Margaret Starbird
Encyclopedia
Margaret Starbird is the author of seven books arguing for the existence of a secret Christian tradition that held Jesus
was married to Mary Magdalene
, calling it the "Grail
heresy".
, Michael Baigent
and others were highly influential upon Dan Brown
's bestselling novel
, The Da Vinci Code
and are directly mentioned in that work.
In her 1993 book The Woman with the Alabaster Jar
: Mary Magdalene and the Holy Grail, Margaret Starbird developed the hypothesis
that Saint Sarah
was the daughter of Jesus and Mary Magdalene and that this was the source of the legend associated with the cult
at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
. She also claimed that the name "Sarah" meant "Princess" in Hebrew
, thus making her the forgotten child of the "sang réal", the blood royal of the King of the Jews. Her works contain many references to ancient numerology (known as Gematria
) and classical art. Starbird believes that the official Catholic church suppressed the veneration and devotion of the sacred feminine
, leading to a unbalanced spirituality in mainstream Christianity.
Margaret Starbird has outlined her conviction that "Christianity at its inception included the celebration of the Hieros gamos
("holy wedding") of opposites, a model incarnate in the archetypal bridegroom and his bride - Jesus Christ and the woman called "the Magdalene". This model of unity, tragically lost in the cradle of Christianity, is patterned on the fundamental blueprint for life on our planet, and manifested in the leadership role played by certain women in the community of Jesus' first followers." Starbird claims this sacred partnership was the same as that which existed in other regions of the Near East that predated Christianity, comparable to the cults of Inanna
and Dummuzi, Ishtar
and Tammuz - being part of a fertility cult
that brought well being to its people. This marriage honored "the cosmic dance of masculine and feminine energies and the eternal cycles manifested by the Life Force", with Mary Magdalene designated the "Queen of Heaven".
Starbird does not believe that Mary Magdalene originated from the town of Magdala
, saying it was originally named Taricheae in biblical times before its destruction in AD 67, and when rebuilt after the death of Mary Magdalene was renamed "Magdala".
and Master of Arts
degrees from the University of Maryland
, where she majored in Comparative Literature and German Language. She has studied at the Christian Albrechts University
in Kiel, Germany. In 1988 Margaret Starbird took courses in Scripture and religion at Vanderbilt Divinity School, later teaching religious education and Scripture in Catholic parishes.
Married in 1968 to retired Army Colonel
Ed Starbird, she is the mother of Stanford basketball star Kate Starbird
.
and "heraldic emblem of the Merovingian bloodline" - when in fact the symbol was a "Capetian innovation, first employed by Robert II of France
before the science of heraldry
even existed." The connection of the fleur-de-lys with the kings of France dates to the twelfth century. An anonymous twelfth century poem about the Battle of Tolbiac
(c.496) first claimed that Clovis replaced his toad-covered buckler
with the fleur-de-lys.
Starbird's theories have also been criticized for being based on medieval lore and art, rather than on historical treatment of the Bible
. Both Darrell Bock
and Bart D. Ehrman
have stated that "There is no reference to Jesus' marriage or a wife in the Four Gospels" and, "There is no reference to Jesus' marriage or a wife in any other early Christian writing". Critics have noted Starbird's own admission that, "Of course, I cannot prove that the tenets of the Grail heresy are true - that Jesus was married or that Mary Magdalene was the mother of his child."
Starbird's interpretation of the Gnostic Gospels
as suggesting an amorous relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene is not widely accepted amongst Biblical scholars
or skeptics
. The (non-canonical) Gospel of Philip asserted that Mary Magdalene was Jesus' "companion", that Jesus "loved her more than all his disciples", and that he "often kissed her". Nonetheless, it is disputed whether this is meant to be indicative of a sexual relationship, and it has also been observed by one scholar that the Gospel of Philip goes so far as to say "that marital relations defile a woman.". Likewise, Starbird has claimed that the medieval Cathars believed Jesus was married to Mary Magdelene, through an interpretation of the Tarot
cards, but this is also disputed. Even if one were to acknowledge Starbird's interpretation of these, critics of The Da Vinci Code
such as Robert M. Price
have noted no institutional continuity exists between 2nd century Gnostics and medieval Cathars, nor between the Cathars and the Knights Templar
(as The Da Vinci Code suggests).
Co-authored with Joan Norton
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
was married to Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
, calling it the "Grail
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail is a sacred object figuring in literature and certain Christian traditions, most often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and said to possess miraculous powers...
heresy".
Works and beliefs
Starbird's works along with those of Lynn PicknettLynn Picknett
Lynn Picknett is a writer, researcher, and lecturer on the paranormal, the occult, and historical and religious mysteries.-Life:Born in Folkestone, Kent, England in April 1947, Picknett grew up in a haunted house in York, attending Park Grove Junior School and Queen Anne Grammar School...
, Michael Baigent
Michael Baigent
Michael Baigent is an author and speculative theorist who co-wrote a number of books that question mainstream perceptions of history and the life of Jesus. He is best known as co-writer of the book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail....
and others were highly influential upon Dan Brown
Dan Brown
Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories...
's bestselling novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
and are directly mentioned in that work.
In her 1993 book The Woman with the Alabaster Jar
The Woman with the Alabaster Jar
The Woman with the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalen and the Holy Grail is a book by Margaret Starbird claiming Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene were married, and that Mary Magdalene was the Holy Grail....
: Mary Magdalene and the Holy Grail, Margaret Starbird developed the hypothesis
Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. The term derives from the Greek, ὑποτιθέναι – hypotithenai meaning "to put under" or "to suppose". For a hypothesis to be put forward as a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it...
that Saint Sarah
Saint Sarah
Saint Sarah, also known as Sara-la-Kali , is the mythic patron saint of the Roma people. The center of her veneration is Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, a place of pilgrimage for Roma in the Camargue, in southern France...
was the daughter of Jesus and Mary Magdalene and that this was the source of the legend associated with the cult
Cult (religious practice)
In traditional usage, the cult of a religion, quite apart from its sacred writings , its theology or myths, or the personal faith of its believers, is the totality of external religious practice and observance, the neglect of which is the definition of impiety. Cult in this primary sense is...
at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is the capital of the Camargue in the south of France. It is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department by the Mediterranean Sea. Population: 2,478...
. She also claimed that the name "Sarah" meant "Princess" in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, thus making her the forgotten child of the "sang réal", the blood royal of the King of the Jews. Her works contain many references to ancient numerology (known as Gematria
Gematria
Gematria or gimatria is a system of assigning numerical value to a word or phrase, in the belief that words or phrases with identical numerical values bear some relation to each other, or bear some relation to the number itself as it may apply to a person's age, the calendar year, or the like...
) and classical art. Starbird believes that the official Catholic church suppressed the veneration and devotion of the sacred feminine
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
, leading to a unbalanced spirituality in mainstream Christianity.
Margaret Starbird has outlined her conviction that "Christianity at its inception included the celebration of the Hieros gamos
Hieros gamos
Hieros gamos or Hierogamy refers to a sexual ritual that plays out a marriage between a god and a goddess, especially when enacted in a symbolic ritual where human participants represent the deities. It is the harmonization of opposites...
("holy wedding") of opposites, a model incarnate in the archetypal bridegroom and his bride - Jesus Christ and the woman called "the Magdalene". This model of unity, tragically lost in the cradle of Christianity, is patterned on the fundamental blueprint for life on our planet, and manifested in the leadership role played by certain women in the community of Jesus' first followers." Starbird claims this sacred partnership was the same as that which existed in other regions of the Near East that predated Christianity, comparable to the cults of Inanna
Inanna
Inanna, also spelled Inana is the Sumerian goddess of sexual love, fertility, and warfare....
and Dummuzi, Ishtar
Ishtar
Ishtar is the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex. She is the counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and to the cognate north-west Semitic goddess Astarte.-Characteristics:...
and Tammuz - being part of a fertility cult
Fertility rite
Fertility rites are religious rituals that reenact, either actually or symbolically, sexual acts and/or reproductive processes: 'sexual intoxication is a typical component of the...rites of the various functional gods who control reproduction, whether of man, beast, cattle, or grains of seed'..They...
that brought well being to its people. This marriage honored "the cosmic dance of masculine and feminine energies and the eternal cycles manifested by the Life Force", with Mary Magdalene designated the "Queen of Heaven".
Starbird does not believe that Mary Magdalene originated from the town of Magdala
Magdala
Magdala is the name of at least two places in ancient Israel mentioned in the Jewish Talmud and one place that may be mentioned in the Christian New Testament...
, saying it was originally named Taricheae in biblical times before its destruction in AD 67, and when rebuilt after the death of Mary Magdalene was renamed "Magdala".
Private life
Margaret Starbird holds Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degrees from the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, where she majored in Comparative Literature and German Language. She has studied at the Christian Albrechts University
University of Kiel
The University of Kiel is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the Academia Holsatorum Chiloniensis by Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and has approximately 23,000 students today...
in Kiel, Germany. In 1988 Margaret Starbird took courses in Scripture and religion at Vanderbilt Divinity School, later teaching religious education and Scripture in Catholic parishes.
Married in 1968 to retired Army Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
Ed Starbird, she is the mother of Stanford basketball star Kate Starbird
Kate Starbird
Kate Starbird is a former professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association and the American Basketball League ....
.
Criticism
Although Starbird's works have very little mention of a continuing sacred bloodline of descendants of Jesus and Mary Magdalene which is also a significant portion of the premises behind The DaVinci Code, she did state in The Woman With the Alabaster Jar that "there is evidence to suggest that the royal bloodline of Jesus and Mary Magdalen eventually flowed in the veins of the Merovingian monarchs of France" , also believing the fleur-de-lys was the royal emblem of Clovis IClovis I
Clovis Leuthwig was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the leadership from a group of royal chieftains, to rule by kings, ensuring that the kingship was held by his heirs. He was also the first Catholic King to rule over Gaul . He was the son...
and "heraldic emblem of the Merovingian bloodline" - when in fact the symbol was a "Capetian innovation, first employed by Robert II of France
Robert II of France
Robert II , called the Pious or the Wise , was King of France from 996 until his death. The second reigning member of the House of Capet, he was born in Orléans to Hugh Capet and Adelaide of Aquitaine....
before the science of heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
even existed." The connection of the fleur-de-lys with the kings of France dates to the twelfth century. An anonymous twelfth century poem about the Battle of Tolbiac
Battle of Tolbiac
The Battle of Tolbiac was fought between the Franks under Clovis I and the Alamanni, traditionally set in 496. The site of "Tolbiac", or "Tulpiacum" is usually given as Zülpich, North Rhine-Westphalia, about 60km east of the present German-Belgian frontier, which is not implausible...
(c.496) first claimed that Clovis replaced his toad-covered buckler
Buckler
A buckler is a small shield, 15 to 45 cm in diameter, gripped in the fist; it was generally used as a companion weapon in hand-to-hand combat during the Medieval and Renaissance, as its size made it poor protection against missile weapons but useful in deflecting the blow of...
with the fleur-de-lys.
Starbird's theories have also been criticized for being based on medieval lore and art, rather than on historical treatment of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. Both Darrell Bock
Darrell Bock
Darrell L. Bock is a New Testament scholar and research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas, United States...
and Bart D. Ehrman
Bart D. Ehrman
Bart D. Ehrman is an American New Testament scholar, currently the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
have stated that "There is no reference to Jesus' marriage or a wife in the Four Gospels" and, "There is no reference to Jesus' marriage or a wife in any other early Christian writing". Critics have noted Starbird's own admission that, "Of course, I cannot prove that the tenets of the Grail heresy are true - that Jesus was married or that Mary Magdalene was the mother of his child."
Starbird's interpretation of the Gnostic Gospels
Gnostic Gospels
The Gnostic Gospels are a collection of about fifty-two texts supposedly based upon the ancient wisdom teachings of several prophets and spiritual leaders including Jesus, written from the 2nd to the 4th century AD. These gospels are not part of the standard Biblical canon of any major Christian...
as suggesting an amorous relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene is not widely accepted amongst Biblical scholars
Biblical studies
Biblical studies is the academic study of the Judeo-Christian Bible and related texts. For Christianity, the Bible traditionally comprises the New Testament and Old Testament, which together are sometimes called the "Scriptures." Judaism recognizes as scripture only the Hebrew Bible, also known as...
or skeptics
Critical thinking
Critical thinking is the process or method of thinking that questions assumptions. It is a way of deciding whether a claim is true, false, or sometimes true and sometimes false, or partly true and partly false. The origins of critical thinking can be traced in Western thought to the Socratic...
. The (non-canonical) Gospel of Philip asserted that Mary Magdalene was Jesus' "companion", that Jesus "loved her more than all his disciples", and that he "often kissed her". Nonetheless, it is disputed whether this is meant to be indicative of a sexual relationship, and it has also been observed by one scholar that the Gospel of Philip goes so far as to say "that marital relations defile a woman.". Likewise, Starbird has claimed that the medieval Cathars believed Jesus was married to Mary Magdelene, through an interpretation of the Tarot
Tarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
cards, but this is also disputed. Even if one were to acknowledge Starbird's interpretation of these, critics of The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
such as Robert M. Price
Robert M. Price
Robert McNair Price is an American theologian and writer. He teaches philosophy and religion at the Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary, is professor of biblical criticism at the Center for Inquiry Institute, and the author of a number of books on theology and the historicity of Jesus, including...
have noted no institutional continuity exists between 2nd century Gnostics and medieval Cathars, nor between the Cathars and the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
(as The Da Vinci Code suggests).
Works
- The Woman with the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalen and the Holy Grail (Bear & Co, 1993). ISBN 1-879181-03-7
- The Goddess in the Gospels: Reclaiming the Sacred Feminine (Bear & Co, 1998). ISBN 187918155X
- The Tarot Trumps and the Holy Grail: Great Secrets of the Middle Ages (Bear & Co, 2000). ISBN 0967842808
- Magdalene’s Lost Legacy: Symbolic Numbers and the Sacred Union in Christianity (Bear & Co, 2003). ISBN 1-59143-012-7
- The Feminine Face of Christianity (Godsfield Press Ltd., UK, 2003). ISBN 1-84181-184-X
- Mary Magdalene, Bride in Exile (Bear & Co, 2005). ISBN 1591430542
Co-authored with Joan Norton
- 14 Steps to Awaken the Sacred Feminine: Women in the Circle of Mary Magdalene (Bear & Co, 2009). ISBN 1591430917