danbrown.thedavincicode-第53部分

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　A　little　of　both；　Sophie　thought；　picturing　the　cryptex　hidden　beneath　the　couch。
　〃Leigh；〃　Langdon　said；　〃we'd　like　to　talk　to　you　about　the　Priory　of　Sion。〃
　Teabing's　bushy　eyebrows　arched　with　intrigue。　〃The　keepers。　So　this　is　indeed　about　the　Grail。　You　say　you　e　with　information？　Something　new；　Robert？〃
　〃Perhaps。　We're　not　quite　sure。　We　might　have　a　better　idea　if　we　could　get　some　information　from　you　first。〃
　Teabing　wagged　his　finger。　〃Ever　the　wily　American。　A　game　of　quid　pro　quo。　Very　well。　I　am　at　your　service。　What　is　it　I　can　tell　you？〃
　Langdon　sighed。　〃I　was　hoping　you　would　be　kind　enough　to　explain　to　Ms。　Neveu　the　true　nature　of　the　Holy　Grail。〃
　Teabing　looked　stunned。　〃She　doesn't　know？〃
　Langdon　shook　his　head。
　The　smile　that　grew　on　Teabing's　face　was　almost　obscene。　〃Robert；　you've　brought　me　a　virgin？〃
　Langdon　winced；　glancing　at　Sophie。　〃Virgin　is　the　term　Grail　enthusiasts　use　to　describe　anyone　who　has　never　heard　the　true　Grail　story。〃
　Teabing　turned　eagerly　to　Sophie。　〃How　much　do　you　know；　my　dear？〃
　Sophie　quickly　outlined　what　Langdon　had　explained　earlier…the　Priory　of　Sion；　the　Knights　Templar；　the　Sangreal　documents；　and　the　Holy　Grail；　which　many　claimed　was　not　a　cup。。。　but　rather　something　far　more　powerful。
　〃That's　all？〃　Teabing　fired　Langdon　a　scandalous　look。　〃Robert；　I　thought　you　were　a　gentleman。　You've　robbed　her　of　the　climax！〃
　〃I　know；　I　thought　perhaps　you　and　I　could。。。〃　Langdon　apparently　decided　the　unseemly　metaphor　had　gone　far　enough。
　Teabing　already　had　Sophie　locked　in　his　twinkling　gaze。　〃You　are　a　Grail　virgin；　my　dear。　And　trust　me；　you　will　never　forget　your　first　time。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　55
　
　Seated　on　the　divan　beside　Langdon；　Sophie　drank　her　tea　and　ate　a　scone；　feeling　the　wele　effects　of　caffeine　and　food。　Sir　Leigh　Teabing　was　beaming　as　he　awkwardly　paced　before　the　open　fire；　his　leg　braces　clicking　on　the　stone　hearth。
　〃The　Holy　Grail；〃　Teabing　said；　his　voice　sermonic。　〃Most　people　ask　me　only　where　it　is。　I　fear　that　is　a　question　I　may　never　answer。〃　He　turned　and　looked　directly　at　Sophie。　〃However。。。　the　far　more　relevant　question　is　this：　What　is　the　Holy　Grail？〃
　Sophie　sensed　a　rising　air　of　academic　anticipation　now　in　both　of　her　male　panions。
　〃To　fully　understand　the　Grail；〃　Teabing　continued；　〃we　must　first　understand　the　Bible。　How　well　do　you　know　the　New　Testament？〃
　Sophie　shrugged。　〃Not　at　all；　really。　I　was　raised　by　a　man　who　worshipped　Leonardo　da　Vinci。〃
　Teabing　looked　both　startled　and　pleased。　〃An　enlightened　soul。　Superb！　Then　you　must　be　aware　that　Leonardo　was　one　of　the　keepers　of　the　secret　of　the　Holy　Grail。　And　he　hid　clues　in　his　art。〃
　〃Robert　told　me　as　much；　yes。〃
　〃And　Da　Vinci's　views　on　the　New　Testament？〃
　〃I　have　no　idea。〃
　Teabing's　eyes　turned　mirthful　as　he　motioned　to　the　bookshelf　across　the　room。　〃Robert；　would　you　mind？　On　the　bottom　shelf。　La　Storia　di　Leonardo。〃
　Langdon　went　across　the　room；　found　a　large　art　book；　and　brought　it　back；　setting　it　down　on　the　table　between　them。　Twisting　the　book　to　face　Sophie；　Teabing　flipped　open　the　heavy　cover　and　pointed　inside　the　rear　cover　to　a　series　of　quotations。　〃From　Da　Vinci's　notebook　on　polemics　and　speculation；〃　Teabing　said；　indicating　one　quote　in　particular。　〃I　think　you'll　find　this　relevant　to　our　discussion。〃
　Sophie　read　the　words。
　Many　have　made　a　trade　of　delusions
　and　false　miracles；　deceiving　the　stupid　multitude。
　…LEONARDO　DA　VINCI
　
　〃Here's　another；〃　Teabing　said；　pointing　to　a　different　quote。
　Blinding　ignorance　does　mislead　us。
　O！　Wretched　mortals；　open　your　eyes！
　…LEONARDO　DA　VINCI
　　
　Sophie　felt　a　little　chill。　〃Da　Vinci　is　talking　about　the　Bible？〃
　Teabing　nodded。　〃Leonardo's　feelings　about　the　Bible　relate　directly　to　the　Holy　Grail。　In　fact；　Da　Vinci　painted　the　true　Grail；　which　I　will　show　you　momentarily；　but　first　we　must　speak　of　the　Bible。〃　Teabing　smiled。　〃And　everything　you　need　to　know　about　the　Bible　can　be　summed　up　by　the　great　canon　doctor　Martyn　Percy。〃　Teabing　cleared　his　throat　and　declared；　〃The　Bible　did　not　arrive　by　fax　from　heaven。〃
　〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃
　〃The　Bible　is　a　product　of　man；　my　dear。　Not　of　God。　The　Bible　did　not　fall　magically　from　the　clouds。　Man　created　it　as　a　historical　record　of　tumultuous　times；　and　it　has　evolved　through　countless　translations；　additions；　and　revisions。　History　has　never　had　a　definitive　version　of　the　book。〃
　〃Okay。〃
　〃Jesus　Christ　was　a　historical　figure　of　staggering　influence；　perhaps　the　most　enigmatic　and　inspirational　leader　the　world　has　ever　seen。　As　the　prophesied　Messiah；　Jesus　toppled　kings；　inspired　millions；　and　founded　new　philosophies。　As　a　descendant　of　the　lines　of　King　Solomon　and　King　David；　Jesus　possessed　a　rightful　claim　to　the　throne　of　the　King　of　the　Jews。　Understandably；　His　life　was　recorded　by　thousands　of　followers　across　the　land。〃　Teabing　paused　to　sip　his　tea　and　then　placed　the　cup　back　on　the　mantel。　〃More　than　eighty　gospels　were　considered　for　the　New　Testament；　and　yet　only　a　relative　few　were　chosen　for　inclusion…Matthew；　Mark；　Luke；　and　John　among　them。
　〃Who　chose　which　gospels　to　include？〃　Sophie　asked。
　〃Aha！〃　Teabing　burst　in　with　enthusiasm。　〃The　fundamental　irony　of　Christianity！　The　Bible；　as　we　know　it　today；　was　collated　by　the　pagan　Roman　emperor　Constantine　the　Great。〃
　〃I　thought　Constantine　was　a　Christian；〃　Sophie　said。
　〃Hardly；〃　Teabing　scoffed。　〃He　was　a　lifelong　pagan　who　was　baptized　on　his　deathbed；　too　weak　to　protest。　In　Constantine's　day；　Rome's　official　religion　was　sun　worship…the　cult　of　Sol　Invictus；　or　the　Invincible　Sun…and　Constantine　was　its　head　priest。　Unfortunately　for　him；　a　growing　religious　turmoil　was　gripping　Rome。　Three　centuries　after　the　crucifixion　of　Jesus　Christ；　Christ's　followers　had　multiplied　exponentially。　Christians　and　pagans　began　warring；　and　the　conflict　grew　to　such　proportions　that　it　threatened　to　rend　Rome　in　two。　Constantine　decided　something　had　to　be　done。　In　325　A。D。；　he　decided　to　unify　Rome　under　a　single　religion。　Christianity。〃
　Sophie　was　surprised。　〃Why　would　a　pagan　emperor　choose　Christianity　as　the　official　religion？〃
　Teabing　chuckled。　〃Constantine　was　a　very　good　businessman。　He　could　see　that　Christianity　was　on　the　rise；　and　he　simply　backed　the　winning　horse。　Historians　still　marvel　at　the　brilliance　with　which　Constantine　converted　the　sun…worshipping　pagans　to　Christianity。　By　fusing　pagan　symbols；　dates；　and　rituals　into　the　growing　Christian　tradition；　he　created　a　kind　of　hybrid　religion　that　was　acceptable　to　both　parties。〃
　〃Transmogrification；〃　Langdon　said。　〃The　vestiges　of　pagan　religion　in　Christian　symbology　are　undeniable。　Egyptian　sun　disks　became　the　halos　of　Catholic　saints。　Pictograms　of　Isis　nursing　her　miraculously　conceived　son　Horus　became　the　blueprint　for　our　modern　images　of　the　Virgin　Mary　nursing　Baby　Jesus。　And　virtually　all　the　elements　of　the　Catholic　ritual…the　miter；　the　altar；　the　doxology；　and　munion；　the　act　of　〃God…eating〃…were　taken　directly　from　earlier　pagan　mystery　religions。〃
　Teabing　groaned。　〃Don't　get　a　symbologist　started　on　Christian　icons。　Nothing　in　Christianity　is　original。　The　pre…Christian　God　Mithras…called　the　Son　of　God　and　the　Light　of　the　World…was　born　on　December　25；　died；　was　buried　in　a　rock　tomb；　and　then　resurrected　in　three　days。　By　the　way；　December　25　is　also　the　birthday　of　Osiris；　Adonis；　and　Dionysus。　The　newborn　Krishna　was　presented　with　gold；　frankincense；　and　myrrh。　Even　Christianity's　weekly　holy　day　was　stolen　from　the　pagans。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Originally；〃　Langdon　said；　〃Christianity　honored　the　Jewish　Sabbath　of　Saturday；　but　Constantine　shifted　it　to　coincide　with　the　pagan's　veneration　day　of　the　sun。〃　He　paused；　grinning。　〃To　this　day；　most　churchgoers　attend　services　on　Sunday　morning　with　no　idea　that　they　are　there　on　account　of　the　pagan　sun　god's　weekly　tribute…Sunday。〃
　Sophie's　head　was　spinning。　〃And　all　of　this　relates　to　the　Grail？〃
　〃Indeed；〃　Teabing　said。　〃Stay　with　me。　During　this　fusion　of　religions；　Constantine　needed　to　strengthen　the　new　Christian