Ancient Jewish Temple Priests Used Hallucinogens

The High Priests headdress had a crown representing a plant known for it's hallucinogenic properties at which a golden plate covered the forehead. On said golden plate was inscribed sacred characters for the name of God.

Josephus: THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, BOOK 3, CHAPTER 7 (172-17, CONCERNING THE GARMENTS ...OF THE HIGH PRIEST

"6. The high priest's mitre was the same that we described before, and was wrought like that of all the other priests; above which there was another, with swathes of blue embroidered, and round it was a golden crown polished, of three rows, one above another; out of which arose a cup of gold, which resembled the herb which we call Saccharus: but those Greeks that are skilful in botany call it Hyoscyamus. ...Now the fruit is preserved by this coat of the calyx, which fruit is like the seed of the herb Sideritis: it sends out a flower that may seem to resemble that of poppy. Of this was a crown made, as far as from the hinder part of the head to each of the temples; but this Ephielis, for so this calyx may be called, did not cover the forehead, but it was covered with a golden plate, which had inscribed upon it the name of God in sacred characters. And such were the ornaments of the high priest."

Hyoscyamus Niger

" ...was historically used..., as well as for its psychoactive properties in "magic brews". These psychoactive properties include visual hallucinations and a sensation of flight. ...The plant, recorded as Herba Apollinaris, was used to yield oracles by the priestesses of Apollo."

wiki/Hyoscyamus_niger

Philippians 3:5

"5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;"

2 Corinthians 12:1-4

"1 It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven — whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. 3 And I know that such a person — whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows — 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat."

Philo: THE SPECIAL LAWS, III

"I There was once a time when, devoting my leisure to philosophy and to the contemplation of the world and the things in it, I reaped the fruit of excellent, and desirable, and blessed intellectual feelings, being always living among the divine oracles and doctrines, on which I fed incessantly and insatiably, to my great delight, never entertaining any low or grovelling thoughts, nor ever wallowing in the pursuit of glory or wealth, or the delights of the body, but I appeared to be raised on high and borne aloft by a certain inspiration of the soul, and to dwell in the regions of the sun and moon, and to associate with the whole heaven, and the whole universal world. At that time, therefore, looking down from above, from the air, and straining the eye of my mind as from a watch-tower, I surveyed the unspeakable contemplation of all the things on the earth, and looked upon myself as happy as having forcibly escaped from all the evil fates that can attack human life. ...Behold, therefore, I venture not only to study the sacred commands of Moses, but also with an ardent love of knowledge to investigate each separate one of them, and to endeavour to reveal and to explain to those who wish to understand them, things concerning them which are not known to the multitude."

Earth man & Heaven man (aka the "two Adams") (Rom. 5:14-19, 1 Cor. 15:21-22, :45-49)

Philo: ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION, I

"XIV “And God planted a paradise in Eden, in the east: and there he placed the man whom he had Formed:” (Gen. 2: for he called that divine and heavenly wisdom by many names; and he made it manifest that it had many appellations; for he called it the beginning (Gen. 1:1), and the image, and the sight of God. ...the plantation of this paradise is represented in the east; for right reason never sets, and is never extinguished, but it is it's nature to be always rising. And as I imagine, the rising sun fills the darkness of the air with light, so also does virtue when it has arisen in the soul, irradiate its mist and dissipate the dense darkness."

Note: Check out Gen. 2:8 & Gen. 2:15. God twice puts a man in Eden. One man is God's self taught firstborn (to tend to the Tree Life? Gen. 2:9b, 3:22c, :24c), and the other man is Adam to cultivate the garden for it's celestial virtues (to learn). It's confusing thanks to the way the first five books of the Bible were put together, but they (Paul/Philo) talk about two separate beings in Eden.

Gen. 2:8 "8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed."

Gen. 2:15 "15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it."

"According to the documentary hypothesis there were four sources, each originally a separate and independent book (a "document"), joined together at various points in time by a series of editors ("redactors")."

wiki/Documentary_hypothesis

The first creation story always and only refers to God as Elohim (Gen. 1:1a "when God"). The second creation story always refers to God as Yahweh, or Yahweh Elohim (Gen. 2:4b "the LORD God"), but never as Elohim alone.

The doublets in the creation story influenced Philo's perception, and philosophy on scripture. Note when Philo sees scripture refer to God as Lord it's the archangel of many names.

Philo: THE SPECIAL LAWS, I

"LVI...Do you not see that the most important and greatest of all the powers of the living God are his beneficent and his punishing power? And his beneficent power is called God, since it is by means of this that he made and arranged the universe. And the other, or punishing power, is called Lord, on which his sovereignty over the universe depends. And God is God, not only of men, but also of gods; and he is mighty, being truly strong and truly Powerful."

Philo: ON FLIGHT AND FINDING

"XIX ...The images of the cities of command and prohibition are the laws in the ark; that of the merciful power of God is the covering of the ark, and he calls it the mercy- seat. The images of the creative power and of the kingly power are the winged cherubim which are placed upon it. But the divine word which is above these does not come into any visible appearance, inasmuch as it is not like to any of the things that come under the external senses, but is itself an image of God, the most ancient of all the objects of intellect in the whole world, and that which is placed in the closest proximity to the only truly existing God, without any partition or distance being interposed between them: for it is said, “I will speak unto thee from above the mercyseat, in the midst, between the two Cherubim.” (Exo. 25:22) So that the word is, as it were, the charioteer of the powers, and he who utters it is the rider, who directs the charioteer how to proceed with a view to the proper guidance of the universe."

Also take note:

Paul's Christ Jesus and Philo's Divine Word are the same imagined OT Character.

Image of God (2 Cor. 4:4, Phili. 2:6), Agent of Creation (Rom. 11:36, 1 Cor. 8:6)

Philo: THE SPECIAL LAWS, I

"XVI ...Now the image of God is the Word, by which all the world was made..."

Celestial High Priest (Heb. 2:17, 4:14), God's Word (Heb. 1:3, 11:3), Firstborn son (Rom. 8:29)

Philo: ON DREAMS, THAT THEY ARE GOD-SENT

"XXXVII ...the high priest is the Divine Word, his own firstborn son."

Spiritual Kinship/Angel of God (Rom. 8:29, Gal. 4:5-7, :14, Heb. 1:4)

Philo: ON THE CONFUSION OF TONGUES

"XI ...In reference to which I admire those who say, “We are all one man’s sons, we are men of Peace,” (Gen. 42:11) because of their well-adapted agreement; since how, I should say, could you, O excellent men, avoid being grieved at war, and delighted in peace, being the sons of one and the same father, and he not mortal but immortal, the man of God, who being the reason of the everlasting God, is of necessity himself also immortal?"

"XXVIII ...And even if there be not as yet any one who is worthy to be called a son of God, nevertheless let him labour earnestly to be adorned according to his first-born word, the eldest of his angels, as the great archangel of many names; for he is called, the authority, and the name of God, and the Word, and man according to God’s image, and he who sees Israel. For which reason I was induced a little while ago to praise the principles of those who said, “We are all one man’s Sons.” (Gen. 42:11) For even if we are not yet suitable to be called the sons of God, still we may deserve to be called the children of his eternal image, of his most sacred word; for the image of God is his most ancient word...."

Note: Gal. 1:19 "but I did not see any other apostle except James the LORD's brother." This could be a cultic title (like Peter/Cephas which means "Rock" could have been, or an idiom) rather than being a biological relation? Paul constantly refers to those "in Christ" as brothers/sisters in a spiritual family.

Good Shepherd (Heb. 13:20)

Philo: ON THE CHANGE OF NAMES

"XIX ...for they have abandoned all connections with pride, and having connected themselves with lawful persuasion, choosing to become a portion of the sacred flock, of which the divine word is the leader, as his name shows, for it signifies the pastoral care of God."

"XX But while he is taking care of his own flock, all kinds of good things are given all at once to those of the sheep who are obedient, and who do not resist his will; and in the Psalms we find a song in these words, “The Lord is my shepherd, therefore shall I lack Nothing;” (psa. 23:1) therefore the mind which has had the royal shepherd, the divine word, for its instructor,..."

Purification/Forgiveness of Sins/Glorification (1 Cor. 6:11, 2 Cor. 3:18, 4:6)

Philo: ON THE LIFE OF MOSES, II

"XXVI Such then are the figurative meanings which he desires to indicate by the sacred vestments of the high priest;... ...namely the logeum, being also an emblem of that reason which holds together and regulates the universe. For it was indispensable that the man who was consecrated to the Father of the world, should have as a paraclete, his son, the being most perfect in all virtue, to procure forgiveness of sins, and a supply of unlimited blessings;..."

Tested (Heb. 2:1 A Man (Rom. 5:15-19, 1 Cor. 15:45-49)

Philo: ON DREAMS, THAT THEY ARE GOD-SENT Book I

"XXXIX ...For when the sacred word has purified us with the sprinklings prepared beforehand for purification, and when it has adorned us with the select reasonings of true philosophy, and, having led us to that man who has stood the test, has made us genuine, and conspicuous, and shining,..."

Sits Beside God (Heb. 8:1)

Philo: ABOUT NOT MOVING LANDMARKS

"XXXVIII... I say, should such men triumph in and insult the misfortunes of others, having no respect for justice, the ruler (Note: justice/ruler) of human life, who sits by the side of the great Ruler of the universe, who surveys all things with sleepless and most piercing eyes, and sees what is in recesses as clearly as if it was in the pure sunlight?"

The Word is a Covenant (1 Cor. 11:25, 2 Cor. 3:4-6)

Philo: ON DREAMS, THAT THEY ARE GOD-SENT Book II

"XXXIII ...God, says that he is about to erect firmly his covenant full of grace (and that means his law and his word) in the soul of the just man as on a solid foundation, which shall be an image in the likeness of God, when he says to Noah, “I will establish my covenant with Thee.” (Gen. 9:11) And besides this, he also indicates two other things, one that justice is in no respect different from the covenant of God (Note: justice/covenant), the other that other beings bestow gifts which are different from the persons who receive them;... XXXVI Since then all steadiness, and stability, and the abiding for ever in the same place unchangeably and immovably, is first of all seen in the living God, and next in the word of the living God, which he has called his covenant;..."

Sacrificial Blood (Heb. 12:24)

Philo: WHO IS THE HEIR OF DIVINE THINGS

"XXXVIII ...Now, the craters of the sense of seeing are the eyes, those of hearing are the ears, those of smelling are the nostrils, and so on with the appropriate receptacles for each of the senses. On these craters the sacred word pours a portion of blood, thinking it right that the irrational part of us should become endowed with soul and vitality, and should in some manner become rational; following the guidance of admonition, and purifying itself from the deceitful alluring powers of the objects of the outward sense which aim to overcome it."

Intermediary Agent to Mortals (Rom. 8:34, Gal. 3:19-20, Heb. 12:24)

Philo: ON DREAMS, THAT THEY ARE GOD-SENT Book I

"XII ...who never abandons his faith in God and his invisible comprehension of him, but who keeps to the intermediate divine word, which affords him the best suggestions, and teaches him everything which is suitable to the times. For God, not condescending to come down to the external senses, sends his own words or angels for the sake of giving assistance to those who love virtue. But they attend like physicians to the disease of the soul, and apply themselves to heal them, offering sacred recommendations like sacred laws, and inviting men to practice the duties inculcated by them, and, like the trainers of wrestlers, implanting in their pupils strength, and power, and irresistible vigour. Very properly, therefore, when he has arrived at the external sense, he is represented no longer as meeting God, but only the divine word,..."

Empties (Kenosis) Himself (Phili. 2:7-

Philo: Who is The Heir To Divine Things

"XLI ...but in real fact for the whole world which was created by divine wisdom may be consecrated and dedicated, being made a burnt offering of early in the morning and also in the evening. For such a life as this becomes the world, namely, continually and without ceasing to be giving thanks to its Father and Creator, so as to stop short of nothing but evaporating and reducing itself into its original element, in order to show that it stores up and conceals nothing, but dedicates itself wholly as a pious offering to God who created it."

Born of a Woman/Under the Law (Gal. 4:4b), Wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24b)

Philo: ON FLIGHT AND FINDING

"XX ...For we say that the high priest (Jos. 20:1-6) is not a man, but is the Word of God, who has not only no participation in intentional errors, but none even in those which are involuntary. For Moses says that he cannot be defiled neither in respect of his father, that is, the mind, nor his mother, that is, the external sense; "He shall not go where there is a dead body; he shall not defile himself even for his father or mother." (Lev. 21:11) because, I imagine, he has received imperishable and wholly pure parents, God being his father, who is also the father of all things, and Wisdom being his mother, by means of whom the universe arrived at creation (Prov. 3:19-20, 8:22-31); and also because he is anointed with oil, by which I mean that the principal part of him is illuminated with a light like the beams of the sun, so as to be thought worthy to be clothed with garments. And the most ancient Word of the living God is clothed with the word (Law) as with a garment, for it has put on earth, and water, and air, and fire, and the things which proceed from those elements. ...Nor will he “rend his clothes;” (Lev. 21:10) for the Word of the living God being the bond of every thing, as has been said before, holds all things together, and binds all the parts, and prevents them from being loosened or separated."

Philo: A Treatise Concerning The World

"II ...But the eternal law of the everlasting God is the strong and lasting support of the universe. This law being extended from the centre of the world to its furthest extremities, and again back from its extremities to the centre, moves on in the unwearied irresistible course of nature, uniting and binding together all the parts of the universe. For the Father who established it made it to be the indissoluble bond of the universe. ...since the divine law has placed itself as a boundary to keep all these elements distinct from one another." See also (the pseudograph) Colossians 1:17

Imagine if all religion is a fantasy brought about by hallucinogenic use. Not even connected to our daily reality, but layed over it as a pattern to cut life into that shape.
A lot of history is more telling when you consider the drugs in use at those times.

Dreaming1 said:

A lot of history is more telling when you consider the drugs in use at those times.

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Good point. Humans are some drugs and alcohol loving people, some for spiritual or religious purposes for sure, but some just for the recreational effect.

I'm a big fan of the Kaneh Bosm (cannabis) was used in biblical and prebibilical times chatter. I like to tell uptight christians part of the magic oil Jesus rubbed on people to make them feel better was from weed.

Drop That Sound said:

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Supposedly, after the reindeer eat, process, and enjoy the mushrooms their piss still has enough goodies in it to get humans high. After their body processes them the shit in it that makes humans sick is no longer there. So one can follow reindeer around who have been eating these and collect the piss soaked snow and have psychedelic slushies.

GreenhouseGreen said:

Supposedly, after the reindeer eat, process, and enjoy the mushrooms their piss still has enough goodies in it to get humans high. After their body processes them the shit in it that makes humans sick is no longer there. So one can follow reindeer around who have been eating these and collect the piss soaked snow and have psychedelic slushies.

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Rudolph the red nose probably sniffed out the good stuff like a truffle pig

Drop That Sound said:

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You sir, have an interesting range of knowledge.