Holy Smoke! Israelites Used Weed In 8th Century Ancient Rituals
Archeologists Discover Evidence of Cannabis at Ancient Israeli Religious Site
Have you ever thought about what it would be like to take part in an ancient Israeli ritual in the eighth century?
Probably not. But those ancient rituals weren’t too different from today’ house parties, if recent discoveries are any indication. That’s right: ancient Israelites smoked hella weed in ancient rituals, according to new research.
This news comes from archaeologists who recently found traces of cannabis at a religious site in Israel. Surely, the last thing they expected to see was Mary Jane while exploring the eighth-century Tel Arad pilgrimage site in the Negev desert, south of the occupied West Bank.
The temple was first discovered in the 1960’s – perhaps if they had discovered it a decade later, substances would be on their mind.
“The presence of cannabis at Arad testifies to the use of mind-altering substances as part of cultic rituals in Judah,” the archaeologists said.
Their findings were published in a journal from Tel Aviv University’s Institute of Archaeology.
In the journal article, researchers say that two limestone altars were buried within the temple. They were able to find remains of cannabis, which were preserved due to the dry climate and the burial itself. Frankincense was found in one altar – which is no surprise considering its prevalence in many religious texts. But the other altar was home to traces of many substances: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN).
“The fact that only one substance (accompanied by a single burning material) was associated with each altar, points to either the same use for each altar over again, or, preferably, the altars’ surfaces were scrubbed clean between uses,” the article explains.
It’s possible, the archeologists say, that the plant was used as an offering within the rituals that were held there.
“It seems likely that cannabis was used at Arad as a deliberate psychoactive, to stimulate ecstasy as part of cultic ceremonies,” the researchers said.
In Israel, modern marijuana users use smartphones and encryption to gain access to weed delivery, as recreational cannabis is not legal in Israel. Thus, these findings grabbed the attention of many people living there.
Here’s a fun fact for ancient history buffs: did you know that there’s been a widespread debate on whether or not cannabis was used ritually in ancient Judaism? It’s a controversial debate, some say. Essentially, some believe cannabis is implicitly mentioned in the Hebrew bible, while others believe it’s a misunderstanding.
Researchers plan on looking into this more, in hopes of understanding specifically what the burnt bud was brought to the temple for. We’re sure these new findings will liven up that conversation.
