WEBSITE TEACHES "THE DA VINCI CODE" READERS ABOUT MARY MAGDALENE

The astounding theory presented in "The Da Vinci Code" has sent readers to Magdalene.org, which contains the most information about Mary Magdalene available online. Magdalene.org presents readers with diverse perspectives on Mary Magdalene ranging from the traditional Christian view to the recently theorized "Magdalene is the Holy Grail" view.

SEATTLE, WA August, 2003 -- With the recent success of the novel, The Da Vinci Code, readers far and wide are turning to the Web to learn more about Mary Magdalene.

One website, Magdalene.org (http://www.magdalene.org), has seen a dramatic increase in traffic since the popular book hit bestseller lists. Magdalene.org is a storehouse of information about Mary Magdalene, and readers eager to learn more about the shocking theory in The Da Vinci Code are flocking there in hopes to sort it all out. Of the increased traffic, website curator Lesa Bellevie says, "In the six years this site has been online, I've never seen anything like it."

The site contains a library of references to Magdalene in several different religious traditions, art, film, literature, and popular culture. Mary Magdalenes popularity has exploded as a result of the recent theory that Magdalene bore Jesus a child, thus herself becoming the Holy Grail. The Da Vinci Code has brought the theory to general readers. "It's a wild idea," Bellevie says, "but several authors are writing about it today. There's something about this story that captures the imagination; I think we're witnessing the birth of a powerful new myth, and that's rare."

The website presents readers with various views of Magdalene, some traditional, some surprising. "Few people suspect that there is more to her than a reputation as a reformed prostitute," Bellevie says, which is why The Da Vinci Code is breaking so many boundaries. It's forcing people to look at her with new eyes."

About Magdalene.org: An independent website, Magdalene.org exists with the sole purpose of collecting and collating information about Mary Magdalene. It does not advocate any particular religious or cultural perspective, and encourages interfaith dialogue by sponsoring an affiliated email list.

Contact information:

Magdalene.org
Lesa Bellevie, Curator
206-779-1356 (phone)
soma_tose@yahoo.com

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