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[…]
Category: Wine
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[…]
“…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,[…]
“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[…]
“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[…]
“…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[…]
“…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[…]
“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,[…]
“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 of the industry, and to do that, we have to exist on the non-kosher shelf and compete as quality wines at[…]
“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 speaking, it’s cheaper than wine, allowing connoisseurs access to a broader spectrum, and prompting the development of more esoteric palates. Beer[…]