| Philo speaks more about “manna” specifically in his On Mating with the Preliminary Studies: (173) “And what is said immediately afterwards is an evidence of this: ‘He fed thee with manna.’ Is it, then, proper to call that food which, without any exertion or hardship on his part, and without any trouble of his is given to man, not out of the earth as is usual, but from heaven, a marvellous work, afforded for the benefit of those who are to be permitted to avail themselves of it, the cause of hunger and affliction, and not rather, on the contrary, the cause of prosperity and happiness, of freedom from fear, and of a happy state of orderly living? (174) But men in general and the common herd think that those who are nourished on the word of God live in a miserable and wretched manner; for they are without the taste of the all nourishing food of wisdom; but they are not aware that they are living in the height of happiness.” Prophets / Seers / Visionaries / Shaman In the following paragraph, again, by Philo, the use of the word “prophet” is explained as being a “seer.” The seer is the man of god, or the visionary, or the shaman: (9) (Formerly in Israel, if someone went to inquire of God, they would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.) (10) “Good,” Saul said to his servant. “Come, let’s go.” So, they set out for the town where the man of God was. (11) As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, “Is the seer here?” (12) “He is,” they answered. “He’s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place. (13) As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.” With regards to seership and manna, Philo writes in Who is the Heir of Divine Things: (78) “The good man, then, alone sees; in reference to whom the ancients also called the prophets, seers. But he who advanced further outwards, not only seeing, but seeing God, was called Israel; the meaning of which name is, ‘seeing God.’ But others, even if they ever do open their eyes, still bend them down towards the earth, pursuing only earthly things, and being bred up among material objects; (79) for the one raises his eyes to the sky, beholding the manna, the divine word, the heavenly, incorruptible food of the soul, which is food of contemplation.” So, we have seen here how manna is described as “the divine word” by Philo, as well as “food of the soul” and “food of contemplation.” Many people today call LSD and mushrooms “medicine” referring to its affiliation with the healing of the soul. |
In Philo’s On Flight and Finding, we read more concerning manna: (137) “Those also who have inquired what it is that nourishes the soul, for as Moses says, ‘They knew not what it was,” learnt at last and found that it was the word of God and the divine reason, from which flows all kinds of instinctive and everlasting wisdom. This is the heavenly nourishment which the holy scripture indicates, saying, in the character of the cause of all things, “Behold I rain upon you bread from Heaven;” (138) for in real truth it is God who showers down heavenly wisdom from above upon all the intellects which are properly disposed for the reception of it, and which are fond of contemplation. But those who have seen and tasted it, are exceedingly delighted with it, and understand indeed what they feel, but do not know what the cause is which has affected them; and on this account they inquire, “What is this which is sweeter than honey and whiter than snow?” And they will be taught by the interpreter of the divine will, that “This is the bread which the Lord has given them to Eat.” (139) What then is this bread? Tell us. “This,” says he, “is the word which the Lord has appointed.” This divine appointment at the same time both illuminates and sweetens the soul, which is endowed with sight, shining upon it with the beams of truth, and sweetening with the sweet virtue of persuasion those who thirst and hunger after excellence.” Jonah and the Whale In Jonah 1 and 2, Jonah is swallowed by the whale, and it is related to being “deep in the realm of the dead,” and when Jonah promised to tell everyone “Salvation comes from the Lord” he was regurgitated and spit out. This is what happens from consuming the mushroom whole, without soaking it first or boiling it in water or some other liquid then straining it. Whenever this element is introduced into myth it is in direct reference to the mushroom consumption: “(17) Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (1) From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. (2) He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help and you listened to my cry. (10) And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” (Jonah 1:17, 2:1-2) |