What is the History of Natib Qadish as a Modern Religion?
Modern Canaanite revival probably begins with Am Ha’Aretz, “People of the Land.” This movement is also called Amcha. Amcha incorporates Canaanite and Israelite themes into their philosophies and is a church registered in Israel under “Primitive Hebrew Assembly.” This group has its roots in Ohavei Falcha, “Lovers of the Soil,” a movement which began in the late 1800’s. (For more information on Amcha and Ohavei Falcha, see Jennifer Hunter’s interview with Elisheva in Magickal Judaism: Connecting Pagan and Jewish Practice. Citadel Press Books, Kensington Publishing Corp., New York, New York, 2006, pgs. 18-19.) In Pasadena, California, another group, the Ordo Templi Astartes (OTA) in the 1970’s began to practice Hermetic rites adding Canaanite, Phoenician, and Israelite themes in Golden Dawn-style rituals. (For more information about OTA rites, see Carroll “Poke” Runyon, Seasonal Rites of Baal and Astarte, The Church of Hermetic Sciences, 1999.) During the mid-1990’s a small group met on t
