| Author | Message | ||
| Brad_2 (Brad_2) |
I found an interesting article on the internet and I have copyed and pasted a part of it. Setting aside our cultures views on this topic. I wandered would it have been a sin if Adam and Eve ate marijuana leaves for food. The only answer that I could imagine was no. Read this article and let me know what you think. I would really like to hear from someone who can study this think and give an opinion in the truth and not swayed by the moral majority or fear of man. KANEH BOSM THE HIDDEN STORY OF CANNABIS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT By Chris Bennet Part 3 in a series on the History of Cannabis and Human Consciousness ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THEN GOD SAID, I GIVE YOU EVERY SEED-BEARING PLANT ON THE FACE OF THE WHOLE EARTH, AND EVERY TREE THAT HAS FRUIT IN IT." GENESIS 1:29-30 Those words seem straightforward enough, and yet cannabis and most other psychoactive medicine plants are outlawed in our society. Those who use these plant gat eways to other states of consciousness are jailed for doing so. Ironically, the major force for continuing this plant prohibition is a group referred to as the Christian Right. They claim to believe in both the Bible and old Yahweh, yet Yahweh's opinion on the matter is stated quite clearly in the above quotation. This article shows how the Old Testament Prophets were none other than ancient shamans, and that cannabis and other entheogens played a very prominent role in ancient Hebrew culture. THE ROOTS OF KANEH-BOSM The first solid evidence of the Hebrew use of cannabis was established in 1936 by Sula Benet, a little known Polish etymologist from the Institute of Anthropological Sciences in Warsaw (1). The word cannabis was generally thought to be of Scythian origin, but Benet showed that it has a much earlier origin in Semitic languages like Hebrew, and that it appears several times throughout the Old Testament. Benet explained that "in the original Hebrew text of the Old Testament there are references to hemp, both as incense, which was an integral part of religious celebration, and as an intoxicant (2)." Benet demonstrated that the word for cannabis is kaneh-bosm, also rendered in traditional Hebrew as kaneh or kannabus. The root kan in this construction means "reed" or "hemp", while bosm means "aromatic". This word appears five times in the Old Testament; in the books of Exodus, the Song of Songs, Isaiah,Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. The word kaneh-bosm has been mistranslated as calamus, a common marsh plant with little monetary value that does not have the qualities or value ascribed to kaneh-bosm. The error occurred in the oldest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint in the third century BC, and was repeated in the many translations that followed (3). THE HIDDEN STORY When we take a chronological look at biblical references to kaneh-bosm, we reveal more than just the story of cannabis in the Old Testament. Another exciting and concealed story emerges as well, that of the suppression of the worship of Astarte, also called Ashera, known t o the ancient Semites as the Queen of Heaven. The First Reference to Kaneh-Bosm MOSES & MARIJUANA The first mention of kaneh-bosm in the Old Testament appears with the prophet-shaman Moses. At the beginning of his shamanic career, Moses discovered the angel of the Lord in flames of fire from within a bush. It is later in his life however, that a definite reference to cannabis is made. Sula Benet explains this reference as follows: The sacred character of hemp in biblical times is evident from Exodus 30:22-33, where Moses was instructed by God to anoint the meeting tent and all its furnishings with specially prepared oil, containing hemp. Anointing set sacred things apart from secular. The anointment of sacred objects was an ancient tradition in Israel: holy oil was not to be used for secular purposes... Above all, the anointing oil was used for the installation rites of all Hebrew kings and priests. This first reference to kaneh-bosm is the only that describes it as an ointment to be applied externally. However, anointing oils made with cannabis are indeed psychoactive and have been used by such seemingly diverse groups as 19th century occultists and medieval witches (4). Closer to Moses' own time, cannabis was used as a topical hallucinogen by the ancient worshippers of Asherah, the Queen of Heaven. Asherah has also been referred to as the Hebrew Goddess (5). The shamanistic Ashera priestesses of pre-reformation Jerusalem mixed cannabis resins with those from myrrh, balsam, frankincense, and perfumes, and then anointed their skins with the mixture as well as burned it (6). THEN THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, "TAKE THE FOLLOWING FINE SPICES: 500 SHEKELS OF LIQUID MYRRH, HALF AS MUCH OF FRAGRANT CINNAMON, 250 SHEKELS OF KANNABOSM, 500 SHEKELS OF CASSIA - ALL ACCORDING TO THE SANCTUARY SHEKEL - AND A HIND OF OLIVE OIL. MAKE THESE INTO MAKE THESE INTO A SACRED ANNOITING OIL, A FRAGRANT BLEND, THE WORK OF A PERFUMER. IT WILL BE THE SACRED ANNOITING OIL. THEN USE IT TO ANOINT THE TENT OF THE MEETING, THE ARK OF THE TESTIMONY, THE TABLE AND ALL ITS ARTICLES, THE LAMPSTAND AND ITS ACCESSORIES, THE ALTAR OF INCENSE, THE ALTAR OF BURNT OFFERING AND ALL ITS UTENSILS, AND THE BASIN WITH ITS STAND. YOU SHALL CONSECRATE THEM SO THEY WILL BE MOST HOLY, AND WHATEVER TOUCHES THEM WILL BE HOLY. ANOINT AARON AND HIS SONS AND CONSECRATE THEM SO THEY MAY SERVE ME AS PREISTS. SAY TO THE ISRAELITES, "THIS IS TO BE MY SACRED ANOINTING OIL FOR THE GENERATIONS TO COME. DO NOT POUR IT ON MEN'S BODIES AND DO NOT MAKE ANY OIL WITH THE SAME FORMULA. IT IS SACRED, AND YOU ARE TO CONSIDER IT SACRED. WHOEVER MAKES PERFUME LIKE IT AND WHOEVER PUTS IT ON ANYONE OTHER THAN A PREIST MUST BE CUT OFF FROM HIS PEOPLE." EXODUS 30:22-33 THE PRIESTS OF POT The above Old testament passage makes the sacredness of this ointment quite clear. Moses and the Levite priesthood jealously guarded its use, and enforced this discriminatory prohibition with God's commandment that any transgressors be 'cut off from his people'. This law amounted to a death sentence in the ancient world. SMOKE IN THE TENT Lacking the invention of pipes, it was the practice of some ancient peoples to burn cannabis and other herbs in tents, so that more smoke could be captured and inhaled. In the last installment of this column we discussed such a group, the ancient Scythians. The Scythians were a nomadic people who travelled and settled extensively throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, Central Asia, and Russia. They burned cannabis inside small tents and inhaled the fumes for ritualistic and recreational purposes. Moses and his priests burned incense and used the holy ointment in a portable 'tent of meeting', the famous Tent of the Tabernacle. As cannabis is listed directly as an incense later in the Bible, it seems likely that Moses and the Levite priesthood would have burned cannabis flowers and pollen along with the ointment and incense which God commanded them to make. AND AARON SHALL BURN INCENSE EVERY MORNING: WHEN HE DRESSETH THE LAMPS, HE SHALL BURN INCENSE UPON IT. AND WHEN AARON LIGHTETH THE LAMPS AT EVEN, HE SHALL BURN INCENSE UPON IT, A PERPETUAL INCENSE BEFORE THE LORD THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS. EXODUS 30:8-10 | ||
| Janice (Janice) |
Brad, I will try to keep this short as I need to get some more plants set out this evening.(tomatoes not marijuana, ha, ha) I just wanted to mention that God made all of the animals, even before making Eve, and no where does it indicate that those animals were eating one another even though we now know of some animals as being carnivorous. I really don't know if their teeth got changed when man fell or not,and having said that, I would suppose that even though there were many plants in the garden of Eden, I don't believe that Adam or Eve needed a "high" or a "buzz" in their innocent state, but after the fall, everything was altered and their eyes were opened and the animals no longer communicated with them as well, so, when, where, or if they actually had a marijuana bush, it doesn't mean that they grew it for pot to smoke or ingest, amen? I don't know where I was going with that really, but it was just something I thought I would throw out there just like you did, okay? The oriental people have known of opium for centuries as well, but just like the grapes, who but the devil would tell someone that you could get in a stupor by drinking ruined fruit juice? Who but the devil would let someone know that you could take juniper berries from a cedar tree and make gin with it? Who but the devil came up with drugs in the first place, I mean the bad stuff and not herbal medicine which I am sure must have come from God but the devil has twisted everything, hasn't he? After all, drugs are one of the last day plagues and pestilences mentioned in the Bible and you don't have to look far to see the effects of it, do you? My oldest son went to prison for stealing in order to support his habit and my step son-in-law is in prison now for being a cook in a crack house or something like that and just look at the pain and suffering that alcoholics, like my sister, have caused. I guess in my final thoughts, I will end by saying that every thing on this earth, be it animal, vegetable, or mineral, has been altered by one bite of fruit, and for all we know, this fruit could have been poisoned by Satan himself as he slithered among the branches of the tree. I just thank God that soon and very soon these blinders will be taken off and we will all see clearly, no man shall ask him anything in that day, amen? Janice | ||
| Brad_2 (Brad_2) |
Janice, you are right about the damage that drug abuse has caused in peoples lives. I wish I had hebrew referances to the word meaning marijuana though if what that article claimed as truth. It would be nice to know in order to deal with it to the younger generation. We need to know the truth in things that they might someday perceive to truth. | ||
| Susan_2 (Susan_2) |
Dear Brad, There is a breif passage in Provberbs where Soloman uses pot. However, I believe he uses it as insense. Which just tells me he got a contact high and most likely didn't actually smoke it. Frankly, and this is not Bible but rather a personal opinion (my disclaimer). God put the plants in certain regions on this earth so the native peoples of those regions have use of those plants. I think we can all agree that the best diet is one that is based on localy grown native plant foods, local dairies for our dairy proucts, local free-range chickens for our chicken meat and eggs and range cattle for our beef. This is true also for the cocoa plants which are native to the mountainous regions of Central America. There the native people MUST chew the cocoa leaves so they don't freeze to death. There is some chemical reactions in the chewing of the cocoa leaves which makes the peoples of those areas not notice the coldness and it adjusts their body heat to the climate. So, obiviouselly, to me anyway, God put the cocoa plants in just the right area where the people need them. That is not to say that us folks in sunny California need to be snorting cocaine up our noses. Cocoa is not a needed plant in this area and besides by the time it makes its way to mine or your neighborhoods it has been so processed from its natural state that it's just another drug for drug addicts to get wasted on. We don't need it to maintain our body heat so we don't freeze to death. Another thing, heroin is made from the same poppy that we get codine from. It's just the same thing only processed differently and I'm sure most everyone occassionlly uses codine caugh syrup. Heroin really isn't too bad of a drug. It's a great pain killer and as far as I am concerned I just don't understand how come people in suvere pain can't have legal heroin. Morphine is also from that same poppy. Many of our modern medicines, if fact, most from what I've learned have a plant source as their base. Even asprin is of a plant source. Of course, the Bible, written by he divine inspiration of God has a lot to say about alcohol. One of my most favorite texts is: Provberbs 31:4-7, which says, "It is not for kings, O Lemuel-not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees and deprive all the oppressed of there rights. Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more." Now, these aren't my words. They are God's words. Therefore when I am down about being in poverty I feel is it by divine word that I drink to forget my poverty. And, I believe that the rule in all things Bibically is self-control and moderation. Frankly smoking, smoking anything just irritates me to no end. However, one can get some pot and make giah-butter and use it in baking or can make a pot of marijuana tea and drink it as a nice relaxing drink. Then the body won't be prone to getting emphasema or lung cancer from smoking and the person can still get a good relaxing. A side note here that is very funny-I know a man who is an awsome artist. He does murals and walls and that sort of art. There was a new church built in Fresao around 20 years ago and the church people hired this man to paint a beautiful rendition of the Garden of Eden on one of the church walls. Well, he put numerous marijuana plants in his painting. Finilly a church member told the pastor there was pot plants on the church walls and he showed the minister which of the plants in the mural was the pot plants. The minister then got ahold of the fellow and told him to come back to the church and paint some other plants over the marijuana plants. He dd. But he was hopeing no one at the church would catch on and he could get the last laugh. Gotta run, it's getting late. | ||
| Brad_2 (Brad_2) |
Susan, I agree with what you wrote, but some people who suffer pain get instant relief when marijuana is smoked. When eaten it takes hours and costs at least ten times the amount. However when eaten a person does not experience the social problems that go with smoking it. Do you have access to the hebrew meaning of kaneh bosm and what words were actully used for the article that I coped and pasted. | ||
| Angie (Angie) |
Susan,I just had to make a comment on your post.First of all,I am not judging you,nor am I saying that you are 'wrong'for drinking.I mean,I smoke cigarettes and I know I shouldn't b/c it's BAD for my health!But I just have a ? for you, [or anyone else]When I read that passage in Proverbs,to me,I am not perishing b/c I have everlasting life thru Jesus Christ,so,my ? is,how can that verse be talking about me when there is so many other verses that say drunkerds will not be in heaven?For-real,I am not passing judgement,I saw where you had quoted this verse before,but I am 'new' at studing just the Bible so I didn't want to ask you.So please don't take offence to this. God Bless, Angie | ||
| Brad_2 (Brad_2) |
Angie, I'm not sure if I can answer your ? but the perishing spoken of in Proverbs would be referring to the physical body and not ones spiritual condition. As for as drunkards not inheriting the Kingdom it kind of goes with abusing alcohol to the point the person is no longer in control of themselves and it becomes a life style habit. In contrast the scripture says to be not drunk with wine but be filled with the Holy Spirit. This was written to people who I believe were drinking wine. In other words if you are going to drink wine be filled with the Holy Spirit and do not drink to the point of losing control. From my own personal experience if I drink to fast at start to get a little to dizzy I know I have to stop because I have gone to far. But if I drink slower not to the point of feeling to the extreme I can remain filled with the Holy Spirit and people around me will know it but what comes out of my mouth. Being filled with the Holy Spirit means to be showing forth the fruit of the Spirit and speaking forth as the Holy Spirit would speak to others. No doult alcohol will loosen a person up and sometimes we need to loosen up. Expecially if a person is emotionally bound. I rarely drink maybe one or two beers at a time and at the most once a week. I hate hangovers because the of migraines that can go with them. But drinking a little bit to thin the blood and to feeling loose and happy is good every once and a while. I think that I would become a depressed pharisee if I could not have some fun in life and loosen up a little. | ||
| Susan_2 (Susan_2) |
Being a drunkard and drinking just enough to forget my poverty are at opposite ends of the yardstick. Yes, the Bible strongly admonishes us to not be drunkards. The Bible also is very positive towards alcohol when used in moderation. And then of course in partaking of the Eucharist we are with the wine taking in the blood of Jesus. Nothing could be more positive than the blood and body of Jesus given to us through Holy Communion. In L.A. is a priest who used to be known just as Fr. Bill (his first name really is Bill). Well, after much prayer and contimplation on that passage in Prov. that I gave above Fr. Bill now has a "mission". He takes up collections and gets gifts of money and distributes the money on Fridays down in skidrow in L.A. to the destitutes who live on the streets there. The newscaster asked Fr. Dollar Bill, as he is now known, how he can live with his conscience giving that money to the destitutes who will only go purchase booze with it. Fr. Dollar Bill quoted the above text and said if theİfew dollarsİhe gives those people brings them even a breif period of a better life than he is doing Gods will. Unfortunatelly I am too poor myself to contribute to Fr. Dollar Bills missionary project but I do find it to be a worthy cause. I will try to find the accurate meanings of those words, Brad. | ||
| Doc (Doc) |
My Hebrew dictionary has qáneh as reed, cane, stalk, branch and bósem as scent, odour or perfume. So q'néh-bósem (Ex 22) would be something like "fragrant reed." Doesn't really help much! Doc | ||
| Brad_2 (Brad_2) |
Doc, I don't think we will really know or find out but if you happen to stumble accross anything in the future let me know | ||
| Susan_2 (Susan_2) |
Is a concordence or a Bible dictionary available on n-line? If so, please post the web address for me. Thanks. |
