Israelites used cannabis in rites
Experts have identified black deposits found on two limestone altars in a 2,700-year-old temple near Tel Aviv. The first, frankincense, is mentioned in holy texts, but the second proved to be something not associated with the Bible: cannabis. It's thought to be the first evidence of psychotropic drugs being used in early Jewish worship, and may have been set alight to induce a 'high' among worshippers. Chemical analysis identified several compounds found in cannabis, including its psychoactive element, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).