Archeology, Bible and History of Cannabis (The True Tree of Life?)
- Recent, fascinating archaeological findings suggest that many historical, ancient portrayals of the "Tree of Life" are perhaps ancient illustrations of medicinal cannabis plants.
If its really the way it looks, then its absolutely clear that was cannabis since ancient times used as a highly respected entheogen (ritual substance affecting consciousness).
British archaeologistDiana Steinshe recently found that the ancient Tree of Life images of Mesopotamia are in fact in close proximity to medical cannabis plants. Stein mentioned the theory in two articles, one in 2009 and another, more up to date 2017 "The Role of Stimulants in Early Near Eastern Society: Insights through Artifacts over Texts"where he suggests that the original depiction of a sacred tree surrounded by a crowd of goats is of real importance by identifying cannabis.
Stein:
Stein further explains how these original images of sacred plants evolved in later depictions of Assyrian illustrations of the Tree of Life, while maintaining a special, associative parable of hemp .
Ancient Mesopotamia and Medical Cannabis
"… The classic hypothesis that the ancient motif of the Sacred Tree of Life actually depicts a date tree is, if we take a good look at the data available today, considerably misleading - the date trees are fundamentally a south-growing variety that does not grow to the north of Samarry.
QunnabuThe word mentioned in the texts dating from the first millennium BC, is most likely an ancient term for cannabis, cannabis. Qunnabuand Cannabis (cannabis) - you will notice a lot of similarity here. In addition, other Assyrian texts discovered refer to Qunnab in perfume recipes as well as in letters with ritual contexts.
Further, BabylonsThe later texts mention Qunnab and his deliveries in great numbers to the majestic temples of Eanna and Ebabbar. At the same time, the same texts mention recipes for aromatic oils made from Quannab and used in ritual and cult ceremonies. We now know that cannabis was commonly available during this period, during the creation of the Hebrew Bible.
Regarding legal aspects, prIn the meantime, there were no texts mentioning legislative or judicial processes associated with the use or possession of medicinal cannabis. But taking into account the central role of magic and divination in the age of ancient Mesopotamia, it is understandable that those who used psychotropic substances in an extra-ritual context were in some way punished. The use of rituals has always been a threat to the religious structures of the time, and at the same time it has provided some, potentially a view of a changing world of spiritual experiences.
It is possible that consciousness changing drugs like cannabis, LSD, and magic mushroomsother psychotropic substances really pdo they offer the same possibilities as, for example, the long-term practice of meditation and spiritual life, as the famous psychedelic promoters Aldous Huxley or Timothy Leary have claimed?
I osoI believe that the answer is in the biblical part of Genesis 3 - the forbidden fruit that Adam and Eve have consumed against the divine will is in fact a powerful, potent drug with the potential to provide a spiritual experience with qualities unlike spiritual enlightenment. If it is so, then it is also clear that the leaders of classical religions strongly disagree with receiving spiritual enlightenment through the ingestion of any kind of narcotic or hallucinogen, "explains Bennet.
Image: Assyrian depiction of the King and the Sacred Treeu Life
Intoxication, the language of ancient Sumer and the true meaning of the Bible
Researcher Stein has received much more attention in recent times, especially thanks to the rediscovered interest of historians and archaeologists in historically used, psychotropic substances. In addition, the survey gained momentum after recent discoveries in the Middle East. Studies of excavations in this area have shown that substances such as hemp or opium have indeed been applied during ancient rituals.
It is interesting that for the same trainingChris Bennet in his book, toott Sex, Drugs, Violence and the Bible 2001:
"The famed depiction of the religious symbol of the Sacred Tree of Life originally comes from an ancient, near-eastern area. We can see it, for example, in one of the oldest artworks of the ancient Sumerian empire. Assyrian frescoes dating back to the first millennium before Christ The mythological concept of the Tree of Life is, of course, part of the Bible, specifically Genesis III: 22.
Another potential, suggestive guideline that the Tree of Life is actually a psychotropic plant is the etymological reference hidden in the Sumerian expression itself for the Tree of Life, which can be translated as "intoxication":
'In the Sumerian language, the term' live 'and' intoxicate 'by the same word - TIN. In addition, the entire GEShTIN connection also means 'vine'.
Discussing the historical use of cannabis in a religious context
In a discussion of Harold Bloom's mythology of Biblical Paradise, Harold touches on the thorny question: 'It all depends on these two trees - the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. But are these two trees really not one and the same? ' These questions have also been raised by other apprentices:
'The principle of the mythical dissociation during which God and His World, Mortality and Immortality are divided into two inaccessible parts, expressed just by the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. In other mythological concepts, such as those from Europe, the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge are the same and still accessible to the living people. ' (Campbell 1964)
Figure 1 : Basalt Stela of King Essarhaddon
… The ancient Tree of Life symbol can be seen again on Basalt King of Essarhaddon's Stella, where a remarkably complex plant can be seen just behind the king's back. In the book "Green Gold the Tree of Life: Marijuana in Magic and Religion" , this depiction was described: 'King Esarhaddon stands in front of a very complex tent-shaped chamber with a top hole,' (Bennet 1995). The tent-shaped chamber was used to trap cannabis smoke. The king then dipped his head in the tent and inhaled hemp smoke in the name of the gods. “Cannabis was ritually burned both in ancient Babylon and in Assyrian temples. Aroma of cannabis smoke was considered a gift to the gods who liked it.
'In the second quarter of the first millennium BC, Qunnabu (qunapa, qunubu, qunbu) begins to appear in the context of oil production, substance and medicine.' (Barber, 1989). This word is commonly recognized as a word for cannabis, ie cannabis, among apprentices, historians, archaeologists and linguists. 'The old writings tell us that the ancient Assyrians used cannabis as incense in the seventh to eighth centuries before Christ. They called him Qunub. ' (Schultes & amp; Hoffman 1979).
Furthermore, the research of etymologist Sula Benet, as well as other sources, suggests that 'Ritual use of cannabis and the word cannabis (qunubu) originally comes from the ancient Near East region. (Benet 1975).
... Ancient, the Assyrian expression qu-nu-bu is the phonetic equivalent of the old Hebrew word quaneh-bosm (also Kaneh Bosm), which, as you will know, means cannabis. The strong connections between the expressions are reflected in the same similarities that these two ancient cannabis civilizations used in ritual contexts.
In a letter dating from 680 BC, written to the mother of the aforementioned King Esarhaddon, we can observe references to qu-nu-bu, which make it very clear that hemp was used as incense in a ritual tent. In one of the letters, the mother of the king asks one of the then-known 'What is used in sacred rituals?', Whereupon a priest called Neralsharrani says that 'the main items used in ritual are oils, water, honey,fragrant plants and hemp (qunubu) '.
"The depiction of a tree or plant next to King Esarhaddon on the stele shown above is just one of many other such depictions that are described in many modern explanations as the Tree of Life, but few of the available resources go further into the subject." (Ringgren 1973)
Despite all the above-mentioned references to the frequent and apparent use of qunub during the sacred rituals of these ancient cultures, almost none of the mainstream historical sources mention cannabis as an explanation for the often depicted tree or plant of life. However, alternative studies today are beginning to push the notion that cannabis was considered and honored in these cultures as the true Sacred Tree of Life and Knowledge.
The possible reason why this connection was not mentioned earlier is the fact that the details concerning the religious practices of the ancient Near East were considered to be very closely protected and secret secrets. Professor HWF Saggs mentions findings where instructions on this subject usually end up as, for example: 'The initiate may initiate initiates; however, the uninitiated can not be initiated in principle. This knowledge is one of the great mysteries of Gods. ' Thus, the Holy Secret was passed on mainly orally. If such secrets were recorded, they were mostly very vague and mysterious entries. (1969)
Of course, art as well as the above-mentioned stela fall into the mysterious categoryTree of Life.
Among some of the very first researchers who began to associate old Assyrian depictions of an unnamed tree with the mythical Tree of Life, AH Layard, who began discussing a possible connection more than one and a half years ago:
"I recognized the sacred tree that is clearly and universally worshiped in the Far East region, and which until the overthrow of the old Persian Empire was preserved as an important religion symbol of that time of Persia ... typical of it was the number of seven petals." (Layard 1856)
The specific stylization of the seven petals depicted on the sacred plant goes hand in hand with oval objects that often hold the figures surrounding the plant. One clearly thinks that the seven petals show the classic sharp leaves on the individual leaves of hemp, and the oval objects are the very flowers of the sacred qunubu.
(Figure 2) Mysterious figures collecting qunubu flowers
Returning to Figure 1 above, depicting King Esarhaddon, you can also observe the sacred Bull of Creation and below it the images of ancient agricultural tools. By this representation the ancestors probably wanted to show a very important connection of all these elements.
From what material was the oldest found piece of fiber found to date? Yes,correctly - from cannabis. The speculation that cannabis was the very first agriculturally used plant of mankind is now a widespread and recognized theory. The diverse use of cannabis, whether for fabrics or narcotics, goes beyond our historical footprint.
"The idea that he wasthe healing cannabis in the ancient world is considered by humans to be the sacred Tree of Life, not so much burned - few plants can be used as food (marijuana seeds), a useful source of the substance as well as an aromatic and narcotic incense. "
Adam and Eve get uknitted hemp dress?
The historian and researcher Frymer mentions a very interesting connection: "The moment Adam and Eve had eaten the forbidden fruit and gazed, they realized they were naked. lumbar plaques from available materials are in place, linking the exploration and deprivation of childhood ignorance, the awareness of ones own nakedness, the acquisition of cultural knowledge, and the ability to knit, very distinctly linked to the use of forbidden fruit. " (Frymer-Kenski 1992)
Prehistoric people and cannabis use
Harvard University professor of ethnobotany, Richard Evans Schultes further comments on the matter as follows: "A prehistoric man has been experimenting with a variety of plant materials in his search for food. He has basically used everything that can be chewed and clear.that during his search he found a flowering cannabis full of oil seeds. After the primordial man chewed on the resinous flowers, the active substances bound to the fats from the seeds, and so apparently the first time the world had experienced in a slightly different perspective.
Here they could spice prapthe eyes of hallucinogenic spiritual experiences that eventually led to the development of religion and the very principle of divinity. Thus, the medicinal cannabis plant has become something like a gift of gods, a sacred medium providing the possibility of direct contact with the gods. As such, it has remained present throughout the cultures of human history to this day. "
Figure 3: Basalt Stela of King Assurbanipala and Tree of Life
The engravings of King Assurbanipal, another of the ancient Assyrian rulers associated with cannabis, also portray cannabis-like Life Tree, as well as engravings depicting his father, King Esarhadonna. Professor Widegren also argues about the possibility that each of the then royal temples had its own holy garden, where the Tree of Life grew. The main gardener, the king himself, then took care of it.
"Taking care and wateringm of the Tree of Life, the King gained vital vitality. "(Widegren, 1951).
One of King Assurbanipal's notes says: "We were like half-dead dogs. Then our masterthe Savior provided vital vitality by slipping a plant of life under his nose. "(Ringgren 1973).
The last note "under our noses" mentions directly the use of cannabis as an aromatic incense for ritual purposes. As a plant called "herb of life", it is clear that cannabis played an important role in the religious practices of the ancient Assyrian Empire. Also very interesting are the findings of the King Assurbanipal era, describing the production methods for obtaining hashish. In addition, the notes were merely a transcription of much older sources.
"The roots of cannabis use as a psychotropic substance and religious sacrament go deeper than anyone could have expected." (Walton 1972)
Engravings depicting characters with bird features holding oval shapes have always been associated with the principle of "pollination" of the Holy Tree. Chris Bennet suggests in his book "Sex, Drugs, Violence and the Bible" that bird characters are actually shamans dressed in ritual suits. They collect flowers, cannabis buds (bird disguises highlight the ability of shamans to fly between worlds, dimensions). That is why he also holds in his hand knitted baskets in which the flowers are collected so that they can then pass on the power of the plant's life to the king.
All these depictions are in direct connection with the rituals during which the Assyrians worshiped a god calledamong others Ea, Enki or Oannes. Some of the mythologists suggest that God Ea is actually the same image as the biblical snake guarding the forbidden fruit.
"… JIt is possible that the Assyrian depiction of the home of God Ea, called Dilmun, preceded the Biblical Paradise. (Hooke 1963). As in the more familiar biblical story, the Dilmun myth is the creation of eight plants by the goddess Ninhursag. Enki (Ea) has a strict ban on the fruits of these plants to eat. However, across the ban, Enki eats all the fruits into one. As you can see, there are some very similar similarities. (Rinngren 1973).
Bible and Assyrian history fullcannabis
In his explanation, Bennet emphasizes that everything mentioned here is just a part of the whole context, and in his book, along with research by researcher Stein, they go much deeper through the whole subject.
While Bennet, as an independent writer, has the ability to draw any way out without academic rules and restrictions, Stein is, as she herself says, forced to follow strict methodological provisions before publishing any theory: "Of course, as a member of the academic community, I am limited by certain regulations that need to be followed. before I reach any conclusion, I must be able to substantiate all my claims with sufficient evidence. "
Therapeutic cannabis in human history
The medicinal cannabis plant is a very versatile herb. Cannabis plays an important role in the lives of many patients and recreational users. Somethey use it to treat, others to relax, to look at the world from a slightly different angle, or to broaden spiritual horizons. He can help in meditation or in the pursuit of peaceful sleep. Elsewhere, cannabis is used as an industrial plant, as a fuel, as a fabric, or as hemp concrete.
Therapeutic cannabis has grownwhich has, as human beings, accompanied us through history for thousands of years. Looking back at its majestic influence across evolution of our species, its healing potential and historical significance, and then realizing that the governments of many of today's countries are still trying to ban this plant and even send its growers or simple users behind bars, we can not shake their heads in disbelief .
Empires, states and their rulers and governments are emergingand disappear. However, the hemp plant continues to flourish every spring. What will disappear from the world before? A plant that flourishes with human species across history, or the freedom of oppressing the laws that are the object of the ridicule of most people who have maintained common sense in today's world? We certainly do not have to answer this question…