A recent discovery by Israeli archaeologists may prove that psychotropic substances may have been used in ancient Jewish services of the First Temple of Jerusalem.

Such conclusions were reached by scientists during excavations of an ancient temple on the edge of the Negev desert in Arad. It is considered the first of the found Jewish sanctuaries in Israel. The temple was built as an exact reduced copy of the Temple of Solomon about 2.7 thousand years ago.

“Incense was found on one altar and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) on the other,” the study’s authors told Haaretz.

Cannabis could be ignited to create a sense of intoxication among believers, the scientists say. This is the first evidence of the use of psychotropic substances in a Jewish worship service.

The full study was published in the Archaeological Journal of Tel Aviv University.

Source: BBC