New Programs Explore Theories Put Forth in The Da Vinci Code

New York, NY, July 14, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Secrets of the Cross
The Mary Magdalene Conspiracy
Trail of the Knights Templar
Who Killed Jesus?
The Jesus Tomb

Available on DVD & Blu-ray on September 29
Kultur is proud to announce the DVD and Blu-ray release of the new four-part series, Secrets of the Cross. These acclaimed programs will be available on DVD and Blu-ray beginning on September 29, 2009.

The questions and theories put forth in The Da Vinci Code contradict old, accepted beliefs and have electrified debate around the world. Could Mary Magdalene have been the wife of Jesus, and did they have a child together? Was Mary’s reputation as a prostitute in fact a libel created by the early Church? What were the real circumstances of Jesus’ death? Were the Knights Templar founded to guard the secret of Jesus’ bloodline?

Secrets of the Cross, airing on the National Geographic Channel, is an exciting new four-part series, uncovering the tantalizing mysteries at the heart of the Christian tradition. Stories that have shaped Western culture are scrutinized in the light of compelling new evidence, as the series strips back the layers of history to reveal surprising and provocative truths.

At the heart of each program is new archaeological and historical evidence that explodes the myths embedded in the traditional tales. With the help of expert witnesses, they discover the conspiracies and cover-ups that have obscured the truth, and finally uncover the historical reality at each story’s heart.

Secrets of the Cross avoids the familiar reverential treatment of biblical history; it’s a fast-paced present-day quest. The subject may be the ancient past, but the investigation is in the here and now, amidst the tourists and traffic, the hustle and bustle of modern Jerusalem and Rome.

The Mary Magdalene Conspiracy
The gospels say almost nothing about Mary Magdalene. The early Christian church branded her a prostitute and western art and literature have constantly reinvented her down the centuries. She remains one of the most mysterious women in history.

This program draws together a picture of the real Mary Magdalene. Was she the bad girl of the gospels or the wife of Jesus, perhaps even the mother of his child? Or do all the conspiracy theories hide an even greater truth of Mary Magdalene as the leader of the early church?

Trail of the Knights Templars
The rise of the Knights Templar had been rapid, and their fall was equally as swift. In the blink of an eye, the considerable wealth the Templars had amassed was also to disappear, giving rise to myths that have shrouded the order ever since. And it begged the biggest question: what was the real purpose of the Knights Templars?

Away from the celebrity glare of The Da Vinci Code, new light is now shed on the Knights Templars, based on fresh evidence. The truth starts to emerge about an idiosyncratic conglomerate of warrior-monks, ultimately leading to an extraordinary conclusion: corporate greed and until recently, the Vatican’s best-kept secret; The Chinon Parchment, revealing Templar confessions of taboo rituals.

Who Killed Jesus?
This program examines the conspiracy of silence that protected Pontius Pilate and the Roman Empire for two thousand years. Why was Rome’s real role in Jesus’ death covered up? What was the secret agenda of the early Christian writers who detailed the trial and execution of Jesus in the gospels? This show exposes their motives for pinning all the blame on the Jews and shows how this skewed accusation has resounded through the ages. The gospel version of Christ’s death is revealed to be fatally flawed, and finally Pontius Pilate stands alone in the spotlight as the man who killed Christ.

The Jesus Tomb
In 1980 an ancient tomb was unearthed on a building site in the Jerusalem suburb of Talpiot by archaeologists. Inside were a number of bone boxes dating from the 1st century CE. The inscriptions on the sides of these boxes were an archaeological bombshell--they included; Jesus son of Joseph, Mary, Mariamne, Jose, Matthew and Judah son of Jesus–all names potentially associated with the New Testament family of Jesus of Nazareth. This finding strikes at the heart of traditional Christianity which is based on the belief that Jesus was physically resurrected from an empty tomb near the Holy Sepulchre Church--the traditional site of crucifixion. Yet the archaeologist argues that it would have been easy for the disciples to simply remove Jesus’ body from the tomb at Golgotha and place him in a tomb at Talpiot.

DVD:

The Mary Magdalene Conspiracy
Street Date: September 29, 2009
SRP: $19.99
SKU: D4483
Run Time: 50 minutes
Territory: North America--Region 1
UPC: 032031448391
ISBN: 978-0-7697-8898-2

Trail of the Knights Templars
Street Date: September 29, 2009
SRP: $19.99
SKU: D4484
Run Time: 50 minutes
Territory: North America--Region 1
UPC: 032031448490
ISBN: 978-0-7697-8899-9

Who Killed Jesus?
Street Date: September 29, 2009
SRP: $19.99
SKU: D4481
Run Time: 50 minutes
Territory: North America--Region 1
UPC: 032031448193
ISBN: 978-0-7697-8896-8

The Jesus Tomb
Street Date: September 29, 2009
SRP: $19.99
SKU: D4482
Run Time: 50 minutes
Territory: North America--Region 1
UPC: 032031448292
ISBN: 978-0-7697-8897-5

Secrets of the Cross 4-Disc DVD Box Set
Street Date: September 29, 2009
SRP: $39.99
SKU: D4480
Run Time: 200 minutes
Territory: North America--Region 1
UPC: 032031448094
ISBN: 978-0-7697-8895-1

Blu-Ray:

Secrets of the Cross 2-Disc Blu-Ray Box Set
Street Date: September 29, 2009
SRP: $49.99
SKU: BD4480
Run Time: 200 minutes
Territory: North America--Region A/1
UPC: 032031448070
ISBN: 978-0-7697-8900-2

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More information on this release and other Kultur DVDs can be found online at www.kultur.com

For Immediate Release:
Contact for Further Information:
Kultur International Films
Tel: 732-229-2343
info@kultur.com