My understanding is that medieval Rabbis (notably the Maimonides) explicitly discuss cannabis consumption and its psychological effects. The plant also gets some discussion in the Talmud but in the context of its use in fabric and as candle wick. It is speculated that certain plants mentioned in the Torah refer to cannabis but these strike me as a little tenuous. At the very least the use of cannabis as an intoxicant does not seem to be explicitly mentioned in the Torah. So I wonder, if it was commonly used for that purpose in the ancient middle east, why little to no mention of this? I mean, there is a mountain of detail about all the other minutiae of ancient custom.
And there's a reason why there's a strain called Hindu kush(or I guess any variety called kush) it's named for the Hindu kush mountain region. It's been a huge part of Tibetan, Nepalis and Indian culture for thousands of years.
Anyone who's interested in the cultivation of cannabis or the historical production of hashish in thoseareas and the middle east should check out these books
Especially if they're interested in seeing amazing photos of forests of 12 foot ganja trees in the Himalayan mountains where monks produce hash by walking through the ganja forests and brushing their hands through the trees to collect resin in the way they have for hundreds of years. Or seeing regions of Afghanistan where hash production went on for at least 1000 years before Russia and America's invasions of them essentially destroyed a millenia old trade.
Looking at some of those photos really connects you with the near prehistoric connection people have with cannabis in a way I haven't seen many other things do.
It really is a great theft to humanity what's occurred in recent history with it.
I was too, but then I remembered that the Assassins (Hashshashins) reportedly used hashish in their rituals and were contemporaneous with the crusades.
I've always had a pet theory that Judaism (and thus Christianity and Islam) had its roots in psilocybin mushrooms and cannabis, especially the book of Exodus. One of my Israeli friends always jokes that the story of Moses and the burning bush was actually about Moses smoking a joint, and if you imagine that Moses ate magic mushrooms when he walked up Mt Sinai, the story makes a lot more sense.
There are multiple books and research on the subject.
For people that have had psychedelic experiences, the link between religion/spirituality and these experiences, as well as the practices that produce them, is undeniable.
Here are some additional links besides the ones provided in sibling comments:
I don't think there is any evidence that psilocybin mushrooms were used in the Middle East until at least the mid 1950s when the Wassons brought them to Europe from Mexico and the Psychedelic era began. Further, there are no psilocybin containing mushrooms native to the Middle East:
[+] [-] nsajko|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] selectionbias|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pochamago|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] grawprog|5 years ago|reply
https://soranews24.com/2014/12/03/in-hokkaido-theres-weed-we...
And there's a reason why there's a strain called Hindu kush(or I guess any variety called kush) it's named for the Hindu kush mountain region. It's been a huge part of Tibetan, Nepalis and Indian culture for thousands of years.
Anyone who's interested in the cultivation of cannabis or the historical production of hashish in thoseareas and the middle east should check out these books
http://www.thegreatbooksofhashish.com/
Especially if they're interested in seeing amazing photos of forests of 12 foot ganja trees in the Himalayan mountains where monks produce hash by walking through the ganja forests and brushing their hands through the trees to collect resin in the way they have for hundreds of years. Or seeing regions of Afghanistan where hash production went on for at least 1000 years before Russia and America's invasions of them essentially destroyed a millenia old trade.
Looking at some of those photos really connects you with the near prehistoric connection people have with cannabis in a way I haven't seen many other things do.
It really is a great theft to humanity what's occurred in recent history with it.
[+] [-] kylek|5 years ago|reply
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charas
[+] [-] unknown|5 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] jackcosgrove|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] toomanybeersies|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kylek|5 years ago|reply
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_bush#Biblical_entheoge... also https://www.rickstrassman.com/publications/dmt-and-the-soul-...
[+] [-] ta1234567890|5 years ago|reply
For people that have had psychedelic experiences, the link between religion/spirituality and these experiences, as well as the practices that produce them, is undeniable.
Here are some additional links besides the ones provided in sibling comments:
https://psychedelictimes.com/amanita-muscaria-and-psilocybin...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1620555026/ref=as_li_tl?ie...
[+] [-] eindiran|5 years ago|reply
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Pschoact...
So the psilocybin mushroom part of your theory strikes me as very unlikely.
[+] [-] banads|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] eli_gottlieb|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] swayvil|5 years ago|reply
Religion basically goes.
1. Take drugs and related stuff for fun or whatever
2. See something impressive
3. Cultivate your ability to use the drugs or whatever to investigate the impressive thing more closely.
4. Said cultivators impress the locals.
5. Locals document the whole thing.
6. Cultivators fall out of fashion, come into conflict with the local ruling class or for whatever reason disappear from public view.
7. But the documentation remains. Forming the seed of a new document-based culture.
8. Rulers of said culture forbid drugs and similar explorations. The scholars become a theological ruling class.