Is there a spiritual explanation for the growing popularity of psychedelics and entheogens like ayuahasca, DMT, iboga, and psilocybin? Might such substances have been used by the ancient Hebrew prophets and high priests? Were they also used by the Zoroastrian magi, and are there overlaps between the two? What are the true origins of lighting Chanukah candles and Shabbat candles, and might these practices have been influenced by Zoroastrian fire rituals? Why do Jews look at a reflection of fire on their fingernails during the Havdalah ceremony following the conclusion of the Sabbath? And what does it all have to do with Adam’s mystical powers in the Garden of Eden?
Tag Archives: Ezra and Nehemiah
Understanding the Second Temple Era (Video)
I was recently a guest on Ari Lieberman’s Sparks of History podcast, and we discussed the “classical era” of Jewish history, including the Second Temple, Cyrus the Great, the last prophets of Israel; the Samaritans, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes; Herod and the Hasmoneans, as well as Second Temple era messianism and what it means for us today.