Templar society called The Priory of Sion and the underground stream that protected the sacred heritage of the messianic descendants - the truth behind the Knights Templar -- who they were and what their role was - the hidden gospel of the Magdalene, excluded from the New Testament canon - Mary Magdalene -- goddess or prostitute? Her life and exile in France - the forbidden tomb: the secret resting place of Mary Magdalene.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #100063 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Review
'In his brilliant new work, The Magdalene Legacy, Laurence Gardner expands on the Jesus and Mary Magdalene bloodline conspiracy that he covered in his first book, Bloodline of the Holy Grail. He pieces together the picture that Mary Magdalene was far from the so-called "whore" that Roman Church dogma declared her to be, but a priestess of high status and lineage and also the wife of Jesus.' -- Nexus.

From the Inside Flap
Mary Magdalene is one of the most painted and sculpted of all classical figures, and yet she has been constantly vilified by the religious establishment. Why?
In the New Testament she is descibed as Jesus' sponsor, a woman that he loved, a close companion of his mother, and the first person to speak with Jesus after his resurrection. In contrast, Church doctrine claims she was a sinful harlot who, at some stage, became repentant. Why the discrepancy between scripture and dogma? And why were certain Magdalene passages deleted from the original Gospels before their inclusion in the New Testament in the fourth century?
From his privileged access to centuries of supressed Templar, Vatican, and monastic archives, Laurence Gardner presents documented evidence of Mary's true identity and secret marriage to Jesus, her connection to the Knights Templars, and the real relationship between the Magdalene and the Holy Grail. Gardner compares these extraordinary findings with intriguing depictions of her in fine art over the centuries - why has she been shown on board a ship, holding a grail, preaching to crowds, and pregnant or with a child?
Gardner's detective trail takes us from Mary's marital relationship with Jesus to her subsequent exile from Judaea, and the documented persecution of her heirs by a succession of Roman emperors. Why are these things not written in the Bible? They are. They are simply not taught or discussed. The Magdelene Legacy goes far beyond the controversies stirred up by the fictional world of The Da Vinci Code. Here is the explosive truth behind the mystery of the Magdalene, from one of the world's most respected writers and researchers on the subject.

About the Author
/ Laurence Gardner, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, is a constitutional historian, lecturer and broadcaster. / A Knight Templar of St. Anthony and Prior of the Sacred Kindred of St. Columba, he is also the internationally best-selling author of a cycle of books exploring the messianic dynasty of Jesus, Bloodline of the Holy Grail and Realm of the Ring Lords.

Customer Reviews

The enigmatic Mary Magdalene
This book is in part a critical response to the issues and misconceptions raised by Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code' and comes at a time when its subject matter is bemusingly familiar to the public. It is likely that with the current plethora of books and TV documentaries available on the subject; this particular tome might not attract anything like the attention that its fictional counterpart did. More is the pity, as few books on this legendary subject have been so comprehensively researched and so clearly written. Gardner writes with authority and lucidity that other researchers in this field lack. Unlike the writing trio of 'Holy Blood, Holy Grail' and 'Messianic Legacy'; he does not bewilder the reader by wandering off on embarrassingly fruitless tangents; nor does he digress into personal romanticisations of his subject as does the author in 'The woman with the alabaster jar'.

Gardner investigates the Magdalene of history and lore as well as her subsequent legacy in European history and art with both scholarly precision (without reading like a dusty academic) and insightful, thought-provoking commentary. If you are looking for a book on Mary Magdalene and the Grail; then this should be the one you choose.

Excellent research and clear - but too Da Vinci Code Focused
This is a very good book and should be read by all those researching this topic. It explores the person of Mary Magdalene and presents how frequently she is referred to in gospel texts and non-canonical gospels as well as accepted gospels.

Gardener explores the way her position was undermined and throws fascinating light upon the relationship between Mother Mary and Joseph and also Jesus and Mary Magdalene. I felt i had read the same material before though, and checking the references i saw much of this is to be found in Barabara Thiering's 'Jesus the Man'.

Many of Gardener's explanations lead to conclusions that make far more sense than if the text is taken literally. What i especially enjoyed was his analysis of the 'turning water in to wine' at the wedding in Canan and also the raising of Lazarus. Again, both these have been examined before by Thiering.

What Gardener brings expertise in is his analysis of the art world and also his examination of the lineage of Mary.

There were two main things that detracted from the text for me:

1. Reliance on Da Vinci Code reference

The book is full of references to the Da Vinci Code. I realise that this book is aimed at those who have just read the novel, but this was done overly so to a point where it feels a cheap marketing gimmick. The design of the cover is all part of this. Constant references are made to the Da Vinci Code and its undermined several times. The Da Vinci Code never claims to be 100% factually accurate - its a fictional story.

2. Jesus in India Appendix

Why Gardener included this appendix is very puzzling. He spends 3 pages detailing his view on the 'Jesus in India' theory but makes many factual errors and demonstrates no serious consideration of this theory when writing the body of his text. It seems totally out of place.

Either examine the Jesus in India theory or do not mention it at all.

Its for these two reasons i haven’t give the book a 5. Its a worthy read and has plenty of information for further research. Recommended.

Disappointing read
After having read and enjoyed the Da Vinci code, I was looking forward to looking at some research into the controversial topics behind it. What the book explores well is the art history behind the Da Vinci code and the restoration of Da Vinci's artwork.
However Gardner makes assumptions from Biblical texts and draws conclusions from the gospels that cannot be drawn from them. For example he states that Joanna, Jesus' sister went to the tomb with Mary Magdalene - however nowhere in the four gospels does it actually say that Joanna was Jesus' sister. I read the earlier chapters with Gardner's book in one hand and a Bible in the other but finding myself unable to come to the same conclusions as Gardner from reading the referenced Bible texts. Given this, how many of his other references are as ambiguous as these? I'm afraid I felt his credibility had died at this stage and I approached the rest of the book with scepticism and eventually as a story of a legend. If you're looking for an insight into the legend so ahead and read; if you're looking to explore the evidence behind the legend then this is sadly lacking.