Author Dan Brown has dismissed accusations that he stole the ideas for his best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code as "completely fanciful".
The novelist is appearing at London's High Court after historians Richard Leigh and Michael Baigent sued publisher Random House.
They say Mr Brown copied ideas in their book The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail.
"I have been shocked at their reaction. Furthermore I do not really understand it," Mr Brown said in a statement.
Both books explore a theory that Jesus did not die on the cross but survived and had children with Mary Magdalene, and that their descendents survive.
Mr Brown said Mr Baigent and Mr Leigh were just two of a number of authors who had written about the theory.
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