THE SACRED MUSHROOM AND THE CROSS

by John M. Allegro ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 21, 1970

Professor Allegro (Univ. of Manchester) has hitherto been known for his several excellent books on the Dead Sea Scrolls. In an unusual reversal, he has now produced a book that will make The Passover Plot seem the last refuge of theological ultra-conservatism. The thesis of the book is simple enough: Jesus did not exist, the Gospels were (and are) a hoax, and Christianity is the atavistic vestige of an ancient fertility cult in which the object of worship was a peculiarly phallic mushroom (the Amanita muscaria) capable of producing psychedelic reactions. As farfetched as all this may seem, it cannot be denied that Allegro has brought to this work the same care and scholarly detachment that have characterized his earlier, and more conventional, works; and he has made not one concession to the sensational nature of his thesis. The book is, in fact, a demanding one, which presupposes in the reader at least a working knowledge of the ancient Semitic tongues and of the sciences considered ""auxiliary"" to biblical studies. And only the most determined non-professional iconoclast will be willing to wade through Allegro's unrelenting jargon. None of which, of course, will affect the demand for what is probably to become a very controversial work.

Pub Date: Aug. 21, 1970

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 795

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1970

Categories: NONFICTION