Was Moses High?

Yup. You read that right.

According to an article from AFP, a professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, is apparently proposing just that. Here's a quote from the article:

High on Mount Sinai, Moses was on psychedelic drugs when he heard God deliver the Ten Commandments, an Israeli researcher claimed in a study published this week.

Such mind-altering substances formed an integral part of the religious rites of Israelites in biblical times, Benny Shanon, a professor of cognitive psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem wrote in the Time and Mind journal of philosophy.

"As far 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 this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics," Shanon told Israeli public radio on Tuesday.

Now here comes the real kicker...

Moses was probably also on drugs when he saw the "burning bush," suggested Shanon, who said he himself has dabbled with such substances.

Okay, so why am I not surprised at that last statement. Unreal, is it not?

[HT: Chris Brady, who apparently was turned down for a research grant to substantiate the professor's findings.]

Comments

[Derek Rishmawy]

I don't know why this person wouldn't rather just believe the historico-critical mythic version.

What's funny is that this is another wonderful example of: "Well, it couldn't possibly be a miracle, so, lets just find some other bizarre explanation for it."

[Friar_Tuck]

Lets say they are right, isn't it still a rather bizarre connection of conincidences and historical action to be explained by random drug use.

Gives whole new meaning to the "Dude, where's my car?" kind of thinking.

[Wes Ellis]

I agree with both Derek and Friar Tuck. It seems like more of a stretch to say he was on drugs, than to say he had a miraculous vision, or at least a spiritual experience which would constitute the sort of descriptions we find in Scripture for these events. And tuck is right too, there's so much connection in these stories and there's so much redemptive activity going on that even if there are drugs involved, God must be involved as well.

[Mike]

Nothing like a little drug-induced encounter with the Almighty, 'eh. Unbeleivable. Where do they come up with this stuff. I especially likes the last statement. Seems Professor Shanon has been doing his own hands-on research...

[Paul]

Funny that the further away from history we get...the more enlightened we seem to get about it.