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'Moses was high on hallucinogenic drug when he received Ten Commandments,' claims top academic
Last updated at 02:07am on 06.03.08When Moses received the Ten Commandments from God, he was summoned right to the top of Mount Sinai.
But the man who led the Children of Israel to safety may have been even higher at the time, if an Israeli academic is to be believed.
Psychology professor Benny Shanon says it was likely Moses was hallucinating under the influence of a mind-altering drug at the time of his biblical achievements.
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Taking the tablets: Professor Benny Shanon says it was likely Moses (here portrayed by Charlton Heston) was hallucinating when he received the Ten Commandments
To back up his theory, Professor Shanon says the acacia tree, frequently mentioned in the Bible, contains one of the most psychedelic substances known to man.
The professor, who came up with his theory after experiencing firsthand the effects of a hallucinogenic brew used in religious rituals in Brazil, said the story of Moses and the burning bush also had the hallmarks of a psychedelic experience.
The account in the Book of Exodus of the bush's ability to burn without being "consumed" is generally attributed to the presence and power of God.
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High of the beholder? Moses and the burning bush. The acacia tree, frequently mentioned in the Bible, contains one of the most psychedelic substances known to man
But to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Professor Shanon, who freely admits to having experimented with mind-bending substance "about 160 times in various locales in contexts", it is evidence of the power of drugs.
Writing in the journal Time And Mind, the professor said the telltale signs of drug-induced visions included a loss of sense of time, seeing bright lights or fire, the blurring of the senses and profound religious and spiritual feelings.
"I propose that this event involved no change in the real world, having nothing to do with either the bush or the fire," he said.
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"Rather, it is reflected in the radical alteration in the state of consciousness of the beholder - that is, Moses.
"Moses's sense of time changed and an actual moment in physical time was subjectively perceived as an eternity...enough time for the bush in front of him to be burnt and consumed.
"But in the external physical domain, only a fraction of a second had elapsed, hence no actual change in the bush was perceived."
According to the professor, Moses was not alone in dabbling with drugs, with the assembled Children of Israel likely to have been in "an altered state of awareness" when Moses brought the Ten Commandments down from Mount Sinai.
Professor Shanon told Israeli radio: "As far as Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don't believe, or a legend, which I don't believe either, or finally, and probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics."
Even a description of Moses with "shining skin" is seen as a reference to the euphoric, sweat-inducing effects associated with drug use.
He concludes: "Admittedly, the smoking gun is not available to us.
"I leave it to the reader to pass his or her judgment."
Some judgments, however, were less than kind.
Orthodox rabbi Yuval Sherlow stressed that the Bible was trying to convey "very profound" events.
Mike Judge, of the Christian Institute, said: "For people who believe in such a God, it is perfectly rational for Him to be acting in a supernatural way."
Reader views (9)
to knowe abuot moses when he is a life.
- Ngozi, ghana
This is all Gordon Browns fault. Before him, Christians and Jews alike were God fearing, clean and peace loving souls intent on works of good for the benefit of humanity.
Now thanks to crash Gordon and his cronies they are a bunch of junkies who like to bomb other countries into submission while shutting down post offices in rural areas.
- Jason, london
For something resulting from someone's hallucinations, the Ten Commandments have certainly stood the test of time and culture. Much more than can be said of some Professors and their hypotheses!
- Deola, UK
Wow professor you were there were you. I am not religious at all and it always makes me laugh when these "professors" do research and come up with answers like this. None of us were there so who is to say what happened. Who is to say hieroglyphics say what the experts tell us they say. Just because 2 feathers appear together on a more regular basis than anything else does not mean that this necessarily means that it stands for 2 x s. It could just as easily be 2 x l or 2 x f. No-one really knows the meaning of all these things because none of us were around at the time.
- Minime, South East England
I agree with Jimbob.
It's nice to know that an effigy will not be about to be set alight or demands for the researcher to be killed just because he dare say something about text that was written however long ago.
A religion should be questioned at times I believe.
- Scott, London
Does it really matter? If people wish to believe in a big scary being who lives in the sky then let them, as for the rational amongst us we'll just get on with our lives as normal.
- Lucy Skiedimons, Highgate
I was going to suggest it sounds like the researcher was the one high on drugs (proven fact that we always try to look for what is familiar) - but it turns out he's already admitted his dabbling with various substances, so I guess it's case closed.
- Marianne, SW France
What I enjoy is that we can make comments like this about the old testament.
Now THAT is a religion of peace.
- Jimbob, Kensington
The one problem I'm seeing here. He (the researcher) states that all persons during the presentation of the ten commandments were high (on the tree) when they were presented. The problem, burning an acacia tree isn't psychedelic. Several concoctions can be made from the bark, but burning it doesn't do anything. For Moses to have been high, he'd have needed to make a vial of the stuff (something I rather doubt in pre-science times). Also, according to the Bible, Moses didn't light the Bush of fire, so then what did? Another problem is the idea that the seeing of the serpents (the ones changed from staffs) was caused by this drug. How did everyone in the room manage to get high on something brought to them by someone they despised? Also, if drug use (from the tree) is how Moses acquired these visions, how come the Torah (Jewish holy text) professes against drug-use? I'm just not seeing the connections this man is making in a realistic sense.
- Paladin_Hammer, Liberty, USA
