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Drug Abuse in Scripture and Other extra-Biblical Writings
The Ergot Spur (Claviceps) and the Lolium Rye Ζιζάνια Zizánia
The Biblical Tare of Saint Matthew's Gospel
Chapter 13: 24-40.
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‘And the servants of the householder came and said unto him, “Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?” ’
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St Matthew 13: 27 Cf. ASV, Mt. 13:27. KJV
In the Greek New Testament the Gospel tare is cited as Ζιζάνια Zizánia, a lolium rye which grows as darnel among good wheat and is host to the parasitic fungal infection Claviceps tulasne (purpurea) in which ergoline alkaloids, mainly derivatives of lysergic acid, can be found.
Mt.13:27 Greek NT
Latin Lolium temulentum ‘Drunkenness’
Scan: The Biblical Tare from the International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia vol. 5 p.2910
Public domain
Ζιζάνια Zizánia, of itself, is a harmless rye grass. The lolium rye is however host to the poisonous Ergot Spur, the parasitic fungal infection Claviceps. In the Jewish Talmud also called זזנין Zizanion, indistinguishable from wheat until it heads at harvest.
The Latin name for this darnel is Lolium temulentum literally 'drunkenness'. In the cognate Arabic apparently Zuwân or Zû'ân, meaning 'nausea' or 'sickness' caused when the fungus infected rye kernels, containing ergoline alkaloids, mainly derivatives of lysergic acid, were inadvertently ingested.
The term temulentum -us or ‘drunkenness’ was used by early Latin writers much influenced by the New Testament, a further indication that Christ's reference to the Biblical Tare or ζιζάνια Zizánia was understood as indicating an ergot infected grain.
The Ergot Spur (the parasitic Claviceps) was recognized by the Assyrians as long ago as 600 BCE as a poisonous pustule. The lolium host Ζιζάνια Zizánia was also condemned by the Parsees in about 350 BCE as a noxious grass causing death and abortion.
The Gospel Tangental
In view of the above, as a point of some importance it must be recognized that Christ’s reference to the tare in the Gospel Parable is not a reference to the hallucinogenic drug LSD-25 (Lysergic acid diethylamide) which, as an ingestible ergot derivative was not synthesized in the laboratory until 1938. The reference is tangental. The direct effects of the ergot poison - if ingested directly from the spur itself - are both horrendous and most often fatal. Also some amides of lysergic acid, again closely related to the powerful hallucinogenic LSD-25 can be found in the seeds of several species of Morning Glory, mainly Ololiuqui Badoh.
The late Professor Hofmann first synthesized LSD in 1938 whilst researching the medicinal uses of the ergot fungus. The psychoactive properties of the derived LSD-25 were not however fully realized until 1943 when Dr. Hofmann himself inadvertently absorbed a small amount through the skin.
In the Gospel the fungus infected rye was separated from the good wheat at harvest and bound in bundles to be burned - the archaic Biblical English term ‘tare’ itself is most probably derived through Med. Latin from Arabic tarhah meaning ‘that rejected’ (C.E.D.) - and it is in this sense only that Christ spoke of the Biblical tare, as that which resembles wheat yet bears poison in the field of the world as an offensive crop adulteration. (Cf. Saint Matthew Chapter 13:27-40).
For further info. on crop adulteration in Bible times and the Gospel allegory see eBook chapter From Whence Hath it Tares?
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Photo:
Gathering Tares from Wheat
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This unique photo was taken by the photographers of the American Vester & Co. Jerusalem about 1900-1920 and originally bore the caption
Gathering Tares from Wheat at Bethel.
Taken before the introduction of the crop spray and modern fungicides it must have captured one of the last times that tares were ever separated by hand from wheat in Palestine.
Public domain
Library of Congress Catalogue: (PPOC)
No known restrictions on publication
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For other drugs and poisons in Scripture and the Early and Mediaeval periods including Mandragora (the Biblical ‘love apples’), the atropines, the ‘spiced wines’ of Old Testament times and a possible cannabis:
Download
FREE eBOOK Drug Abuse in Scripture.
Photo: (i) Ergot in the Ear of Rye (Clavicepts purpurea) initial growth
Reproduced under license EMB-Service, Lucerne, Switzerland, from R. E. Schults and Albert Hofmann’s Botanic Drug Lexicon Plants of the Gods, Healing Arts Press 1992.
All rights reserved
Photo: (ii) Ergot of Rye (Clavicepts purpurea) fully developed
by Dominique Jacquin (Ergot du Seigle) 23 July 2008
Public domain
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Biblical Source Index
(i) International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, (ISBE) 1960, vol v, p.2910.(EErdmans) (ii) New Bible Dictionary,1962, p.1238. (IVF) (iii) Hastings’ Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels,1908, vol ii p.697. (iv) Hastings’ Bible Dictionary, 1902, vol iv, p.678 (v). A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1977, p.196. G. Abbott-Smith. (T&T Clark)
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