WINE
AND
STRONG
DRINK
'winepress')
had
a
larger
superficial
area,
but
was
mucti
shallower
than
the
lower
trough
or
wine-vat
(.yeqeb,
Is
S',
cf.
RVm).
The
relative
sizes
may
be
seen
from
a
typical
press
described
by
Robinson,
of
which
the
upper
trough
measured
8
feet
square
and
was
15
inches
deep,
while
the
lower
was
4
feet
square
and
3
feet
deep.
The
distinction
between
the
two
is
entirely
obscured
in
EV,
and
is
not
always
preserved
in
the
original.
The
grapes
were
brought
from
the
adjoining
vineyard
in
baskets,
and
were
either
spread
out
for
a
few
days,
with
a
view
to
increase
the
amount
of
sugar
and
diminish
the
amount
of
water
in
the
grapes,
or
were
at
once
thrown
into
the
press-vat.
There
they
were
thoroughly
trodden
with
the
bare
feet,
the
juice
flowing
through
the
con-ducting
channel
into
the
lower
wine-vat.
The
next
process
consisted
in
piling
the
husks
and
stalks
into
a
heap
in
the
middle
of
the
vat,
and
subjecting
the
mass
to
mechanical
pressure
by
means
of
a
wooden
press-
beam,
one
end
of
which
was
fixed
into
a
socket
in
the
wall
of
the
vat
or
of
the
adjacent
rock,
while
the
other
end
was
weighted
with
stones.
While
the
above
may
be
considered
the
normal
con-struction
of
a
Hebrew
winepress,
it
is
evident,
both
from
the
extant
specimens
and
from
the
detailed
references
to
wine-making
in
the
Mishna,
that
the
number
of
troughs
or
vats
might
be
as
high
as
four
(see
the
press
described
and
illustrated
in
PEFSl,
1899,
41
£f.),
or
as
low
as
one.
The
object
of
a
third
vat
was
to
allow
the
'
must
'
to
settle
and
clarify
in
the
second
before
running
it
off
into
the
third.
Where
only
one
vat
is
found,
it
may
have
served
either
as
a
press-vat,
in
which
case
the
'
must
'
was
at
once
transferred
to
earthen
jars
(see
next
section),
or
as
a
wine-
vat
to
receive
the
'
must,'
the
grapes
having
been
pressed
in
a
large
wooden
trough,
such
as
the
Egyptians
used
(Wilkinson,
Anc.
Egyp.
i.
38S
with
illust.).
This
arrangement
would
obviously
be
required
where
a
suitable
rock
surface
was
not
avail-able.
In
such
a
case,
indeed,
a
rock-hewn
trough
of
any
sort
was
dispensed
with,
a
vat
for
the
wooden
press
being
supplied
by
a
large
stone
hollowed
out
for
the
purpose,
an
excellent
specimen
of
which
was
found
at
Tell
es-Safi,
and
is
figured
in
Bliss
and
Macaiister's
Excavations,
etc.,
p.
24
(see,
for
further
details,
the
index
of
that
work,
under
'Vats').
3.
Returning
to
the
normal
press-system,
we
find
that
the
'
must
'
was
usually
left
in
the
wine-
vat
to
undergo
the
first
or
'tumultuous'
fermentation,
after
which
it
was
drawn
off
(Hag
2'',
lit.
'baled
out'),
or,
where
the
vat
had
a
spout,
simply
run
off,
into
large
jars
or
into
wine-skins
(Mt
9"
and||)
for
the
'after-fermentation.'
The
modern
Syrian
wines
are
said
to
complete
their
first
fermentation
in
from
four
to
seven
days,
and
to
be
ready
for
use
at
the
end
of
two
to
four
months.
In
the
Mishna
it
is
ordained
that
'
new
wine
'
cannot
be
presented
at
the
sanctuary
for
the
drink-offering
until
it
has
stood
for
at
least
forty
days
in
the
fermenting
jars.
When
the
fermentation
had
run
its
full
course,
the
wine
was
racked
off
into
smaller
jars
and
skins,
the
latter
for
obvious
reasons
being
preferred
by
travellers
(Jos
9*-
").
At
the
same
time,
the
liquor
was
strained
(Mt
23i'<;
cf.
Is
25«
'wines
on
the
lees
well
refined,'
i.e.
strained)
through
a
metal
or
eathenware
strainer,
or
through
a
linen
cloth.
In
the
further
course
of
maturing,
in
order
to
prevent
the
wine
from
thickening
on
the
lees
(Zeph
l'^
RVm),
it
was
from
time
to
time
decanted
from
one
vessel
to
another.
The
even
tenor
of
Moabite
history
is
compared
to
wine
to
which
this
process
has
not
been
applied
(Jer
48"').
When
sufficiently
refined,
the
wine
was
poured
into
jars
lined
with
pitch,
which
were
carefully
closed
and
sealed
and
stored
in
the
wine
cellars
(1
Ch
27").
The
Lebanon
(Hos
14')
and
Helbon
(Ezk
27"),
to
the
N.W.
of
Damascus,
were
two
localities
specially
celebrated
for
their
wines.
It
may
be
stated
at
this
point
that
no
trace
can
be
WINE
AND
STRONG
DRINK
found,
among
the
hundreds
of
references
to
the
prep-aration
and
use
of
wine
in
the
Mishna,
of
any
means
employed
to
preserve
wine
in
the
unfermented
state.
It
is
even
improbable
that
with
the
means
at
their
disposal
the
Jews
could
have
so
preserved
it
had
they
wished
(cf.
Professor
Macaiister's
statement
as
to
the
'impossibility'
of
unf
eimented
wine
at
this
period,
in
Hastings'
DB
ii.
34'>).
4.
Of
all
the
fermented
liquors,
other
than
wine,
with
which
the
Hebrews
are
likely
to
have
been
familiar,
the
oldest
historically
was
almost
certainly
that
made
from
dates
(cf.
§
1).
These,
according
to
Pliny,
were
steeped
in
water
before
being
sent
to
the
press,
where
they
were
probably
treated
as
the
olives
were
treated
In
the
oil-press
(see
Oil).
Date
wine
was
greatly
prized
by
the
Babylonians,
and
is
said
by
Herodotus
to
have
been
the
principal
article
of
Assyrian
commerce.
In
the
Mishna
there
is
frequent
mention
also
of
cider
or
'apple'
wine,
made
from
the
quince
or
whatever
other
fruit
the
'apple'
of
the
Hebrews
may
signify.
The
only
wine,
other
than
'the
fruit
of
the
vine,'
men-tioned
by
name
in
OT
is
the
'sweet
wine'
of
pome-granates
(Ca
S'
RVm).
Like
the
dates,
these
fruits
were
first
crushed
in
the
oil-mill,
after
which
the
juice
was
allowed
to
ferment.
In
the
Mishna,
further,
we
find
references
to
various
fermented
liquors
imported
from
abroad,
among
them
the
beer
for
which
Egypt
was
famed.
A
striking
and
unexpected
witness
to
the
extent
to
which
the
wines
of
the
West
were
imported
has
recently
been
furnished
by
the
handles
of
wine
jars,
especially
of
amphora
from
Rhodes,
which
have
been
found
in
such
numbers
in
the
cities
excavated
in
Southern
Palestine
(see
Bliss
and
Macalister,
op.
cit,
131
S.,
and
more
fully
PEFSl,
1901).
6.
The
Hebrew
wines
were
light,
and
in
early
times
were
probably
taken
neat.
At
all
events,
the
first
clear
reference
to
diluting
with
water
is
contained
in
2
Mac
15":
'It
is
hurtful
to
drink
wine
or
water
alone,'
but
'wine
mingled
with
water
is
pleasant,'
and
in
NT
times
this
may
be
taken
as
the
habitual
practice.
The
wine
of
Sharon,
it
is
said,
was
mixed
with
two
parts
of
water,
being
a
lighter
wine
than
most.
With
other
wines,
according
to
the
Talmud,
the
proportion
was
one
part
of
wine
to
three
parts
of
water.
The
'mingling'
or
mixing
of
strong
drink
denounced
by
Isaiah
(5^)
has
reference
to
the
ancient
practice
of
adding
aromatic
herbs
and
spices
to
the
wine
in
order
to
add
to
its
flavour
and
strength.
Such
was
the
'spiced
wine'
of
Ca
8^.
Our
Saviour
on
the
cross,
it
will
be
remembered,
was
offered
'wine
mingled
with
myrrh'
(Mk
15«,
cf.
Mt
27^
RV).
6.
The
use
of
wine
was
universal
among
all
classes
(see
Meals,
§
6),
with
the
exception
of
those
who
had
taken
a
vow
of
abstinence,
such
as
the
Nazirites
and
Rechabites.
The
priests
also
had
to
abstain,
but
only
when
on
duty
in
the
sanctuary
(Lv
10')
I
A
libation
of
wine
formed
the
necessary
accompaniment
of
the
daily
burnt-offering
and
of
numerous
other
offerings
(cf.
Sir
50''
RV:
'
He
stretched
out
his
hand
to
the
cup,
and
poured
of
the
blood
of
the
grape
...
at
the
foot
of
the
altar').
The
attitude
of
the
prophets
and
other
teachers
of
Israel,
including
our
Lord
Himself,
to
the
ordinary
use
of
wine
as
a
beverage
is
no
doubt
accurately
reflected
in
the
saying
of
Jesus
ben-Sira:
'wine
drunk
In
measure
and
to
satisfy
is
joy
of
heart
and
gladness
of
soul'
(Sir
31«8
RV).
At
the
same
time,
they
were
fully
alive
to
the
danger,
and
unsparingly
denounced
the
sin,
of
excessive
indulgence
(see,
e.g..
Is
5"^-
'"'■
28'-«,
Hos
4",
Pr
20'
2329-32
etc.).
In
the
altered
social
conditions
of
our
own
day,
however,
it
must
be
admitted
that
the
rule
of
conduct
formulated
by
St.
Paul
in
1
Co
8'-"
(cf.
Ro
1413-21)
appeals
to
the
individual
conscience
with
greater
urgency
and
insistence
than
ever
before
in
the
experience
of
Jew
or
Christian.
A.
R.
S.
K&NNBDT.
