I too read the book and found it a pretty satisfying thriller, mostly for the depth of detail that Brown puts behind the theory. I also did some research after reading and found pretty much the same thing you did, though I focused more on the contrarian view.

All in all, a pretty interesting theory (and the Matrix tie-in is pretty cool, too). I think it makes perfect sense and wouldn't be surprised if it were proved true. Still, when all is said and done, it's just another wrinkle in the big mystery that surrounds Jesus and the Church. One we will never know.

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In this country, we don't need reasons to make things legal; we need reasons to make things illegal. - Startup