I’m sure we’ve all heard the earth-shattering news by now, that Dan Brown’s sequel to The DaVinci Code (hereafter DVC) is due out on September 15. I’m relieved that he got it to us before 2012.
Brown’s sequel is now entitled, The Lost Symbol. It was going to be titled The Solomon Key, or so his website told us in the wake of DVC’s success. His website informed readers that the sequel had something to do with freemasonry in America, but that it was also tied to the material in DVC.
I’m quite certain Brown will say something about how Solomon’s temple was created to somehow transmit some lost Egypto-Gnostic secret knowledge, and about how that knowledge was brought to America via freemasonry. While Brown made people wait years for the sequel confirmation, PaleoBabble is far more responsive. Let’s get the debunking started right away. If you’re a freemason or a Dan Brown sycophant, you may want to stop reading now.
One of the things I’m sure Brown’s “meticulous research” (his phrase in the DVC, which was subsequently hacked to bits by scholars of all religious persuasions all over the world) will have overlooked (since it doesn’t further the Gnostic idea) is the fact that Solomon’s temple was not modeled after Egyptian temples. It is distinctly Syro-Palestinian, with a dash of Phoenician elements (the Bible tells us Hiram of Tyre sent Solomon help in the construction). Toward making that point, here’s an article from BAR about a non-biblical temple that is the closest in design to the Bible’s description of Solomon’s temple ever found.
Thanks for your opinion, but I’ll wait until the book comes out to form mine. Whatever its failings as history, DVC was a great read and I expect Lost Symbol will be as well.
@RevFredA: me too – I thought it was a fun read, though crappy research. I expect a repeat of both.
Agreed, Mike – thanks for the heads up as I will share with the BOF membership right now!
Unsure if you’re aware that nine days from today (that brings us to May 15) the movie “Angels and Demons” will be theatrically released. With Tom Hanks still on board as Langdon. Sounds like this is an important year for Dan Brown “history” and fandom alike. Yes, ‘De’bunk Wagon should be gettin’ primed right about now———–
@Debra: Funny. I’m not sure I’m going to see A&D. I generally dislike prequels, and the DaVinci Code movie was boring compared to the book. Probably won’t see it.
Here:
The Bible’s Buried Secrets (PBS)
http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/46_documentaries_bbs.html
It discusses about Salomon’s temple and Ain Dara on Video 8 out of 12. The same videos can be found in Youtube of course since that is where it is taken from, but at least here the videos follow one after another another without having to touch a button.
Or here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bible/
@blop2008: cool – thanks!
I think Angels and Demons is a much better movie than the Da Vinci Code. However the DVC book is a better read than the A&D book. I don’t care much about the crappy research, I know that when I’m reading this book or watching the movie that it is FICTION.
IMO, the reason why people with vested interest are alarmed of Dan Brown or his works is that they think that the public will be misinformed of the “truth” and thus enabling them to “lose a grip” on their faith, in which Dan Brown always writes about. When the public “loses its faith,” the institutionalized religion will lose its power, hence there will be a shift in consciousness and social structure. Will this result in an elevated consciousness or will it be a regression for society?
Personally, I think Dan Brown and his stories are not just good entertainment, but it also allows people to examine their beliefs and ask questions, and in the process elevate their thinking and consciousness, and affirm their faith. I think it is the failure of the religions institutions if they make zombies of their flock, when they lose their faith because of such fictional literature.
In the contrary, isn’t this how most religion groom its people, to make them believe blindly? So I guess, it will always be a win for Dan Brown or author’s like him, because they have billions of minds conditioned to believe anything that is served to them, especially if they have nice story lines.