Priory of Sion and the Holy Bloodline

Record	OBS-0691
Category	Secret Societies/Groups
Status	DEBUNKED
Summary	A claim that a secret society called the Priory of Sion protects the bloodline of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, which is the true Holy Grail. This was popularized by 'The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail' and 'The Da Vinci Code'.
Origin	The modern Priory of Sion was exposed as a hoax in the 1960s, but the bloodline theory was popularized in 1982 by 'The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail'.
Claimed	The Holy Grail is a bloodline (Sang Real) of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. A secret society called the Priory of Sion protects this bloodline. Rosslyn Chapel is connected to this secret society and the bloodline.
Evidence / consensus	The Priory of Sion was revealed to be a hoax created by Pierre Plantard in 1956. There is no historical evidence for a Jesus bloodline or a secret society protecting it. The theory is considered pseudohistory.

> OBSERVER NOTE:
The Priory of Sion is a documented hoax, yet it spawned a multi-million-dollar industry of speculation. The bloodline theory has no basis in historical records.

Sources

Sources are external and provided for verification. Listing does not imply the Observer endorses their claims.