The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross
Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | John M. Allegro |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Comparative linguistics, Fertility cults, Christianity, Ancient Near East |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton Ltd (UK), Doubleday (US) |
Publication date | 1970 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | xxii, 349 |
| ISBN | 0-349-10065-9 |
| OCLC | 90427 |
The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross: A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity Within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East is a 1970 monograph by philologist John Marco Allegro. Allegro proposes an etymology driven reconstruction of biblical myth that treats Christian narratives as coded accounts of Near Eastern fertility cults that used psychoactive fungi in ritual. The thesis depicts Jesus as a mythological figure rather than a historical teacher. Publication sparked immediate controversy, prompted strong scholarly repudiation, and positioned the book as an enduring touchpoint in debates about psychedelics and religion.