Den of Vipers

Beverage: still working the Diet Dr Pepper

Toast: Umberto!!

So, I finished up Zealot. There are some parts where you have to raise an eyebrow at the scholarship, but it's interesting, brisk, and somewhat cinematic. The history of Palestine in that era, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the power struggle between the factions in the early church were the most compelling parts.

Overall, though it made me want to go re-read the Bible in the light of this new, revolutionary perspective. Especially Mark. I have to re-look at John, too. I always had a soft spot for the non-synoptic gospel, but now I am thinking of him as a shill for Paul.

But instead of cracking a book, I turned to that other bastion of religious thinking: Sean Connery. Yes. I located a copy of his 1986 epic The Name of the Rose. It features the erstwhile James Bond running around in a medieval abbey solving crimes while Christian Slater bangs peasant girls.

I remember as a kid being intrigued that all the killing revolved around a book of secret knowledge. But what made me think of it recently was the debate scene in the movie between the Franciscans and Benedictines. The hot topic that was riling up Christendom? Did Jesus own his own clothes? According to Aslan, he probably did but not much else. Sadly, we never get an answer from the debate because the Inquisition breaks in and starts torturing Ron Perlman. Yes. Pretty ok little movie.

I tried reading the book by Umberto they based the movie on while I was in India, but it was too dense and I ended up leaving it in the hotel room. Let some hotel worker pick it up and try reading all the Latin puns.

 

 

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