Bloodline Conspiracy

Date: 06-27-08
Host: George Knapp
Guests: Rene Barnett, Bruce Burgess

Filling in for George Noory, George Knapp welcomed filmmakers Rene Barnett and Bruce Burgess, who discussed their controversial new documentary, Bloodline, which investigates some of the key questions that frame Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code.

According to Burgess, Jesus was not divine and was, in fact, married to Mary Magdalene. The two had a child and escaped to the South of France following his crucifixion. While no unique bloodline from

 Jesus exists today, Burgess pointed out that all of us share DNA from people who lived 2,000 years ago. Burgess believes that the facts surrounding Jesus' life and true mission have been twisted by the Catholic Church in order to exercise control over the masses. Jesus came here to teach humanity how to unlock the divinity and amazing powers that resides within us all, he said.

Barnett talked about Nicolas Haywood, a mysterious man who claimed to represent a secret society known as the Priory of Sion. The group is a loose collection of members from the world of arts, politics, and finance, Burgess explained, noting their connection to the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery. Barnett and Burgess shared details from their collaboration with researcher Ben Hammott, who spent years chasing clues left behind by 19th century priest Berenger Saunière. Burgess said Saunière found something in the area of Rennes-le-Chateau that shocked the Church -- possibly the bodies of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

The two revealed what they uncovered in an ancient Templar tomb, where mummified remains were discovered. An examination of mitochondrial DNA shows the remains belong to a person of Middle Eastern origin, Barnett said. Burgess also discussed some of the difficulties that they encountered during the production of this documentary, as well as the implications posed by their research.