Book · 2009 · Christianity
The sacred mushroom and the cross
A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity Within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East
The sacred mushroom and the cross by John Marco Allegro has been mentioned in 56 episodes across 3 podcasts (9 episodes recommend it and 47 episodes discuss it), through . Most frequently brought up by Joe Rogan (38 episodes), Michael Shermer (2 episodes) and Christopher Ryan (1 episode) on The Joe Rogan Experience (52 episodes), The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast (3 episodes) and Stuff They Don't Want You To Know (1 episode).
#110 of 17,168 books, ranked by how many different people bring it up on podcasts
- episodes
- 56
- podcasts
- 3
- people
- 21
- episodes recommend it
- 9
I read that when i was about 15 or 16 and it completely blew the top of my head off.
Questions about The sacred mushroom and the cross by John Marco Allegro
Who recommends The sacred mushroom and the cross by John Marco Allegro on podcasts?
Joe Rogan (5 episodes), Michael Shermer (1 episode), Christopher Ryan (1 episode), Michael Hunter (1 episode) and Sam Tripoli (1 episode) have recommended The sacred mushroom and the cross by John Marco Allegro on podcasts. In all, 21 people brought it up across 3 podcasts (5 people recommended it).
Which podcasts mention The sacred mushroom and the cross the most?
The Joe Rogan Experience (52 episodes), The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast (3 episodes) and Stuff They Don't Want You To Know (1 episode).
Is The sacred mushroom and the cross recommended, or only discussed?
The sacred mushroom and the cross by John Marco Allegro was recommended in 9 episodes and discussed without a recommendation in 47 episodes, as of 2026-08-25.
What do people say about The sacred mushroom and the cross?
Carl Ruck on The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast (2021-07-19): "I read that when i was about 15 or 16 and it completely blew the top of my head off."
When was The sacred mushroom and the cross last mentioned on a podcast?
The sacred mushroom and the cross by John Marco Allegro was last discussed on The Joe Rogan Experience by Jesse Michels on 2026-08-25.
What they say about it
- Deciphered the Dead Sea Scrolls“deciphered the Dead Sea Scrolls”13

- Fertility cults and mushrooms5

- Massive misunderstanding of religion4


- Ordained minister turned agnostic4

The best things said about it
And he deciphered them for over 14 years and wrote a book called The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross and his interpretation was that the entire Christian religion was a massive misunderstanding.
Michael Shermer The Joe Rogan Experience · Jan 2018 In fact John Marco Allegro one of the head um the guys who is hired to decipher the Dead Sea Scrolls he wrote a book called The Sacred Mushroom in the Cross after translating the Dead Sea Scrolls for 14 years his belief was that the entire Christian religion was initially based on psychedelic mushrooms and fertility rituals and so.
Joe Rogan The Joe Rogan Experience · Mar 2023 I read the Sacred Mushroom and the Cross years ago and i thought he's a linguist and he claims to have gathered an immense amount of linguistic data suggesting that early christianity was a mushroom cult and i couldn't assess his claims because i'm not a linguist but it certainly looked to me at the time like it was an.
Jordan Peterson The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast · May 2021 It's this guy John M Allegro and back in the 70s in this book called The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross he he argued that it was um that the ultimate roots of Christianity and a bunch of other religions by the way is not just talking about Christianity comes from fertility Cults that are based on the same uh.
And so John Marco Allegro author of the Sacred Mushroom in the Scroll so he releases that book in 1970 and he claims that uh christianity is the guys for a near eastern fertility cult and it's i mean i think it's very interesting but there aren't many linguists who who support the proposition.
Graham Hancock The Joe Rogan Experience · Sep 2020 One of them was called the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Christian myth and the first one was called The Sacred Mushroom in the cross and that one's fascinating book.
Where and when it comes up
How it comes up
Most episodes, by podcast
21 people who brought it up
Joe Rogan38 episodes · recommended in 5
Michael Shermer2 episodes · recommended in 1- Christopher Ryan1 episode · recommended in 1
- Michael Hunter1 episode · recommended in 1
- Sam Tripoli1 episode · recommended in 1
Jordan Peterson4 episodes
Duncan Trussell2 episodes- Hamilton Morris2 episodes
- Amanda Feilding1 episode
Andrew Huberman1 episode- Ben Bowlin1 episode
- Brian Muraresku1 episode
Why people recommend it
The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross by John Marco Allegro is a controversial scholarly study that posits early Christianity originated from ancient fertility cults centered around the sacramental use of psychedelic mushrooms. Joe Rogan repeatedly recommended the book across multiple episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience, including conversations with Chase Hughes, Woody Harrelson, Aaron Rodgers, Amber Lyon, and Michael Hunter, often framing it as a fascinating exploration of religious history and psychedelic rituals. Sam Tripoli also recommended the text on the podcast, explaining that Allegro spent years deciphering the Dead Sea Scrolls and concluded that the entire Bible stemmed from psychedelic mushroom traditions. Michael Shermer discussed Allegro's controversial interpretation of the Dead Sea Scrolls during his appearance, noting the author's belief that Christianity was a massive misunderstanding. Additionally, Jesse Michels referenced Allegro on the show, discussing how the ordained minister and Dead Sea Scrolls Commission member ultimately concluded that ancient religious texts were deeply intertwined with entheogenic practices.
Every mention
Joe Rogan and you know there's a great book called The Sacred Mushroom in The Cross by John Marco algro do you know a… 38
“Cuz there's a great book called The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross. Have you ever read that? The John Marco Allegro book?”
“Have you ever heard of uh John Marco Allegro's book, The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross?”
“But then since then they've republished um both of them. Yeah, both of them. But the big one was The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross because that was the one that was kind of very difficult to get.”
“He wrote uh the sacred mushroom and the cross which is a fascinating book about the dead sea scrolls and he's got a very controversial perspective on Christianity and his perspective was and this guy was an ordained minister who was agnostic because he he was an ordained minister but then we started studying theology he started seeing all these”
“He wrote the sacred mushroom and the cross which is a fascinating book about the dead sea scrolls and he's got a very controversial perspective on Christianity”
“The the aminated mascaria one though I always go back to the sacred mushroom in the cross because that was what John Marco Allegro believed was the early days of Christianity.”
“and you know there's a great book called The Sacred Mushroom in The Cross by John Marco algro do you know about that book i' I've heard of it but I never read it yeah it's a great book”
“did you ever hear about John Marco Allegro in the book The Sacred mushroom and the Scrolls it's uh sacred mushroom what no it's a sacred Mushroom in the Christian myth”
“So these ones that they were attributing to like the sacred mushroom in the cross, John Marco Allegro's book on Amanita muscaria and the Bible — do you think that it's possible that at one point in time there were psychoactive strains of Amanita muscaria that vary from the ones that people have that have these different sort of more”
“and he studied the Dead Sea Scrolls for 14 years and he wrote The Sacred Mushroom in the cross”
“and he wrote The Sacred Mushroom in the cross”
“it's called The Sacred Mushroom in the cross is by this guy named John Marco Allegro who was a u he was an ordained Minister but he became agnostic as he started studying Theology”
“So this guy studies this Dead Sea Scrolls for 14 years and then he writes a book called The Sacred mushroom and the cross and he said that the whole Christian religion was really about psychedelic mushrooms and fertility rituals”
“that's the mushroom that John Marco Allegro wrote about when he wrote that book The Sacred Mushroom in the cross he was a guy who deciphered the Dead Sea Scrolls”
“that's the mushroom that John Marco Allegro wrote about when he wrote that book The Sacred Mushroom in the cross”
“and John Marco algro wrote this book called The Sacred Mushroom in the cross it's a very interesting book and then he wrote another book called”
“have you read uh John Marco of the gross book The Sacred Mushroom in the cross no I haven't no is that a good one it's an amazing book right”
“that's why that John Marco Allegro book is so fascinating oh dude sacred Mushroom in the cross yes that's what our book is fascinating”
“that's why that John Marco Allegro book is so fascinating oh dude sacred Mushroom in the cross yes that's what our book is fascinating because that guy studied the Dead Sea Scrolls for 14 years and he was an ordained minister who became agnostic”
“in fact John Marco Allegro one of the head um the guys who is hired to decipher the Dead Sea Scrolls he wrote a book called The Sacred Mushroom in the cross after translating the Dead Sea Scrolls for 14 years his belief was that the entire Christian religion was initially based on psychedelic mushrooms and fertility rituals and so”
“and then he wrote this book The Sacred mushroom and the cross and in the book he was saying this is all about consumption of psychedelic mushrooms and fertility rituals that's what these Original Stories were about”
“and then he wrote this book The Sacred mushroom and the cross and in the book he was saying this is all about consumption of psychedelic mushrooms and fertility rituals”
“and that's the subject of a book called um the sacred mushroom and the cross this guy John Marco Allegro who is hired to decipher the Dead Sea Scrolls ...”
“as if you read uh the sacred mushroom in the cross which is john mark i was just talking to a buddy actually last night about this book”
“there was a book that this guy wrote in the 1970s a guy named john marco allegro he wrote a book on psychedelic mushrooms and jesus it was called the sacred mushroom in the cross”
“There was a book that this guy wrote in the 1970s a guy named john marco allegro he wrote a book on psychedelic mushrooms and jesus it was called the sacred mushroom in the cross”
“and when he translated dead sea scrolls over I believe it was over 14 years he wrote a book called the sacred mushroom in the cross and what he said was that all of this stuff that you're reading is you know you're you're there's translations you're translating things from ancient hebrew which is a language is based on numbers”
“he wrote a book called the sacred mushroom in the cross”
“and this book was a sacred mushroom in the cross”
“There's a book from the 1970s called the sacred mushroom and the cross by a guy named john marco allegro and john marco allegro was a scholar who was hired by the commission that was overseeing the dead sea scrolls translation”
“there's a book from the 1970s called the sacred mushroom and the cross by a guy named john marco allegro and john marco allegro was a scholar who was hired by the commission that was overseeing the dead sea scrolls translation”
“you know if you go back to it's a very controversial book but john marco allegro is the sacred mushroom in the cross is all about consumption of psychedelic mushrooms and that he believes that that was really what that the bible was about was about hiding these stories from the romans when they were captured”
“did you read this yeah the sacred mushroom in the cross yeah do you read it several times”
“there's a book called the sacred mushroom in the cross by a guy named John Marco Allegro who was an ordained minister”
“that's the mushroom that's on the cover of the John Marco Allegro book the sacred mud-- okay across”
“That's that one that they think is that's from the gianmarco allegro book the sacred mushroom and the cross”
“oh the sacred mushroom in the cross was it really that's the one i would heard of it could have that my rumor might get passed around a lot”
“well there's a book called the sacred mushroom in the cross it's by John Marco Allegro and he was a biblical scholar that was one of the guys that was assigned to decipher the Dead Sea Scrolls which is the oldest version of the Bible”
“Yeah the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Christian myth and the sacred mushroom in the cross books on that”
“so he wrote this book called the sacred mushroom in the cross that was bought out by the Catholic Church this I have to verify but I do know that they stopped production of it”
“how you know like the John Marco Allegro book The Sacred Mushroom and the scroll where he thought that what Christianity was initially was a bunch of stories where they hid these psychedelic rituals in Parables”
“have you ever read or heard of the Sacred Mushroom in the cross no I haven't the oldest version of the Bible is the Dead Sea Scrolls”
“next time you come in or if you can get it if you can find it you got to pick up John Marco allegro's uh the sacred Mushroom in the cross cross”
“it's the the sacred Mushroom in the cross the Amon muscar mushroom is on the cover the sacred Mushroom in the cross”
“one of them is called the sacred Mushroom in the cross and the his book what with his basic life's work was was explaining was that the entire Christian religion was a massive misunderstanding”
“uh allegro's work the sacred Mushroom in the cross”
“He wrote this book called The Sacred Mushroom in the cross and it's his that's his assertions that Jesus actually was a mushroom”
“Do you ever uh do you know the book of the of the book, The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross? You ever heard that story? I've heard a little bit about it, but John Marco Allegro, who was the one of the head scholars”
Michael Shermer and he deciphered them for over 14 years and wrote a book called the sacred mushroom and the cross and his… 2
“well you know that is also John Marco allegro's thoughts oh right The Sacred Mushroom in the cross”
“that is also john marco allegro's thoughts oh right the sacred mushroom in the cross”
“wrote a book called the sacred mushroom and the cross and his interpretation was that the entire Christian religion was a massive misunderstanding”
“and he deciphered them for over 14 years and wrote a book called the sacred mushroom and the cross and his interpretation was that the entire Christian religion was a massive misunderstanding”
Christopher Ryan John Marco algro who was uh one of the um uh lead Scholars that was deciphering the Dead Sea Scrolls he wro… 1
“John Marco algro who was uh one of the um uh lead Scholars that was deciphering the Dead Sea Scrolls he wrote this book called The Sacred Mushroom in the cross and it was read that it's a great book and uh it was bought up by the Catholic Church actually”
Michael Hunter I mean there's so many parallels it's really kind of [ __ ] crazy and that's cool yeah it's a great book so… 1
“I mean there's so many parallels it's really kind of [ __ ] crazy and that's cool yeah it's a great book so he wrote this book called the sacred mushroom in the cross that was bought out by the Catholic Church”
Sam Tripoli did you ever read the sacred mushroom in the cross no i have you need to read that it's a a great book abou… 1
“did you ever read the sacred mushroom in the cross no i have you need to read that it's a a great book about uh this guy john marco allegro who deciphered the dead sea scrolls he was on the on the committee like for 14 years worked in the dead sea scrolls and his conclusion was the entire bible”
Jordan Peterson uh John Marco algro wrote a book called The Sacred mushro the cross 4
“uh John Marco algro wrote a book called The Sacred mushro the cross”
“i mean that's certainly what john allegro claimed right with the mushroom and the cross i read that when i was pretty young 15”
“i read the sacred mushroom and the cross years ago and i thought he's a linguist and he claims to have gathered an immense amount of linguistic data suggesting that early christianity was a mushroom cult and i couldn't assess his claims because i'm not a linguist but it certainly looked to me at the time like it was an”
“oh it's like john allegro's uh the sacred the mushroom and the sacred cross do you know of that book”
Duncan Trussell which is why I think that book you gave me the sacred Mushroom in the cross or you didn't give me it when I… 2
“which is why I think that book you gave me the sacred Mushroom in the cross or you didn't give me it when I was living with you”
“well you know the the Christian stuff the the the John Marco Allegro stuff from um the sacred Mushroom in the cross”
Hamilton Morris and i don't know if you read the new michael pollan book i know he was on the podcast i mean right now 2
“and i don't know if you read the new michael pollan book i know he was on the podcast i mean right now”
“because that's another one that is almost like a drug of lore more than a drug of application you don't really hear too much about people getting real good experiences no you don't but it's also connected to you know the sacred mushroom in the cross the cover of it from gianmarco Allegro has dynamic Amanita muscaria”
“and the Christian myth it was one of his books and that was the second book that he published after the sacred mushroom in the cross”
“the last used book that I bought was uh the sacred Mushroom in the cross the only way to buy it you was used until Yan Irvin just re-released it and uh that uh did you you've read that right”
Amanda Feilding Have you read uh John Marco of the gross book The Sacred Mushroom in the cross 1
“Have you read uh John Marco of the gross book The Sacred Mushroom in the cross”
Andrew Huberman in fact John Marco Allegro one of the head um the guys who is hired to decipher the Dead Sea Scrolls he wro… 1
“in fact John Marco Allegro one of the head um the guys who is hired to decipher the Dead Sea Scrolls he wrote a book called The Sacred Mushroom in the cross after translating the Dead Sea Scrolls for 14 years”
Ben Bowlin it's this guy John M Allegro and back in the 70s in this book called The Sacred mushroom and the cross he h… 1
“it's this guy John M Allegro and back in the 70s in this book called The Sacred mushroom and the cross he he argued that it was um that the ultimate roots of Christianity and a bunch of other religions by the way is not just talking about Christianity comes from fertility Cults that are based on the same uh”
Brian Muraresku and carl rock has written the afterword to uh one of the additions you probably have of sacred mushroom in… 1
“and carl rock has written the afterword to uh one of the additions you probably have of sacred mushroom in the cross”
Carl Ruck if you don't mind we were just talking about the sacred mushroom in the cross i read that when i was about… 1
“if you don't mind we were just talking about the sacred mushroom in the cross i read that when i was about 15 or 16 and it completely blew the top of my head off”
Daniele Bolelli one of them was called the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Christian myth and the first one was called The Sacred… 1
“one of them was called the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Christian myth and the first one was called The Sacred Mushroom in the cross and that one's fascinating book”
Danny Jones I don't know much about John Marco Allegro, but I think that I I read his book the uh the sacred mushroom i… 1
“I don't know much about John Marco Allegro, but I think that I I read his book the uh the sacred mushroom in the cross.”
Dave Attell and that's uh the subject of a book called um the sacred mushroom and the cross This guy John Marco Allegro… 1
“and that's uh the subject of a book called um the sacred mushroom and the cross This guy John Marco Allegro who is hired to decipher the Dead Sea Scrolls”
Graham Hancock uh and so john marco allegro author of the sacred mushroom in the scroll so he releases that book in 1970 a… 1
“uh and so john marco allegro author of the sacred mushroom in the scroll so he releases that book in 1970 and he claims that uh christianity is the guys for a near eastern fertility cult and it's i mean i think it's very interesting but there aren't many linguists who who support the proposition”
Hotep Jesus well there's a book called the sacred mushroom in the cross It's by John Marco Allegro and he was a biblica… 1
“well there's a book called the sacred mushroom in the cross It's by John Marco Allegro and he was a biblical scholar that was one of the guys that was assigned to decipher the Dead Sea Scrolls”
Jesse Michels And then there's the uh John Marco Allegro, the guy who wrote uh the sacred mushroom in the cross, the the… 1
“And then there's the uh John Marco Allegro, the guy who wrote uh the sacred mushroom in the cross, the the guy who was on the Dead Sea Scrolls Commission, who was an ordained minister, but also was agnostic.And after 14 years of deciphering the Dead Sea Scrolls, he's like, I think [laughter] this is all about fertility rituals and”
Paul Stamets and that is the mushroom that was documented in the sacred mushroom in the cross where gianmarco allegro al… 1
“and that is the mushroom that was documented in the sacred mushroom in the cross where gianmarco allegro alleged that he alleged that the entire Christian religion was essentially a misunderstanding”
Wesley Huff the first time I was introduced to Marco legro was not his sacred mushroom and the cross stuff but he publi… 1
“the first time I was introduced to Marco legro was not his sacred mushroom and the cross stuff but he published a book on What's called the Copper Scroll”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker1
“i think it was the the cross book that you've talked about the sacred cross or oh the sacred mushroom in the cross”
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“and the sacred mushroom in the cross books on that but he was a usually guy who studied that the Dead Sea Scrolls”