Significance of Dead Sea Scrolls and Gnostic Gospels in Understanding Early Christianity

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The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Gnostic Gospels in 1945 provided a new and mystical perspective on early Christianity. The Gospel of Thomas, a Gnostic Gospel, offers a different portrayal of Jesus compared to the New Testament. These discoveries have added a new dimension to the understanding of early Christianity and have sparked ongoing research in the fields of history, classics, and archaeology.

Sam Harris speaks with Brian Muraresku about ancient mystery religions and the possible psychedelic roots of Christianity. They discuss the Mysteries of Eleusis, the “pagan continuity hypothesis,” the cult of Dionysius, the Dead Sea scrolls and the Gnostic Gospels, Christianity as a cult of human sacrifice, the evidence for the use of psychedelics in ancient rites, the chemical analysis of ancient wine and beer, why Brian hasn’t tried psychedelics, the need for a modern Mysteries of Eleusis, and other topics.

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