DOCSLIB.ORG

The Song of Songs

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Song of Songs ^g*W OF PBI/VCf^js Logical sttt^ BS <T5Z\ THE SONG OF SONGS. THE SONG OF SONGS A REVISED TRANSLATION WITH INTRODUCTION AND COMMENTARY. BY JOSEPH FRANCIS THRUPP, M.A. VICAR OF BARRINGTON, LATE FELLOW OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, AUTHOR OF "AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY AND USE OF THE PSALMS'* &c. MACMILLAN AND CO. ©am&rfoge attD Eontion. 1862. : Cautbribge PRINTED BY C. J. CLAY, M.A. AT THE UNIVERSITY PKESS. PREFACE. The object of this volume is to unfold the meaning of one of the least appreciated portions of Holy Scrip- ture. It is hoped that neither the necessary references to the original Hebrew, nor the discussion, which can be passed over at pleasure, of the principal counter-theories of interpretation, will render it less acceptable to the majority of readers. It seemed undesirable, in the interest of the truth, to leave room for suspicion that the traditional interpretation of tire Song, howsoever it might have ministered to the edification of nearly fifty generations of Christians, would not be borne out by the results of the investigations of modern scholarship. I have therefore sought throughout to build on the surest attainable foundation. That I have written to the best of my own judgment, not defending received VI PREFACE. opinions simply because they were received, the open- ing section of the Introduction will shew. But as it is in reference to the manner in which the Song should be interpreted that the authority of the general consent of the Christian Church will carry most weight, so also am I firmly persuaded that the conclusions of sober criticism will here be found to accord with the traditions of Christian teaching; and that the more closely the Song be examined, the less compatible will its language and structure prove with any other theme than that of the mutual love of the Incarnate Son of God and his redeemed Church. The use made by me of the labours of others, of whatever critical school, will sufficiently appear in the course of the work itself; which I now humbly com- mend to Almighty God in the hope that it may in some measure serve to the promotion of his glory. Barrington Vicarage, Royston, November 1862. CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION. SECT. PAGE 1. Title, Date, and Authorship 1 2. History of the Interpretation 16 3. Refutation of the theory which identifies the Bride with the Virgin Mary 36 4. Refutation of the typical and hebdomadal-nuptial theories 38 5. Refutation of the modern dramatic theory . 41 6. Evidence for the allegorical interpretation . 49 7. Is the Beloved God or the Messiah ? . .61 8. Is the Bride the Church or the Jewish nation 1 . 64 9. How far is the Song historico-prophetical 1 . 67 10. How far may it be interpreted of the individual soul? 71 11. Form and Divisions of the Song .... 73 12. The Prophetical character and announcements of the Song, viewed in reference to the age at which it was written 7(> 13. Use of the Song in the Christian Church . 82 vni CONTENTS. THE SONG OF SONGS. PAGE The Anticipation, i. 2—n. 7 89 The Awaiting, n. 8— in. * 121 The Espousal and its Results, in. G—v. I . 139 The Absence, v. 2—S 191 The Presence, v. 9—vni. 4 209 Love's Triumph, vni. 5— 12 261 The Conclusion, vni. 13, 14 2v2 ; THE SOXG OF SOXGS. INTRODUCTION. § i. The Hebrew title of this Book is D*WTl W r\u?$P/ ")£?X Shir hash-shirim asher U-Shelomoh, E. V. ' : The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's." The authenticity of this title has been by many called in question on the ground that it contains the relative "lC?tf in its full and usual form, instead of the provincialism, archaism, vulgarism, or abbreviation, £?, which is uniformly employed throughout the Song it- self. But it can hardly be deemed unnatural that the idiom of the title should here not conform to that of the Song. And the argument to the prejudice of the title derived from this circumstance is more than counterbalanced by the argument for its authenticity furnished by the homoeophony of the words "It? tf and 1*W (asher and shir), homoeophony of a kind of which we have throughout the Song many examples (see on I. 3). 1 2 THE SONG OF SONGS. The earlier part of the title denotes " the best or most excellent of songs." The latter part has been almost universally under- stood as ascribing the authorship of the Song to Solo- mon; and it must be admitted, from a comparison of the superscriptions of the psalms, &c. that this is the obvious and j)rimd facie interpretation of its meaning. The internal evidence of the Song itself does not, however, when fairly weighed, confirm us in the conclu- sion that Solomon should be viewed as the author. We know, in the first place, that it has generally pleased God to set apart the fittest human instruments for the different branches of his earthly work. In most books of Scripture there is an evident native harmony between the prophet and the message which he was commissioned to deliver, between the writer and the theme which he was selected to illustrate. Does it then appear from all that can be gathered of the character of Solomon, that he was the man to whom the execution of the Song of Songs was likely to be divinely en- trusted ? Some qualifications for the task may indeed be fairly conceded to him. Such were his taste for the beauties of nature, and his scientific acquaintance with those na- tural objects, animate and inanimate, whence many of the images of the Song are drawn. Such also were his taste for all kinds of artificial magnificence, and the fa- miliarity with such magnificence which he was enabled to acquire by reason of the wealth at his command. On these points the upholders of the Solomonic author- INTRODUCTION. 6 sliip of the Song have with justice enlarged. Moreover the mention of his thousand and five songs attests his cultivated love of poetry, and especially of poetry allied to the Song of Songs by outward form. But it is otherwise when we pass from the outward form and imagery of the Song to its innermost essence. That essence is love : love in all its perfectness and purity. Such love there is no evidence that Solomon had been fitted by any training to appreciate. He was voluptuous, perhaps,, sensual; but there is nought in his history to shew that he ever loved chastely, or tenderly, or self-denyingly, or consistently, or even deeply. His principal marriage, that with Pharaoh's daughter, makes some figure in Scripture; but only so far as it there illustrates his splendour. As to its morality, it was certainly contracted in public violation of the Law of Moses; and that it was otherwise more commendable we have no warrant for assuming, no indication being given that it either originated in love, or terminated in happiness. Of his other love-relations, or quasi-love- relations, we are only informed in general terms, that he "loved many strange women" of the surrounding nations ; that, despite the Lord's commandment, he "clave unto them in love;" that he "had seven hun- dred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines," and that they "turned away his heart;" and that he made provision for their various idolatries (1 Kings xi. 1 —8). Doubtless we must not judge his multitude of wives from a Christian point of view. Polygamy pre- vailed more or less in ancient times, and there are not 1—2 4 THE SONG OF SONGS. wanting in the Old Testament examples, such as Abra- ham, of polygamists who gave proof of genuine conjugal attachment. Yet polygamy was always a dark cloud on the love-relation, a deep hindrance to love's unal- loyed purity. It terribly overshadowed the mutuality of the relations of the bridegroom and the bride, the " I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine," which the Song of Songs brings so emphatically before our gaze (ir. 16; VI. 3, &c). This being so, the allowance which we are bound to make for those who practised it cannot be fairly extended in all its fulness to those who first brought it into vogue; and for the like reason we can hardly acquit of personal hardness of heart the man who with unbridled excess increased his harem far beyond the limits generally observed by even Oriental princes. If critics had only refrained from surrounding Solo- mon's Egyptian marriage with a halo of bright fancies for which there is no scriptural warrant, and from con- necting, against all reason, with the person of the peace- ful Solomon the prophetical Psalm xlv, in which the Messiah appears not only as a bridegroom but also as a warrior, they would have seen how little foundation really exists for the hypothesis of that monarch's ability to depict the pure delights of holy bridal love. It is certainly not easily to be imagined that he in whom culminated the ancient disregard of the true and original position of woman as man's help meet and partner, should have been specially selected by the Holy Spirit of God to delineate, in all its delicacy and sacredness, that purest communion of love between Christ and his ! INTRODUCTION. O Church, of which natural love in its primeval innocency is the type. When moreover we find Solomon's ex- periences in connexion with earthly love pleaded as fitting him for the composition of the Song which we possess, one cannot help remarking how different his experiences from those of some of the foremost commen- tators on the Book, such, for instance, as Origen and Bernard But it will be asked, Why then should the Beloved of the Song be designated, as all allegorical interpreters admit to be the case, by Solomon's name? Can it be denied that King Solomon was the type whom the poet, in singing of the Beloved of the Church, had in view; that he haunted him as the shadow of that heavenly Bridegroom flitting beforehand across the stage of his- tory? To a certain extent, no doubt, the person of the historical Solomon was present to the poet's gaze.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Mandrake and the Ancient World,” the Evangelical Quarterly 28.2 (1956): 87-92
    R.K. Harrison, “The Mandrake And The Ancient World,” The Evangelical Quarterly 28.2 (1956): 87-92. The Mandrake and the Ancient World R.K. Harrison [p.87] Professor Harrison, of the Department of Old Testament in Huron College, University of Western Ontario, has already shown by articles in THE EVANGELICAL QUARTERLY his interest and competence in the natural history of the Bible. Here he examines one of the more curious Biblical plants. The mandrake is one of the plants which still grows widely in the Middle East, and which has claimed magical associations from a very remote period. It is generally assigned the botanical name of Mandragora officinarum L..1 and is a perennial of the order Solanaceae. It claims affinity with the potato and eggplant, and is closely allied to the Atropa belladonna L.,2 with which it is not infrequently confused by some writers. The modern Arab knows it by a number of names, including Tuffah£ el Majanin (‘Madmen’s Apple) and Beid el Jinn (Eggs of the Jinn), apparently a reference to the ability of the plant to invigorate and stimulate the senses even to the point of mental imbalance. The former name may perhaps be a survival of the belief found in Oriental folk-lore regarding the magical herb Baaras, with which the mandrake is identified by some authorities.3 According to the legends associated with this plant, it was highly esteemed amongst the ancients on account of its pronounced magical properties. But because of the potency of these attributes it was an extremely hazardous undertaking for anyone to gather the plant, and many who attempted it were supposed to have paid for their daring with [p.88] sickness and death.4 Once the herb had been gathered, however, it availed for a number of diseases, and in antiquity it was most reputed for its ability to cure depression and general disorders of the mind.
    [Show full text]
  • Drugs That Can Cause Delirium (Anticholinergic / Toxic Metabolites)
    Drugs that can Cause Delirium (anticholinergic / toxic metabolites) Deliriants (drugs causing delirium) Prescription drugs . Central acting agents – Sedative hypnotics (e.g., benzodiazepines) – Anticonvulsants (e.g., barbiturates) – Antiparkinsonian agents (e.g., benztropine, trihexyphenidyl) . Analgesics – Narcotics (NB. meperidine*) – Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs* . Antihistamines (first generation, e.g., hydroxyzine) . Gastrointestinal agents – Antispasmodics – H2-blockers* . Antinauseants – Scopolamine – Dimenhydrinate . Antibiotics – Fluoroquinolones* . Psychotropic medications – Tricyclic antidepressants – Lithium* . Cardiac medications – Antiarrhythmics – Digitalis* – Antihypertensives (b-blockers, methyldopa) . Miscellaneous – Skeletal muscle relaxants – Steroids Over the counter medications and complementary/alternative medications . Antihistamines (NB. first generation) – diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine). Antinauseants – dimenhydrinate, scopolamine . Liquid medications containing alcohol . Mandrake . Henbane . Jimson weed . Atropa belladonna extract * Requires adjustment in renal impairment. From: K Alagiakrishnan, C A Wiens. (2004). An approach to drug induced delirium in the elderly. Postgrad Med J, 80, 388–393. Delirium in the Older Person: A Medical Emergency. Island Health www.viha.ca/mhas/resources/delirium/ Drugs that can cause delirium. Reviewed: 8-2014 Some commonly used medications with moderate to high anticholinergic properties and alternative suggestions Type of medication Alternatives with less deliriogenic
    [Show full text]
  • PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS (P.L) 1. Terminology “Hallucinogens
    PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS (p.l) 1. Terminology “hallucinogens” – induce hallucinations, although sensory distortions are more common “psychotomimetics” – to minic psychotic states, although truly most drugs in this class do not do so “phantasticums”or “psychedelics” – alter sensory perception (Julien uses “psychedelics”) alterations in perception, cognition, and mood, in presence of otherwise clear ability to sense” may increase sensory awareness, increase clarity, decrease control over what is sensed/experienced “self-A” may feel a passive observer of what “self-B” is experiencing often accompanied by a sense of profound meaningfulness, of divine or cosmic importance (limbic system?) these drugs can be classified by what NT they mimic: anti-ACh, agonists for NE, 5HT, or glutamate (See p. 332, Table 12.l in Julien, 9th Ed.) 2. The Anti-ACh Psychedelics e.g. scopolamine (classified as an ACh blocker) high affinity, no efficacy plant product: Belladonna or “deadly nightshade” (Atropa belladonna) Datura stramonium (jimson weed, stinkweed) Mandragora officinarum (mandrake plant) pupillary dilation (2nd to atropine) PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS (p.2) 2. Anti-ACh Psychedelics (cont.) pharmacological effects: e.g. scopolamine (Donnatal) clinically used to tx motion sickness, relax smooth muscles (gastric cramping), mild sedation/anesthetic effect PNS effects --- dry mouth relaxation of smooth muscles decreased sweating increased body temperature blurred vision dry skin pupillary dilation tachycardia, increased BP CNS effects --- drowsiness, mild euphoria profound amnesia fatigue decreased attention, focus delirium, mental confusion decreased REM sleep no increase in sensory awareness as dose increases --- restlessness, excitement, hallucinations, euphoria, disorientation at toxic dose levels --- “psychotic delirium”, confusion, stupor, coma, respiratory depression so drug is really an intoxicant, amnestic, and deliriant 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Magical Herbalism Pdf, Epub, Ebook
    MAGICAL HERBALISM PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Scott Cunningham | 260 pages | 08 Nov 2001 | Llewellyn Publications,U.S. | 9780875421209 | English | Minnesota, United States Magical Herbalism PDF Book Tend and care of the foxglove, also known as fairies thimbles, to enjoy their protection. Worn or carried, it ensures safety during travel. So, use aconite to wash your ritual tools and space. Nov 19, Natural magic utilizes the world around us for magical purposes. And most importantly, they work! This protection herb can be used in a sachet. Money, luck, healing, obtaining the treasure. Taken to funerals, eases grief and calms mind. Today the name Cunningham is synonymous with natural magic and the magical community. This is a popular Hoodoo charm for gamblers. Use to dress candles for any form of magickal healing. I'm an open-minded person, but I'm logical. Why are herbs magical? Smolder for purification. Any object which holds some caraway seeds is theft-free. Often used as a substitute for the rare mandrake root in poppet magick. Empower with tourmaline. Increases the power of any incense you make. A composition book or spiral bound notebook works perfectly! Magical Herbalism Writer Amaranth Amaranthus hydrochondriacus Love-lies-bleeding, red cockscomb, velvet flower Feminine. Out-of-Body Experiences. The question to ask is, How? Folk magick is accessible to everyone. A bag of camphor hung around the neck keeps flus and colds away. Use with caution. Burn as incense or carry as a sachet for a good psychic power stimulator. Bavarian Root Doctors and Herbal Lore. Corn Zea Mays aka maize, seed of seeds, sacred mother Feminine.
    [Show full text]
  • Iconography of the Solanaceae from Antiquity to the Xviith Century: a Rich Source of Information on Genetic Diversity and Uses
    Iconography of the Solanaceae from Antiquity to the XVIIth Century: a Rich Source of Information on Genetic Diversity and Uses Marie-Christine Daunay and Henri Laterrot Jules Janick INRA, Unité de Génétique & Amélioration Department of Horticulture des Fruits et Légumes Landscape Architecture Domaine St. Maurice, BP 94 Purdue University 84143 Montfavet cedex 625 Agriculture Mall Drive France West Lafayette, IN 47907–2010 USA Keywords: alkekenge, belladonna, capsicum pepper, datura, eggplant, henbane, husk tomato, mandrake, nightshades, potato, tobacco, tomato, Renaissance herbals Abstract The systematic study of solanaceous plant iconography has been a neglected source of information although historical records (ceramics, painted and printed images in manuscripts, and printed documents) are numerous. Many wild and domesticated solanaceous species have been associated with human culture from antiquity, as medicinal, ritual or magical herbs and/or food crops in the Old World (alkekenge, belladonna, eggplant, henbane, mandrake) and New World (capsicum pepper, datura, husk tomato, potato, tobacco, tomato). Mandrake (Mandragora spp.) images can be found in Egyptian sources in the second millennium BCE, and along with alkekenge (Physalis alkekengi) and black nightshade (Solanum nigrum aff.) are found in the oldest extant copy of the Materia Medica of Dioscorides (Codex Vindobonensis, Aniciae Julianae, 512 CE), as well as in many later Medieval and Renaissance sources. Images of henbane (Hyocyamus spp.) appears in the VIIIth century while belladonna (Atropa belladonna) first appears in the Renaissance. Images of eggplant (Solanum melongena), an Asian crop, are found in Asian and European manuscripts from the XIVth century onwards. Images of New World species are present in pre-Columbian sources, attesting to their wide use by native populations.
    [Show full text]
  • Religion and the Return of Magic: Wicca As Esoteric Spirituality
    RELIGION AND THE RETURN OF MAGIC: WICCA AS ESOTERIC SPIRITUALITY A thesis submitted for the degree of PhD March 2000 Joanne Elizabeth Pearson, B.A. (Hons.) ProQuest Number: 11003543 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 11003543 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 AUTHOR’S DECLARATION The thesis presented is entirely my own work, and has not been previously presented for the award of a higher degree elsewhere. The views expressed here are those of the author and not of Lancaster University. Joanne Elizabeth Pearson. RELIGION AND THE RETURN OF MAGIC: WICCA AS ESOTERIC SPIRITUALITY CONTENTS DIAGRAMS AND ILLUSTRATIONS viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ix ABSTRACT xi INTRODUCTION: RELIGION AND THE RETURN OF MAGIC 1 CATEGORISING WICCA 1 The Sociology of the Occult 3 The New Age Movement 5 New Religious Movements and ‘Revived’ Religion 6 Nature Religion 8 MAGIC AND RELIGION 9 A Brief Outline of the Debate 9 Religion and the Decline o f Magic? 12 ESOTERICISM 16 Academic Understandings of
    [Show full text]
  • The Mandrake Plant and Its Legend
    !is volume is dedicated to Carole P. Biggam, Honorary Senior Research Fellow and Visiting Lecturer at the University of Glasgow, who by the foundation of the Anglo-Saxon Plant- Name Survey, decisively revived the interest in Old English plant-names and thus motivated us to organize the Second Symposium of the ASPNS at Graz University. “What's in a name? !at which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet …” Shakespeare, Rome and Juliet, II,ii,1-2. Old Names – New Growth 9 PREFACE Whereas the "rst symposium of the ASPNS included examples of research from many disciplines such as landscape history, place-name studies, botany, art history, the history of food and medicine and linguistic approaches, the second symposium had a slightly di#erent focus because in the year 2006 I had, together with my colleague Hans Sauer, started the project 'Digital and Printed Dictionary of Old English Plan-Names'. !erefore we wanted to concentrate on aspects relevant to the project, i.e. mainly on lexicographic and linguistic ma$ers. Together with conferences held more or less simultaneously to mark the occasion of the 300th anniversary of Linnaeus' birthday in Sweden, this resulted in fewer contributors than at the "rst symposium. As a consequence the present volume in its second part also contains three contributions which are related to the topic but were not presented at the conference: the semantic study by Ulrike Krischke, the interdisciplinary article on the mandragora (Anne Van Arsdall/Helmut W. Klug/Paul Blanz) and - for 'nostalgic' reasons - a translation of my "rst article (published in 1973) on the Old English plant-name fornetes folm.
    [Show full text]
  • Mandrake Mandragora Officinarum
    Mandrake Mandragora officinarum Nicole Stivers Mandrake Family: Solanaceae or the nightshades family. There are approximately 98 genera and 2700 species. Genus: Mandragora Species: officinarum Common Names: mandrake, mandragora, Satan’s apple, testes of the demon, man’s plant, witch’s drink Relatives: potato, tomato, eggplant, belladonna, chili pepper, bell pepper, tobacco plant Geography of Cultivation Mandrake is native to the Mediterranean, particularly northern Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia. The plant remains in this region. Since the plant is not desired by most, cultivation in other regions is due to religious and superstitious reasons. Morphological Description Mandrake is a variable perennial herbaceous plant with a long thick root, often branched. It has almost no stem, and the elliptical or obovate leaves that vary in length are borne in a basal rosette. The flowers appear from autumn to spring. They are greenish white to blue or violet. The fruit forms in late autumn to early summer. The berry is yellow or orange and resembles a tomato. The mandrake is poisonous, especially the roots and leaves. This is due to tropane alkaloids that are present. Features of Cultivation Mandrake is hardy in USDA zones 6-8. It prefers a deep, rich soil. The roots will rot in poorly drained or clay soil. Full sun or partial shade is preferred. It takes about two years for the plant to become established and set fruit, and during this time the soil needs to be well-watered. Plant Uses They have been associated with a variety of superstitious practices, such as magic rituals. Modern pagan religions, such as Wicca and Odinism, also use mandrake in their practices.
    [Show full text]
  • Song of Songs - Rev
    1 Commentary to the Song of Songs - Rev. John Schultz The Song of the Lamb Introduction: Most of the introductory remarks are gleaned from The Tyndale Old Testament Commentary The Song of Solomon by G. Lloyd Carr. From Nelson’s Bible Dictionary we copy the following outline of the book: I. The Beginning of Love 1:1-5:1 A. Falling in Love 1:1-3:5 1. Bride’s Longing for Affection 1:1-8 2. Expressions of Mutual Love 1:9-2:7 3. Visit of the King to the Bride’s Home 2:8-17 4. Bride’s Dream of Separation 3:1-5 B. United in Love 3:6-5:1 1. Wedding Procession 3:6-11 2. Bride’s Beauty Is Praised 4:1-15 3. The Marriage Is Consummated 4:16-5:1 II. Broadening of Love 5:2-8:14 A. Struggling in Love 5:2-7:10 1. Bride’s Second Dream of Separation 5:2-7 2. Bridegroom’s Handsomeness Is Praised 5:8-6:3 3. Bride’s Beauty Is Praised 6:4-7:10 B. Growing in Love 7:11-8:14 1. Bride’s Desire to Visit Her Home 7:11-8:4 A very interesting outline as the one given in Dr. Richard C. Moulton’s A Suite of Seven Idyls, as quoted in Sidlow Baxter’s book Exploring the Book. Baxter writes that the word “Idyll” comes from the Greek eidullion, which means “little picture.” Moulton sees the Song of Solomon as a poem that reminisces about the events that took place in the past.
    [Show full text]
  • Genesis 29:14 - 30:24 - to Be Married to a Man Who Doesn’T Love You, and the Story of Jesus Christ
    Genesis 29:14 - 30:24 - To be married to a man who doesn’t love you, and the story of Jesus Christ - Author: Evert Jan Hempenius © 2015 www.christianstudylibrary.org For any questions about this Scripture passage or the notes, please contact us through the Contact Us tab on the website. Foreword The story of Jacob who married Leah and Rachel, the two daughters of his uncle Laban, and the subsequent tale of the birth of eleven sons and one daughter is fundamental for the people of Israel, and also fundamental for the church of Christ. The sons of Jacob became the tribes of Israel and their names will be written on the gates of the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven (Rev. 21:1-27, especially Rev. 21:12).1 More important: Judah is born (Gen. 29:35). He is mentioned in the lineage of Jesus Christ (Mt 1:2). And our Lord is called: “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” It is salvation history. Context The promise given to Abram/Abraham (Gen. 12:2-3) is fundamental to the understanding of the second part of the book of Genesis (12-50): o “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, 1 The history of the names of the tribes is interesting. There had actually been thirteen tribes: the sons of Joseph became two tribes and the tribe of Levi was set apart for the worship service.
    [Show full text]
  • Atropa Belladonna, Deadly Nightshade
    J R Coll Physicians Edinb 2007; 37:77–84 PAPER © 2007 Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Solanaceae IV: Atropa belladonna, Deadly Nightshade MR Lee Emeritus Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland ABSTRACT The Deadly Nightshade, Atropa belladonna, is a plant surrounded by Published online March 2007 myth, fear and awe. In antiquity, the Greeks and the Romans knew that it contained a deadly poison. In medieval times, it was widely used by witches, Correspondence to MR Lee, 112 sorcerors and professional poisoners. Linnaeus later codified its remarkable Polwarth Terrace, Edinburgh, properties as the genus Atropa, the Fate that slits the thin spun life and the species EH11 1NN belladonna because of its power to dilate the pupils. In the 1830s, the pure tel. +44 (0)131 337 7386 alkaloid l-atropine was isolated from the plant. This proved to be a significant tool in the study of the autonomic nervous system leading to the identification of acetylcholine as an important neurotransmitter in mammals. When pure atropine became available, it caused a large number of deaths, whether by accident, suicide or homicide. KEYWORDS Acetylcholine,Atropa, belladonna, murder, poisoning, quinine DECLARATION OF INTERESTS No conflict of interests declared. In this, the final article of a short series on the Solanaceae, I describe the deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), a plant hallowed by long tradition as one of the classic poisons of antiquity. Extracted from the plant is the alkaloid atropine (dl-hyoscyamine) which was to prove a cornerstone in the study of autonomic pharmacology. The use of atropine as a homicidal poison seemed to have gradually faded away but then in the 1990s, Dr Agutter in Edinburgh attempted, in a spectacular fashion, to poison his wife with the pure alkaloid.
    [Show full text]
  • Hallucinogens How Are They Taken?
    Hallucinogens How are they taken? • Eaten – fresh or dried, crushed leaves or seeds, as a tea or decoc:on, smoked (a new world custom) • Snuffing – yopo, epena, ebil , rape dos indoios • Plant addi:ves – plants added to mix of other hallucinogens to prolong or intensify the effects. Hemispherical differences • Fewer examples from the old world that the new world. There are 15 to 20 species used in the Eastern Hemisphere but more than 100 in the Western. • Exepons from the Eastern Hemisphere would be Cannabis, Henbane, nightshade, Belladonna and Mandrake. Mushrooms • Amanita muscaria – used in northeastern Siberia • Taken alone or with reindeer milk or wild plants’ juice • Ac:ve compounds passed in urine • Said to be connected to Rig-Veda Mushrooms, con:nued • Psilocybe cubensis and other species. • Used in ancient ceremonies in Mexico • Visual and auditory hallucinaons, a disembodiment and intensificaon of senses Old world plants Cannabis • Old world in origin, nave to central Asia • Kif, Bhang, Charas, Marihuana, Hasheesh, Hemp • Some:mes called a “camp follower” because of its presence around human habitaons. • Cons:tuents concentrated in a resin of the female flower with much variaon from races and strains of the plant. • Ancient use across China and the middle east. Old World Plants Belladonna (Atropa belladonna) • Highly poisonous and hallucinogenic. • Part of medieval Europe’s witches brews. • A beauty aid in medieval Italy – as eye drops • Alkaloid hyoscyamine, scopolamine, the psychoac:ve component, and atropine Old world plants Henbane, Hyoscyamus niger • Another for the witches pot in old Europe • Hallucinaons and sensaon of flight • Alkaloid, Hyocyamine but also scopolamine Plants of the old World Mandrake Mandragora officinarum Mandrake • “Its complex history as a magic hypno:c in the folklore of Europe cannot be equaled by any species anywhere.
    [Show full text]