Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Liquor Enjoyed in Bible Times

Residents of Israel and other Middle-Eastern lands enjoyed a variety of  wines and other intoxicating beverages during daily meals as well as festive occasions..

The Bible writers describe the use the use of wine and intoxicating liquor  on numerous occasions.  The one were Jesus is described turning water into wine for wedding guests is well known, and  other evidence abounds such as the Bible record in places like Deuteronomy 14:26 and Luke 1:15 which describe the use of wine and other "intoxicating liquors".

These liquors  were not the gins and whiskys of modern distillers, however.  This type of liquor we consume so much today came much later in human history. 

The term "intoxicating  liquor" mentioned in the Bible could also refer to to beer  such as the barley beer of Mesopotamia apparently popular not only among the elite  but also the poor people.

This alcoholic beverage was very popular in Bible times, as seem from the discoveries of  clay models of breweries and brewers in Egyptian tombs and the remains of jugs with strainer spouts to keep drinkers from choking on  the husks of the barley plant while drinking. These were discovered throughout Palestine in areas occupied by the Philistines as well as around ancient Babylon.

According to researchers beer seems to have been an everyday drink not only by Babylonian nobles but also the poor people.

So the term "intoxicating liquor" likely referred to such beers. While it was low in alcohol content it could still be intoxicating in drunk in any quanitity.

Or the term could also refer to other alcoholic beverages such as drinks made  from  applies , dates, figs, pomegranates and honey.