A rare first printing of “The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross” by John Marco Allegro.
1970 Hodder And Stoughton, London, UK
The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross by John Marco Allegro is a provocative exploration of the potential link between ancient fertility cults and the origins of Christianity, suggesting that psychedelic mushrooms played a central role in early religious practices.
After service in the Royal Navy during WW2, Allegro trained for the Methodist ministry but transferred to a degree in Oriental Studies at the University of Manchester. In 1953 he was invited to become the first British representative on the international team working on the recently discovered Dead Sea Scrolls in Jordan. The following year he was appointed assistant lecturer in Comparative Semitic Philology at Manchester, and held a succession of lectureships there until he resigned in 1970 to become a full-time writer. In 1961 he was made Honorary Adviser on the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Jordanian government.
Hardcover in good condition with worn dust jacket. Mild staining on first few pages and toning present throughout. Otherwise an excellent copy.
