Bloodline -- The Da Vinci Code Redux

Apparently, there is a new film out called Bloodline which, once again, asserts the same tired claim of the historically vacuous The Da Vinci Code that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. The same tired characters are presented and the same result is found -- nothing much.

While I don't have time at this moment to give further thoughts on this silly documentary and the countless reasons (most already well-stated in response to claims of The Da Vinci Code, I did want to point out something about the messenger -- Bloodline's director, Bruce Burgess -- that gives reasons to doubt his credulity: he is a person who has previously made other equally unbelievable documentaries. According to Newsbusters.org:

Over a three day stretch, ABC devoted almost 15 minutes of air-time to a documentary filmmaker who asserts in his movie "Bloodline" that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was a massive hoax perpetrated on humanity. Additionally, on Friday's "Nightline," reporter Elizabeth Vargas left out any mention of the bizarre interests of the film's director, Bruce Burgess. He's directed and written documentaries on Bigfoot, the Bermuda Triangle, Area 51 and a secretive look at a U.S. government's supposed cover-up of the alien landings at Roswell.

Wouldn't it be relevant to know that Burgess seems to be fascinated with every weird conspiracy imaginable? (And hasn't the mainstream media mocked bloggers for not being restrained journalists? How serious is Bigfoot and the the subject of the Bermuda Triangle?)

Yup, whenever I see a conspiracy argument that Jesus' death and resurrection was faked by the disciples, I have to admit that, in my mind, I am listening to someone telling me about alien abductions. I always ask this question: "What was the point to the cover-up? What did these Jewish disciples (who could be stoned for claiming that Jesus was God, and, in fact, were persecuted) gain from pretending that Jesus had resurrected? Did they get money? Did they get a more comfortable life?"

Really, give me a break. The Da Vinci Code was a joke, historically speaking, and Bloodline is simply The Da Vinci Code redux.


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Note: I edited this piece on Wednesday May 14, 2008, to correct the title of the documentary from "Bloodlines" to the correct "Bloodline" in response to a comment. I certainly don't claim perfection, and I simply added an "s" to the title because it was "stuck in my head" that way. The commentor who pointed it out was very critical claiming that this small error showed I didn't know what I was talking about. I would challenge the commentor to tell me exactly how it makes a difference to what I say that I called it "Bloodlines" by mistake. Regardless of my mistaken title, it is the Da Vinci Code all over. Its major addition to the Da Vinci Code myth is merely to add a tomb found in France as further evidence that Jesus was secreted to France. I have not written further on this because I know another CADRE member is planning to do so. But my point still stands: tell me what benefit anyone hoped to gain at the time of this supposed conspiracy to pretend Jesus was resurrected, and the benefit the earliest followers (i.e., the church) gained from following the belief that Jesus was God. The answer is: nothing.