THE BELOVED DISCIPLE



"Oh?" Teabing said. "How about the one seated in the place of honor, at the right hand of the Lord?"
Sophie examined the figure to Jesus' immediate right, focusing in. As she studied the person's face and body, a wave of astonishment rose within her. The individual had flowing red hair, delicate folded hands, and the hint of a bosom. It was, without a doubt... female.
"That's a woman!" Sophie exclaimed.
Teabing was laughing. "Surprise, surprise. Believe me, it's no mistake. Leonardo was skilled at painting the difference between the sexes."

Before we argue about the identity of the beloved disciple, let us take a look at another painting of Da Vinci. Long curly hair. Absence of any facial hair. Smooth skin and a feminine smile. Who is this mysterious figure? Is it a he or a she? Take a guess. Hint: Take a ‘wild’ guess.

This is the painting of St.John. But what is more surprising is the fact that this is not St.John, the Apostle but St.John, the Baptist-cousin of Jesus. While his contemporaries painted, John the Baptist as a middle aged bearded man, Da Vinci has portrayed him as a youth. If we look at Michelangelo’s David, we will find that it was common practice among Renaissance artists to portray young men in this fashion. So the question is whether the beloved disciple was a woman or a young man?

Now we have two candidates for the seat of honor. Mary Magdalene, put forward by Dan Brown and St.John, put forward by Da Vinci himself.
In the sketches of the Last Supper, Da Vinci had marked this particular disciple as St.John. But let us not be biased. Let us judge the claims for their own merits. If Mary Magdalene was the disciple, then where is St.John? The disciple was present during the Supper as he was one of the select few who accompanied Christ to the Olive Mount.

Now what if the figure to the right of Christ was St.John? Mary Magdalene is not mentioned in the Last Supper narrative by any of the Gospels. So her absence  doesn’t affect our hypothesis. Also the portrayal of St.John is justified as he is considered as the youngest of the apostles. St.John is thought to have died around 100A.D which means he was still a young man at the time of the Last Supper. This can also be inferred from the fact that he is always mentioned along with his elder brother St.James as ‘the sons of Zebedee’. None of the other disciples are mentioned so often with reference to their father. In the Gospel of St.John, the author mentions that he was the beloved disciple who reclined on the shoulders of Christ. So, it is beyond doubt that the beloved disciple is St.John.


Now these are only direct facts that prove the beloved disciple’s identity. But Da Vinci has hidden even more clues and codes in The Last Supper which confirms the identity of the beloved disciple. I would like to present these in my next post. Till then, try to find the J and the T in the Last Supper. 

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BOOK REVIEW : ARTEMIS FOWL


Rating            : 4.5/5
Genre             : YA/Fantasy
Author            : Eoin Colfer
Other works    : Half Moon Investigations, Airman
Synopsis         :
                        Artemis Fowl was 12 years old when his father went missing and he became heir to Fowl family crime organization. Pressed for funds, Artemis comes up with a marvelous scheme: kidnap a fairy and ask fairy gold as ransom. Assisted by his personal bodyguard Butler and a fairy Bible, young Artemis kidnaps an elf, Holly Short. What Artemis doesn’t realize is that the fairies will do anything to protect their gold. Fowl Mansion is laid under siege but Artemis manages to stay one step ahead of the fairies, thanks to the Book. But that is when the fairies stop playing by the book…

Plus Points     :
                        The plot is simply brilliant. The narrative is fast and humorous. The characters are well etched. The strategies used by Artemis is mind blowing. There is never a dull moment.

Fascinating Fact: The protagonist is the main antagonist.

Remark: Go for it. There are six books in the Artemis Fowl series and you will love it.

 Who should read this: Those who want to see what happens when magic weds science.

Who shouldn’t read this: Those who like real life fiction.

  
You can order this book from: Flipkart , Amazon







BOOK REVIEW : BOY SOLDIER


Rating           : 2/5

Genre            :   YA/Thriller

Author           : Andy McNab and Robert Rigby

Other works   : Payback, Avenger(part of Boy Soldier series)

Synopsis        :

              When Danny Watts, 17 year old orphan whose ambition is to join the army, is turned down because his grandfather is a traitor, he decides to hunt him and bring him to justice. But can he catch Fergus Watts, an SAS veteran, who has been able to evade the country’s top investigation agencies? Danny has only his friend Elena to assist him in his quest. And unknown to them, the MI6 is watching their every move.  

Opinion        :The story is too slow and the plot shallow. If you are above 17, you will get bored. As for the kids, the military jargon makes it confusing.

Who should read this    : Young teens with interest in espionage or super spy stories.

Who shouldn’t read this: Those with no interest in buying the sequels(The story seems to be incomplete without them).

  

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