This book claims to be an historical novel (although that term is not used), because the first page says, It claims that, “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” When an author claims that Jesus was married, that his wife was considered a Goddess, that the Gospels are mere political creations, and so on, the author owns the burden of proof. But the burden of proof crushes Dan Brown into a pancake.
Doug details twelve claims Brown makes in the book, showing them to be patently false. There is so much in the historical record that renders nearly all of the “background” in The Da Vinci Code as false, that it’s hard to believe so many people buy in to it. I also recommend The Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction by Hank Hanegraaff and Paul L. Maier.