Holy Anointing Oil
The idea that cannabis might have been an ingredient in the Holy Anointing Oil is a subject of scholarly debate and discussion.
The recipe for the Holy Anointing Oil in Exodus 30:22-25 includes four main spices mixed with olive oil:
Liquid myrrh
Fragrant cinnamon
Aromatic cane (or sweet cane/calamus) - The ingredient in question
Cassia
The key ingredient at the center of this debate is the third spice, which is translated from the original Hebrew as "קְנֵה־בֹשֶׂם" (qaneh-bosem or kaneh bosm).
The Cannabis Argument:
Some researchers, notably Polish anthropologist Sula Benet, have argued that kaneh bosem is a linguistic and etymological ancestor of the word "cannabis" and actually refers to the cannabis plant.
The Hebrew words literally mean: qaneh (reed or stalk) and bosem (aromatic or fragrant). Proponents suggest this describes an aromatic reed/stalk plant, which could be cannabis.
They also argue that the large quantity of this ingredient (250 shekels, or roughly 6 pounds in some translations) would be a highly toxic dose if it were the commonly translated calamus (sweet flag), but a non-toxic, potent dose of an infused cannabis oil.
Archaeological evidence, such as the discovery of cannabis residue on an altar in an ancient Judahite shrine at Tel Arad (dated to around the 8th century BCE), has been cited to suggest cannabis was known and used in ancient Hebrew religious practice, lending some support to the theory.
The Traditional Translation:
The traditional and most common translation of qaneh bosem in most Bibles (including the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament) is "calamus" or "sweet cane" (Acorus calamus). Calamus is an aromatic reed used historically for medicinal and perfumery purposes.
Most biblical scholars and religious traditions uphold the calamus translation.
In conclusion, while the traditional understanding identifies the ingredient as calamus, the theory that it was cannabis (as kaneh bosem) is a prominent, though controversial, subject of academic discussion based on linguistic, etymological, and, more recently, archaeological grounds.
