By Michael Marshall
Israel Antiquities Authority Collection, Photo © The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, by Laura Lachman
Religious ceremonies that took places thousands of years ago in what is now Israel involved the burning of cannabis, according to a study of an ancient shrine. The finding suggests psychoactive substances played a key role in rituals performed in the Biblical Kingdom of Judah.
“In many places in the world, psychoactive materials were used for religious purposes,” says Eran Arie of The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. “But it’s the first time that we have positive evidence from Judah itself.”
Arie …
