The Da Vinci Con: 
    Fact and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code

It's Just a Novel (Movie)

2. Story of The Da Vinci Code: Historical Secret

3. Leonardo’s Last Supper 

4. Derivation of 'Holy Grail'

5. Mary Magdalene in the Bible

6. Priory of Sion

6a. Opus Dei

7. Questions of Jesus’s True Identity

8. Non-Christian Sources

9. Christian Sources: Biblical Texts

10. Other Apostolic Texts

11. St. Ignatius  of Antioch – AD 110

12. "Alternate" Gospels: Gospel of Peter (c. AD 130)

13. St. Justin, Martyr – AD 151

14. St. Irenaeus of Lyon – AD189

15. "Alternate" Christianities

16. Gnostic Scriptures

17. The ‘Muratorian’ Canon – c. AD 200

18. Constantine

19. Council of Nicaea - AD 325

20. St. Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea (c. AD 330)

21. Constantine’s Bibles

22. Codex Sinaiticus

23. Closing the Canon

24. Philosophical Issues: Diversity of Christianities

25. Philosophical Issues: Subjectivism of Belief

26. Theological Issue: Was Jesus married?

27. Other Historical Claims

Constantine

Predecessor Diocletian persecuted Christians severely, but his father, Constantius Chlorus, the Governor of Britain and Gaul did not enforce it. Constantine’s wife was Christian, but he himself worshiped Sol Invictus (Invincible Sun)

AD 305 – Diocletian steps down, Constantine become Emperor

AD 311 – Decree of Galerius ended Diocletian’s persecution

AD 312 – Before a decisive battle against his rival, received a vision of Cross and heard "In this sign, conquer." He affixed Christian symbol to soldiers’ shields and won his victory at Milvian bridge.

As a result, he converted to Christianity, though he was not baptized until his death bed (which was common).

AD 313 – Edict of Milan – Establishes religious freedom for pagans, Christians and Jews.

[Not until AD 380 that Theodosius I makes Christianity official religion of the Empire.]

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