# What was Jesus on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 6, 2005, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619 "2005-02-06T05:26:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/1 "2005-02-06T05:26:33Z")
We know that Jesus spoke of alcohol and its effect in moderation. There is some evidence that vervain was applied to Jesus’ wounds. What other common medicinals or herbals were used in the time of Jesus and likely to have been consumed by or applied to Jesus? Anything with mind altering effects? Any other environmental factors that might be common to that period?..Was lead poisoning common in those times? ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/2 "2005-02-06T06:48:59Z")
I am sorry to say I can’t really help answer this other than to note that the Romans used lead pipes for plumbing (apparently). However, I love this OP. I hope it doesn’t offend anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/3 "2005-02-06T07:16:44Z")
Paul Theroux wrote a book called _Millroy The Magician_, one of whose plot elements was a charlatan-ish character who was touting a biblically-based diet based on curing yourself by eating only the foods, herbs, etc. mentioned in Scripture. He found support for, among other things, enemas (favorites of digestively-obsessed quacks IRL down the years) by virtue of biblical mention of hyssop reeds or something presumptively used for this purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/4 "2005-02-06T08:12:19Z")
I heard somewhere (I think from a friend who minored in Classics) that the romans lined the rims of their goblets with lead because it made the wine taste sweeter, thus leading to lead poisoning. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/5 "2005-02-06T09:23:33Z")
[WWJS - What Would Jesus Smoke? http://www.thehempire.com/pm/comments/431\_0\_1\_0\_C/](http://www.thehempire.com/pm/comments/431_0_1_0_C/) > [@](#): > > “Christ” is the Greek translation of the Hebrew “Messiah.” In modern English, this term would be translated as the “anointed one.” The title “Christ” was only placed upon he who had “God’s unction upon him.” > > This holy anointing oil, as described in the original Hebrew version of the recipe in Exodus (30:22-23), contained over six pounds of kaneh-bosem, a substance identified by respected etymologists, linguists, anthropologists, botanists and other researchers as cannabis, extracted into about six quarts of olive oil, along with a variety of other fragrant herbs. The ancient anointed ones were literally drenched in this potent mixture. [God and Ganja http://www.rism.org/isg/dlp/ganja/resources/godandganja.html](http://www.rism.org/isg/dlp/ganja/resources/godandganja.html) ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/6 "2005-02-06T16:18:08Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > [WWJS - What Would Jesus Smoke? > http://www.thehempire.com/pm/comments/431\_0\_1\_0\_C/](http://www.thehempire.com/pm/comments/431_0_1_0_C/) > [God and Ganja > http://www.rism.org/isg/dlp/ganja/resources/godandganja.html](http://www.rism.org/isg/dlp/ganja/resources/godandganja.html) That certainly puts a whole new perspective on\*\* “What Would Jesus Do?”\*\*!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/7 "2005-02-06T16:26:05Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > [WWJS - What Would Jesus Smoke? > http://www.thehempire.com/pm/comments/431\_0\_1\_0\_C/](http://www.thehempire.com/pm/comments/431_0_1_0_C/) > [God and Ganja > http://www.rism.org/isg/dlp/ganja/resources/godandganja.html](http://www.rism.org/isg/dlp/ganja/resources/godandganja.html) Thank you for those links. I had not read those before, and they were genuinely interesting. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/8 "2005-02-06T16:49:34Z")
> [@sjc](#): > > I am sorry to say I can’t really help answer this other than to note that the Romans used lead pipes for plumbing (apparently). > > However, I love this OP. I hope it doesn’t offend anyone. Yes, my intention is really not to offend. I was just thinking, so what would Jesus have taken for a stomach ache or headache or whatever. I’m sure that he was touched by ailments from time to time. It seems likely at least… maybe I am presumptious? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/9 "2005-02-06T17:05:53Z")
Thanks **Johanna** , great links. Very enlightening. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/10 "2005-02-06T17:53:31Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > enemas (favorites of digestively-obsessed quacks IRL down the years) A quick example: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, creator of Corn Flakes. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/11 "2005-02-06T17:55:43Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Yes, my intention is really not to offend. I was just thinking Whatever, Dude, it is still **outside the box.** 😉 [sup] **there’s nothing wrong with that.** [/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/12 "2005-02-06T18:27:35Z")
Even accepting for the sake of argument that annointing oil contained large amounts of cannabis, I think it’s a stretch to call Jesus a pothead. First, I’m not aware of any evidence that Jesus was ever literally annointed by any Earthly oil: No such literal annointing is mentioned in the Gospels, and it’s generally interpreted that Jesus was annointed by God Himself in a spiritual, not material sense. Second, while that is a lot of cannabis, and THC is oil-soluable, I’m not sure how readily it can be absorbed through topical skin contact. Certainly, I’ve never heard of any modern users of marijuana dosing topically. Third, even if Jesus was literally annointed with a physical oil containing cannabis, and even if He was able to absorb a significant dosage through the skin, we would still be talking about a single event. Modern proponents of marijuana regularly assure us that the drug has no long-term effects; is this not true? Also, back to the OP: I’m not confident that one can say that Jesus spoke of alcohol “in moderation”. In the story of the wedding feast at Canae, Jesus produced more wine for the guests, of a high quality (which in this case probably implies high alcohol concentration), when the guests were already drunk enough to not be able to appreciate the quality of the wine. Even a bartender wouldn’t consider giving more to someone already drunk as “moderation”. ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/13 "2005-02-06T18:27:52Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Thank you for those links. I had not read those before, and they were genuinely interesting. And genuinely unconvincing. Yeah, I’m going to believe an article saying The Big Guy (not Cecil) likes pot from a place called “The Hempire” that doesn’t have a single reference. The other seems to be a collection of letters to the editor. ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/14 "2005-02-06T18:34:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m not confident that one can say that Jesus spoke of alcohol “in moderation”. In the story of the wedding feast at Canae, Jesus produced more wine for the guests, of a high quality (which in this case probably implies high alcohol concentration), when the guests were already drunk enough to not be able to appreciate the quality of the wine. Even a bartender wouldn’t consider giving more to someone already drunk as “moderation”. You sure about that? > [@John 2:9-10](#): > > [sup]9[/sup]When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, [sup]10[/sup]And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. Sounds like they could judge well enough. ---
**Author:** ![prisoner6655321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@prisoner6655321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prisoner6655321)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/15 "2005-02-06T18:44:30Z")
For the enlightenment of the group, let’s reveal what Exodus REALLY says is in the recipe. 22Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 23Take thou also unto [COLOR=Sienna]thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, 24And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: 25And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.[/COLOR] Nothing there about this kaneh-bosem. Of course the article says it’s in the original Hebrew version. So why was this not translated correctly in English? We didn’t really know that cannabis was so “bad” until recently. I’m not saying it’s not in the hebrew version. I’m just wondering. Hmmm… I wonder if this is proved to be true, could Christians and Jews start annointing each other with pot laced oil. Like the native americans have the right to use peyote and other mind altering substances, shouldn’t we get some kind of permission to use pot this way because of our protected rights to religious freedom? Very interesting. I wonder why the christian potheads haven’t tried it. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/16 "2005-02-06T18:56:45Z")
> [@Mathochist](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Originally Posted by John 2:9-10, KJV > > 9When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. King James used smilies??? ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/17 "2005-02-06T19:06:10Z")
> [@prisoner6655321](#): > > Hmmm… I wonder if this is proved to be true, could Christians and Jews start annointing each other with pot laced oil. Like the native americans have the right to use peyote and other mind altering substances, shouldn’t we get some kind of permission to use pot this way because of our protected rights to religious freedom? Very interesting. I wonder why the christian potheads haven’t tried it. 'Cause it didn’t, in fact, work for the Indians, who found that they didn’t have such a “right?” [http://ows.doleta.gov/dmstree/uipl/uipl90/uipl\_4290.htm](http://ows.doleta.gov/dmstree/uipl/uipl90/uipl_4290.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/18 "2005-02-06T19:12:52Z")
A cross, wasn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/19 "2005-02-06T19:27:39Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > A cross, wasn’t it? That’s what I read too. 😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619/20 "2005-02-06T20:09:18Z")
Let the ideas stand and fall on their own, regardless of the hominem who related them, regardless of arguments from authority. At least let the ideas be considered. The world’s most creative and groundbreaking thinkers often colored outside the lines and got great results. There were mystery religions all over the ancient Near East, some of which were transmitted to the Greeks, and there are indications that these esoteric rites involved psychedelic botanicals. The Greek name for the potion used during initiations into the Mysteries was _kykeôn_, from a verbal root meaning ‘to stir’. _Liddell’s Greek Lexicon_ explained this potion as containing “magic herbs.” Was Jesus an initiate of any mystery schools? There has been plenty of speculation along those lines. I can’t think of any direct evidence either for or against this notion. The indirect suggestions are found in the impression one gets from Jesus of speaking the sorts of ideas that had formerly been known only to esoteric initiates, but here he was speaking them in public. It’s an interesting question to speculate upon, but without direct evidence for or against, I guess it will have to remain in the realm of mere speculation, FWIW. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-jesus-on/288619.md?page=2)