John Marco Allegro (17 February 1923 – 17 February 1988) was an English archaeologist and Dead Sea Scrolls scholar. He was a populariser of the Dead Sea Scrolls through his books and radio broadcasts. He was the editor of some of the most famous and controversial scrolls published, the ''pesharim''. A number of Allegro's later books, including ''The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross'', brought him both popular fame and notoriety, and also complicated his career.
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