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"The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross" by John M. Allegro

book review by Riley Burnham 7/31/2023

wow(!!!)

what a premise(!!) articulately delivered; completely insightful & thought-provoking...

this book lays out the premise -- quite satisfactorily -- that the scriptures of Old & New Testament essentially point toward -- using symbolic language & poorly/wrongly translated -- the use of Magic Mushrooms & similar forms [mandrake, deadly nightshade, Amanita muscaria, etc. etc.] & that phrases/terminology in common parlance ["blue-bloods," Jesus...] are referencing specific mushrooms 🍄 or fertility processes

for instance, he explains Cain & Abel, Castor & Pollux... etc. as descriptors of shrooms -- like red-haired Esau as the head & Jacob being the stock; their father feeling them w/ his hands -- author reads out the scriptures regularly which is nice 👍

my favorite aspect was surely the etymology, w/ a definition(!) at the outset & application throughout: using Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic, Greek, etc. etc. he'd explain [potential or 'accepted'] histories/roots of words

a regular point was that translations of words in parlance today & appear in Holy Bibles have mushroom counterparts, which he exchanges & reexplains their context & great implications [he eventually casts the New Testament aside in favor of it being misleading -- after showing their nomenclature [Lazarus, Joshua, shalom...] to have symbolic meanings/roots]

​​​​​​​his delving into fertility is fascinating(!), in essence highlighting that(!) Zeus/thunder gods represent rain, & bring new life as their Sons -- mushrooms are unique in their proliferations [spores/asexual; grow on widely varying surfaces w/ little-if-any soil; appear overnight...]

great stuff; highly recommended; went down easily & in 1 day

​​​​​​​would be nice to have a book reference [intent to purchase essentially]