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The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross by John M. Allegro

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The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross

A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity Within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East

by John M. Allegro

Narrator Martyn Swain

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Length 10 hours 33 minutes

Language English

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Summary
About the author
About the narrator

Where did God come from? What do the bible stories really tell us? Who or what was Jesus Christ? This book challenges everything we think we know about the nature of religion: -The ancient fertility cult at the heart of Christianity. -The living power of cultic rites and symbols. -The sacred mushroom as the emblem and embodiment of divinity. -The secret meaning of biblical myths. -The language of religion that links us to our ancestors. The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross sets out John Allegro's quest through a family tree of languages to find the truth about where Christianity came from.

Religion

John M. Allegro was an English archaeologist and scholar of the Dead Sea Scrolls. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II before studying Hebrew and Greek at Manchester University. In 1968, his translations of scripture commentary known as pesharim were published as Discoveries in the Judaean Desert of Jordan V: 4Q158-4Q186. He resigned his post at the Faculty of Theology at Manchester University shortly before the publication of The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross in 1970.

Martyn Swain is a professional audiobook narrator who has also acted on stage and screen, produced and voiced content for current-affairs radio, and tutored in media and presentation skills. A simultaneous interpreter for more than thirty years, interpreting in French and English for senior diplomats and international organizations, he interpreted personally for Nelson Mandela shortly after his release from prison. He also speaks German and Spanish.