“Most traditional forms of alcohol are made for immediate consumption”
Most traditional forms of alcohol are made for immediate consumption: They will spoil within a few days of fermentation. This is true for most forms of grain beer before the addition of hops as a preservative (a European invention of the ninth century) and for most other fruit-, sap-, or starch-based alcohols before the invention […] continued…
“Unlike its role in other societies, wine eventually replaced beer and other drinks altogether among Greeks (except Spartans), Etruscans, and Romans of all social classes”
In Europe, credible evidence for alcoholic beverages, especially drinking vessels in funerary contexts, dates back to at least the Neolithic, although it is probable that forms of alcohol such as fermented honey (mead) may have existed even earlier (Dietler 1990, 1996; Sherratt 1991; Vencl 1994). Both grain beers and mead are attested during the Iron […] continued…
Whereas barley beer and beer goddesses reigned supreme in the lowlands of Egypt and Mesopotamia, wine was the preferred fermented beverage in the upland regions of the southern Levant. The Holy Land is where two of the world’s major religions – Judaism and Christianity – originated, and their holy writings (“scriptures”) are a testament to the centrality of wine in faith and practice.
Whereas barley beer and beer goddesses reigned supreme in the lowlands of Egypt and Mesopotamia, wine was the preferred fermented beverage in the upland regions of the southern Levant. The Holy Land is where two of the world’s major religions – Judaism and Christianity – originated, and their holy writings (“scriptures”) are a testament to […] continued…
The Phrase משתה in the Book of Esther
Many English versions translate משתה generally as either “feast” (e.g., ESV, KJV, NKJV) or “banquet” (e.g., NASB, NIV, NRS, RSV, TNK) and understand משתה יין as functioning adverbially. The NASB, for example, understands this construct phrase as the act of drinking: “as they drank their wine at the banquet” (Esth 5:6; 7:2), and “drinking wine” […] continued…
“…while ‘strong drink’ remains the most frequent English translation of שֵׁכָר, confusion about its identity persists”
Today, while ‘strong drink’ remains the most frequent English translation of שֵׁכָר, confusion about its identity persists. The problem of rendering שֵׁכָר into English is best exemplified by the JPS translation of the Hebrew Bible, which uses ten terms for the single Hebrew word: “liquor”, “fermented drink” (with footnote ‘i.e. wine’), “other liquor”, “drink”, “strong […] continued…
“The ancient Near East was divided in its alcoholic beverages into two main regions, those whose geographical properties suited the growing of grapes and those unsuited for growing grapes”
The ancient Near East was divided in its alcoholic beverages into two main regions, those whose geographical properties suited the growing of grapes (e.g. Palestine, Greece) and those unsuited for growing grapes (e.g. Egypt and southern Mesopotamia). The historian Morton Smith once remarked that had Jesus been an Egyptian, beer would be consecrated in the […] continued…
“The contrast between wine culture of Palestine and beer culture of Babylonia is well documented in the Talmud…”
One of the important distinctions between the diet of Graeco-Roman Palestine and Babylonia was the use of wine or beer as a common beverage. It is abundantly clear that in the Graeco-Roman world, wine was the more usual beverage, rather than beer. In Babylonia, there was a tradition of cultivated wine being imported from the […] continued…
“…beverages in antiquity most often contained many ingredients: products solely composed of barley, grapes, or dates were rare”
Compounding the difficulty in identifying שֵׁכָר is the fact that beverages in antiquity most often contained many ingredients: products solely composed of barley, grapes, or dates were rare. Dates were among the most frequent additives to beer, though other fruits (especially grapes, sycamore, and figs), honey (fruit and bee), and spices were also common. Similarly, […] continued…
“…it appears that wine was much more expensive in Babylonia than beer in the Talmudic period”
…it appears that wine was much more expensive in Babylonia than beer in the Talmudic period: R. Hisda said: “When someone can eat barley bread, but eats wheat bread, he violates (the injunction) ‘thou shalt not destroy‘ (Deut. 20:19).” R. Papa said: “When someone can drink beer, but drinks wine, he violates (the injunction), ‘thou […] continued…
“Ancient alcoholic beverages don’t always fit into neat, distinct categories”
Ancient alcoholic beverages don’t always fit into neat, distinct categories. Chemical evidence of ancient alcoholic drinks show that they were often mixed concoctions. It would be rare to find products composed solely of barley, wheat, dates or grapes. Dates (where and when available) were perhaps the most frequent additive to beer. But beers were often […] continued…
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