, ▁and ▁his ▁death . ▁The ▁book ▁was ▁published ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁day ▁that ▁The ▁Da ▁V inci ▁Code ▁by ▁Dan ▁Brown ▁became ▁available ▁as ▁a ▁paper back ▁in ▁the ▁US . ▁ ▁Content ▁▁ ▁In ▁The ▁Jesus ▁Pap ers , ▁author ▁Michael ▁Ba igent ▁claims ▁that ▁after ▁having ▁been ▁taken ▁down ▁alive ▁from ▁the ▁Cross , ▁Jesus ▁was ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁tomb ▁at ▁night ▁by ▁Joseph ▁of ▁Ar imat he a ▁and ▁N icode mus , ▁then ▁sm ugg led ▁away ▁to ▁Egypt ▁along ▁with ▁his ▁wife , ▁Mary ▁Mag dal ene . ▁They ▁moved ▁to ▁Nar bon ne ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁France ▁in ▁AD ▁ 3 8 , ▁following ▁un rest ▁in ▁C airo , ▁close ▁to ▁where ▁they ▁had ▁settled ▁( in ▁or ▁near ▁the ▁Temple ▁of ▁O ni as ). ▁Other ▁Jewish ▁families ▁had ▁settled ▁in ▁Nar bon ne ▁claim ing ▁descent ▁from ▁King ▁David . ▁ ▁Michael ▁Ba igent ▁claims ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁B ér enger ▁Sa uni ère ' s ▁wealth ▁was ▁derived ▁from ▁his ▁knowledge ▁and ▁discovery ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁all ▁histor ically ▁fact ual , ▁after ▁the ▁priest ▁had ▁found ▁hidden ▁documents ▁( also ▁taking ▁for ▁granted ▁that ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁the ▁priest ' s ▁wealth ▁was ▁myster ious ). ▁Ba igent ▁arg ues ▁that ▁Station ▁XIV ▁of ▁the ▁Cross ▁in ▁the ▁church ▁of ▁ ▁R ennes - le - Ch âteau , ▁showing ▁a ▁Full ▁Moon , ▁indicates ▁that ▁the ▁S abb ath / Pass over ▁had ▁begun , ▁and ▁showing ▁Joseph ▁of