Few can argue that Dan Brown's "The DaVinci Code" has become of one of the most popular books of the its generation. Since its release three years ago, this book has sparked more controversy and discussion any other work during that same time span.

As impressive as that may sound, the facts surrounding Jesus, the Bible, and the foundation Christianity in general are even more outlandish than the fictional story presented in "The DaVinci Code".

In his book Dan Brown presents a counter-history of sorts that alleges many things which go against the traditional stance of the church, including the idea that Jesus Christ fathered children with Mary Magdalene and that the bloodline is still around today.

While most Christian influenced individuals might find these topics exotic and intriguing bible scholars consider this to be old news. The truth is that the details surrounding the early church and the foundation of the Christianity itself are much more intricate and subversive to the establishment than what is found in the pages of "The DaVinci Code".

For example, there are numerous gospels that were vanished from the Bible as Christianity developed into a mainstream religion. Some of the books asserted that Jesus had siblings while others asserted that he was mischievous trouble maker as a youth. Historical information also points to the idea that Jesus has several rivals, who also went around preaching and performing miracles, vying for the title of messiah. These are just a few of the many historical tidbits that are conveniently left out of today's version of the Bible.

The film version of Dan Brown's book will be coming to a theater near you very soon, so if this subject matter is of interest to you make sure to read the book first before catching the movie version.

Just remember that as far as this particular book is concerned, the historical truth is even more fascinating than its fictional counterpart.