The fine folks at Cinema Libre Studio sent me this press release yesterday. I have a feeling the buzz about the Bloodlines movie will only increase after this. The following is the unedited press release.
TOMB DISCOVERED IN FRANCE CONSIDERED KNIGHTS TEMPLAR –WHEN EXCAVATED, FINDINGS MAY CHALLENGE THE TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY
EXPLORED IN NEW DOCUMENTARY ‘BLOODLINE’ PREMIERING MAY 9
LOS ANGELES, CA (April 17, 2008) – An underground tomb found in the Languedoc region of southwest France has been discovered, which may help substantiate the existence of a Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene bloodline, according to the new documentary BLOODLINE, premiering May 9 in New York and May 16 in Los Angeles. The rare find will be further examined at a Monday, May 5 news conference at the Jewish Museum in New York City. The chamber contains a mummified corpse on a rose-colored plinth under a shroud bearing the distinctive red cross of the Knights Templar, and is surrounded by wooden chests, revealing a cache of gold chalices and coins. The discovery has been reported to the French Government agency, Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles Languedoc-Roussillon (DRAC-LR), and plans are underway for a full scale survey.
“After the Crusades, it was rumored that the Templars had discovered treasure underneath the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem that could debunk the Catholic Church’s doctrine,” said BLOODLINE director Bruce Burgess, of the unprecedented discovery of what appears to be an intact Knights Templar tomb. “This treasure was believed to be priceless relics - documents, the Holy Grail, even the embalmed remains of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene – which was then brought to southern France, and hidden.”
The subterranean chamber was discovered by an English adventurer, Ben Hammott, using a hidden code in the decor of the church at Rennes-le-Chateau left behind by the 19th century priest, Berenger Sauniére. The film team was able to gain access into the tomb by using a remote camera inserted through a small air shaft at the top of the chamber. (Clips visible at http://blip.tv/file/827329/)
The DRAC Commissioner in the region, Jean-Pierre Giraud said, “This is certainly a very intriguing discovery, but it's just too early to tell how important it is. We need to do a full survey of the site to determine the age of the corpse and the other items in the tomb. The archeology department of the DRAC-LR will be carrying out an examination of the site as soon as access has been made possible.”
The area surrounding Rennes-le-Chateau features prominently in the bloodline legend which follows the premise that Mary Magdalene escaped Jerusalem with child, sailed to France and settled in the region.
For the latest updates – including clips, press releases and updates on the dig - visit www.bloodlinethemovie.com.
2 comments:
Interesting, but why has it taken so long to come to light, considering the bottom clip was from '99?
Some people did get around the Mediterranean during the first century, and before this, and though France isn't very close to the Middle East, I'd be more surprised if Middle Eastern genes didn't turn up at all in France even 2000 years ago. So the finding of "MIddle Eastern" genes doesn't automatically mean the body of Mary, Jesus, or a theoretical daughter or other descendent of theirs. A quick examination of the body will tell if it's Jesus, since it would have obvious injuries, and if it's a relatively uninjured male, then it isn't Mary. If it's female, then (to state the obvious), if carbon-dating, etc. determines that it's someone who lived 2000 years ago, then speculation will be rife. Hopefully evidence will be found that points one way or another.
I'd also like to find out what the term "mummified" means in this instance--full Egyptian-style mummification? I tend to doubt it, so just air-dried mummification? From what I understand, when the tomb was first found by Ben, the tomb was damp, which doesn't tend to preserve bodies very well, so was the body kept in a dry location until it was moved to the tomb Ben found, only some relatively short time before Sauniere found it, or has it been in that tomb for 2000 years? I hope the archaeologists assigned to the job, are careful not to mess anything up that might destroy evidence.
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