“…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...
Category Archives: Wine
“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,...
“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...
“…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...
“…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...
“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...
“Israeli wines need to break out of the kosher market for the long-term health of the industry…”
Israeli wines need to break out of the kosher market for the long-term health...
“The bottom line is that beer is a more democratic product than wine”
The bottom line is that beer is a more democratic product than wine. Generally...
Why Did the Rabbis of the Talmud Speak of Diluting Wine?
While the Mishnah and Gemara are clear that wine should be drunk diluted, the...
The Jews have an old relationship with wine
…the Jewish relationship to wine has remained rooted in religious practice. Despite challenges in simply finding a bottle [or an amphora] of wine, our ancestors were able to maintain their wine traditions. I would venture to say that we Jews have the oldest codified relationship to wine of any people on earth. In this light, how could wine be anything but critical to Jewish life?
Jeff Morgan, quoted in Rob Eshman, “People of the Vine”, The Jewish Journal (30 August – 5 September 2013), 26.