John Miller
In 1970, John M. Allegro, a well-respected British academic, archaeologist, and philologist, published a book called *The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross*, in which he put forward the theory that Jesus Christ was a hallucinogenic mushroom. Allegro's interpretation of ancient texts, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, led him to believe that the story of Christ was a metaphor devised by the Essene people to hide their activities, which involved the use of psychedelic mushrooms. Allegro's book caused a media frenzy and was met with criticism from many scholars who dismissed his theories as baseless conjecture. Despite the backlash, Allegro's work has gained a following among some spiritual seekers and psychedelic enthusiasts, and his ideas continue to spark debate and intrigue.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the scholar | John Marco Allegro |
| Profession | Archaeologist, Philologist |
| Book | The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross |
| Year of Publication | 1970 |
| Allegro's claim | Jesus was a metaphor for the Amanita muscaria mushroom |
| Evidence | Etymology, Dead Sea Scrolls, fresco of the Plaincourault Chapel |
| Backlash | Ridicule, scorn, hoax, "erotic nightmare", "psychedelic ravings of a hippie cultist" |
| Support | Re-evaluation of theories, 40th anniversary reprint with a 30-page addendum by Prof. Carl A. P. Ruck |
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What You'll Learn
John M. Allegro's theory
John M. Allegro was a British archaeologist and a renowned Dead Sea Scrolls scholar. He published "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross" in 1970, which led to a media frenzy and his resignation from his university position. Allegro's theory was that Jesus never existed as a historical figure but was rather a mythological creation of early Christians under the influence of psychoactive mushroom extracts such as psilocybin.
Allegro's theory was based on etymology and the development of language in relation to the development of myths, religions, and cultic practices in world cultures. He argued that the roots of Christianity and many other religions lay in fertility cults and that ingesting visionary plants to perceive the mind of God was a cult practice that persisted into the early Christian era. He interpreted the fresco of the Plaincourault Chapel in France as an accurate depiction of the eucharistic ritual ingestion of the fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria), a powerful hallucinogen that has long been one of nature's most potent hallucinogens.
Allegro also used etymology to tease out hidden meanings in the Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls. For example, he speculated that the word "Christian" comes from a Sumerian root word meaning "smeared with semen," and that the story of Jesus was a hoax contrived for the benefit of the Jewish and Roman authorities who were persecuting the mushroom cult. He also argued that the Greek and Semitic words for "anointed one" (christos and "Messiah") may have come from Sumerian terms, and that the mispronunciation of Christus as Chrestus sounded like the Greek word chrestos, meaning "good" or "useful."
Allegro's theory has been widely ridiculed and criticized by scholars, who have described it as bizarre, academically unsound, and a "Semitic philologist's erotic nightmare." However, some studies of Allegro's work have led to calls for his theories to be re-evaluated by the mainstream, and his book was reprinted in 2009 with a 30-page addendum by Prof. Carl A. P. Ruck of Boston University.
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The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross
In 1970, British archaeologist and philologist John M. Allegro published "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross", a book that put forward a unique theory about the origins of Christianity. Allegro argued that the New Testament was written by a secret Second Temple Jewish psychoactive mushroom cult, which was centred around the use of psychedelic mushrooms, specifically the crimson-spotted mushroom Amanita muscaria.
According to Allegro, the New Testament has three levels of meaning: a surface story in Greek about Jesus, underlying Semitic wordplays, and, at its core, the basic conceptions of the cult of the sacred mushroom. He identifies words in the Bible that have alleged ties to mushrooms in various ancient languages, sharing phonetic similarities. For example, he claims that the Greek word "skandalon" or "stick snare" in the New Testament has its origins in the Aramaic word "tiqla" or "bolt-plant," which refers to a phallus-shaped mushroom. He also speculates that the word Christian comes from a Sumerian root word meaning "smeared with semen".
Allegro further suggests that the Dead Sea Scrolls, which he studied extensively, provide evidence that a historical Jesus never existed. He argues that the story of Christ was a metaphor devised by the Essene people, an ancient clandestine cult, to hide their true activities, which involved the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms. He claims that the authors of the Christian gospels did not understand the Essene thought and misinterpreted the scrolls when transcribing the Gospels.
"The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross" caused a media frenzy upon its publication and led to Allegro's resignation from his university position. The book was criticised by many theologians and philologists, who dismissed it as "an essay in fantasy rather than philology" and "a Semitic philologist's erotic nightmare". Allegro's interpretation of the ancient texts was at odds with his peers, who were primarily interested in using the Scrolls to advance the understanding of Christianity. However, the book also gained popularity among some spiritual seekers and psychedelic enthusiasts. Some have called for Allegro's theories to be re-evaluated, and in 2009, a 40th-anniversary edition of the book was reprinted with an addendum by Prof. Carl A. P. Ruck of Boston University.
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The Dead Sea Scrolls
One of the scholars who translated the Dead Sea Scrolls, John M. Allegro, interpreted the texts in a way that clashed with his colleagues. Allegro believed that Christianity was based on an ancient psychedelic mushroom and fertility cult. He argued that the story of Christ was a metaphor devised by the Essene people to hide their activities, and that the New Testament was a coded record of this cult.
Allegro's theory, outlined in his book "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross" (1970), was widely rejected by scholars and led to his academic ostracism. His interpretation of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the ancient document known as the Copper Scroll led him to conclude that Jesus was a mythological figure created under the influence of psychoactive substances, specifically the hallucinogenic mushroom Amanita muscaria.
Allegro's work sparked controversy and media frenzy upon its release, and he resigned from his position due to the impact of his book. His ideas were criticised as bizarre, academically unsound, and an 'erotic nightmare'. Despite this, some modern scholars and authors have called for a reconsideration of his theories.
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The Christian Gospel as a code
The idea that Jesus Christ was a mushroom, specifically the fly agaric mushroom or Amanita muscaria, was proposed by John M. Allegro, a well-respected British academic, archaeologist, and philologist. In his 1970 book, "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross," Allegro put forward a theory that challenged traditional interpretations of Christianity. Allegro suggested that the roots of Christianity lay in fertility cults and that the consumption of psychoactive mushrooms played a significant role in early Christian practices.
Allegro's interpretation of ancient texts, including the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible, led him to conclude that the story of Christ was a metaphor devised by the Essene people to conceal their activities. He believed that the New Testament was a coded record of this shamanistic cult, and that the authors of the Christian Gospels misunderstood the Essene thought, leading to a misinterpretation of the scrolls.
One of Allegro's key arguments was based on etymology. He speculated that the word "Christian" derived from a Sumerian root word meaning "smeared with semen," suggesting a connection to the mushroom cults of ancient times. Allegro also interpreted the fresco at Plaincourault Chapel in France as depicting the Catholic ritual of the Eucharist, in which the consumption of a small piece of mushroom induced hallucinations and brought people closer to God.
Allegro's theories were met with significant criticism and ridicule from religious scholars and academics. His interpretations were seen as speculative and lacking in historical evidence. Some critics accused him of sensationalizing the origins of Christianity and making excessive use of imagination and conjecture. Despite the controversy, Allegro's work has gained some supporters, and his ideas continue to spark debates and calls for re-evaluation.
While the theory that "Christ was a mushroom" may seem far-fetched to some, it highlights the complex and multifaceted nature of religious scholarship. Allegro's work invites a re-examination of the traditional narratives surrounding Christianity and encourages exploration into the potential influences of ancient cult practices, hallucinogenic substances, and their impact on the development of religious thought.
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The Eucharist as a hallucinogen
In 1970, John Marco Allegro, a well-respected British academic, philologist, and archaeologist, published a book titled "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross". In it, he put forward the theory that the story of Christ was a metaphor devised by the Essene people to hide the truth about their clandestine cult activities. Allegro argued that the New Testament was written by a secret Second Temple Jewish psychoactive mushroom cult, and that the Christian tradition was based on a misunderstanding of the scrolls. He further claimed that the word "Christian" comes from a Sumerian root word meaning "smeared with semen".
Allegro's theory centres on the idea that the Eucharist, a Catholic ritual in which the "body of Christ" is consumed to become closer to God, could have originated from consuming small pieces of hallucinogenic mushrooms. He specifically identifies the mushroom as Amanita muscaria, a crimson-spotted mushroom that is a powerful hallucinogen still used by Siberian tribesmen. This mushroom contains muscimol, a psychoactive chemical that causes visual and auditory hallucinations. Allegro suggests that the consumption of this mushroom can create a feeling of certainty and clarity similar to a religious experience.
To support his theory, Allegro delves into the etymology of words in the Bible and their alleged ties to mushrooms in various ancient languages. For example, he identifies the Greek word "skandalon" or "stick snare" in the New Testament as originating from the Aramaic word "tiqla" or "bolt-plant," which he connects to the phallus-shaped "bolt-plant" mushroom. He also translates the Greek word "mōrios," usually translated as "folly," to mean "mushroom" based on strained word associations in multiple languages.
Allegro's work has been highly controversial and has received significant criticism from other scholars and theologians. His interpretations of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible have been deemed imaginative and conjectural, with some arguing that his linguistic connections between Biblical words and mushroom terms are tenuous and unsupported by evidence. Despite the backlash, Allegro stood by his work, and his book gained popularity among spiritual seekers and psychedelic enthusiasts.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Christ was not a mushroom. However, in 1970, the British archaeologist John M. Allegro published a book called "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross", in which he put forward the theory that Christ was a mushroom called Amanita muscaria.
Allegro's theory was based on his interpretation of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which he helped decipher. He also used etymology to tease out hidden meanings in the Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls. For example, he speculated that the word "Christian" comes from a Sumerian root word meaning "smeared with semen".
Allegro's theory was not well-received by most religious scholars. Some critics theorised that Allegro's book was revenge against the Christians who rejected his earlier translations. Many of the leaps of logic in Allegro's book were criticised as being unsupported by the actual use of words at the time.
Yes, Allegro's theory did gain some support. In 2009, The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross was reprinted with a 30-page addendum by Prof. Carl A. P. Ruck of Boston University. In 2008, Jan Irvin published The Holy Mushroom: Evidence of Mushrooms in Judeo-Christianity, which provided textual and visual evidence for Allegro's theory.
Some people have theorised that the fruit eaten by Adam and Eve in the Bible was a symbol for a psychedelic mushroom. Others have pointed to the presence of mushrooms in Christian art as evidence of the importance of mushrooms in Christianity. However, the idea that this necessarily means that Christianity is based on the consumption of psychedelic mushrooms has been criticised as speculative.
