We may assume, then, that all the poets from Homer downwards have no grasp of reality but merely give us superficial representation of any subject they treat. The core issue is remaining free and sober-minded to do the will of God. Was there alcohol in the wine in the Bible? However, in truth, we will probably never know and, along these lines, we really shouldnt need to: when it comes down to it, a persons faith is based on much bigger things than their opinion of alcohol. But, the kindness and intentions of even the most good-hearted of men wasnt enough to save Israeli wine from its past reputation. Due to the later invention of distilling, strong drinks like liquor exceed 20% alcohol for which today's wine is coming close to matching. The history of Israeli wine is unique in that it also involves the history of Christ. [2] Moreover, the passage in the nazirite law strongly implies that wine and shekhar must both be grape products, since vv. However, I do have "an axe to grind." Num 6, Judges 13). We also see God withholding those necessities for disobedience. While some people insist that Jesus drank wine, others insist that he didn't . 14. And I definitely tried to stay away from the girls who did that stuff. Water can contain diseases and bacteria. Fact #3: In both testaments, the Bible clearly condemns drunkenness (e.g., Prov. There are about 5000 teenage deaths per year that are alcohol related. (d) God created many things for us that could be abused or misused. I have had several requests for Part 2 of "Wine in the Ancient World." Editors Note: In a future article, we will compare New Testament wine to modern alcoholic beverages. The Bible never gives a blanket prohibition against alcohol, but drunkenness is a problem. 1 Corinthians 6:12. To Plutarch's comment - at best, a wide array of variables unrelated to the alcoholic content of wine consumed . Verses 32-35 continue the same description; context always makes it clear when alcohol is meant. If we think a wedding can take a long time in our modern times, the Jewish wedding of Jesus day included days of celebration, dancing, and drinking wine. Jaundice. Yet the locals drink it and do not get violently sick. The plain truth is the best biblical scholars argue consistently and clearly, that not only is the "wine" of the Bible alcoholic, maintaining unfermented grape juice would be a virtual impossibility. E-mail: abaker@churchhistory101.com Although the principles of distillation were known in the ancient Orient, the distillation of liquor, a much younger art than the fermentation of beers and wines, is believed to date from the 11th century in Europe. 1 The Jews depended on the yeast and sugars in the grape itself to produce the alcohol. However, other texts show that the New Testament authors approved the use of wine in moderation (1 Tim. Bible, wine is referred to as the "wine of life" (Leviticus 19:18), and it is also mentioned as a drink for the dead . The Bible makes it clear that Jesus drank wine (Matthew 15:11; Luke 7:33-35). Wine was a disinfectant. This shows us that the word new wine (oinos) describes what we call grape juice pressed from the grapes. =). 5:18) and even insists that drunkenness is inconsistent with an authentic Christian lifestyle (1 Cor. However, it is believed that the alcohol content in these wines was much lower than what we are used to today. For example, Isaiah 16:10 says, "And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing . How strong an alcoholic content was the Old Wine of the Old and New Testaments? As an Amazon Associate, as well as an affiliate of other programs, this means if you purchase something using these links, I will receive a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you! That is, an average drink = 5 ounces of wine = 12 ounces of beer = 1 1/2 ounces of whiskey = 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol. Table Wine general. New Testament wine (by which I mean the wine ordinarily consumed in the New Testament world) was significantly different from many modern alcoholic beverages. 2) The second position is that THE WINE WAS INTOXICATING. Because the lands of Israel and the climate were not ideal for vine growing, the wine produced was often of poor quality. Even when it comes to food. Biblical evidence shows a consistent reference, from cover to cover, that wine is an alcoholic beverage able to make a person drunk with its overuse. He doesnt make this statement to have anything to do with alcohol, good or bad. (For other food symbolism in the Bible, see these posts: whoever is led astray by them is not wise. , Wine can represent love between neighbors and the good of, With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter of a. Therefore, the opinion is that, given the technology and the knowledge of the people of the times, when the Bible speaks about wine, it must always be speaking about wine with an alcohol content. Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High (Genesis 14:18). 23:29-35; Gal. Unfermented grape juice spoils and becomes undrinkable without the alcohol content within just a very few days by he action of bacteria, especially in the warm climate conditions in the Near East. Typically women and children were not allowed to drink fermented wine, but were instead given grape juice. What was wine's alcohol content in biblical times? When reading the word "wine" in the Bible, the word may simply refer to grape juice or intoxicating wine not exceeding ~10% . #8. Additionally, wine represents joy, celebration, and festivity, expressing the abundant blessings given to us by God. Some denominations use wine in the celebration (eucharist) of Holy Communion, while others will only use unfermented grape juice. Wine Coolers. Clearly, Noah or Lot did not get intoxicated on unfermented drink (Genesis 9:21, 19:32 - 35). 15. The Bible also explicitly states that we shouldnt be drunk: Dont be drunk with wine but filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Britt Mooney (with his amazing wife, Becca) has lived as a missionary in Korea, traveled for missions to several countries, and now lives in Suwanee GA as a church planter that works bi-vocationally with Phoenix Roasters, a missional coffee company. Amos 9:14 and Zechariah 10:7 use the merriment that wine creates as a figure of how God's people will rejoice at the time of His final victory. Courses - Sommelier Training and Sommelier Certification, Food & Wine in Paonia and the North Fork We cannot live without food, but we can live without drinking alcohol. of You might not agree with his views, but he knows more than I will ever know about how to stay alive during a natural disaster - this includes how to get drinkable water, how to purify water, and how to safely store water for later consumption. This page/post may contain affiliate links. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. Watson states it plainly in The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels in his article, Wine , when he says, "All wine mentioned in the Bible is . I will seek it yet again. The bottles sent to Rome, though not lacking flavor, were so thick and so sweet that anyone who didnt have a sweet tooth, or a spoon, wasnt able to consume them. It can be abused or made an idol of and cause a person to make poor decisions or lose control. I believe the Bible speaks of wine as a blessing, just like food is a blessing, but that does not mean that we are obligated to enjoy wine personally. If we cant be in control and have authority over drinking alcohol, then we shouldnt. Slow reaction time. In Christ, we are completely free. Peters argument to prove the apostles were not drunk, hinged strictly on a very low alcoholic content of New wine. Small beer and faux wine in particular, were used for this purpose. High blood pressure. Our personal desires should not be a consideration. How did ancient Israel make wine? To begin, the equipment used to make wine must be Kosher, and only used for the production of Kosher products. All Rights Reserved. "Unfermented wine" was first invented in 1869 by Welches. The early Christians were not given to use wine to any extent. It took literally more than all day to get drunk. Drunkenness leads to bad decisions that have consequences. Yes, wine was mixed with water. Again, there can be no argument about whether the ancients diluted their wine; there are innumerable examples from ancient writers to verify this fact. The alcoholic content must have been only a fraction of what it is in todays wine. Did Jesus drink wine? Stein comments on this. How much excess did it take to become drunk in Bible times? 04/13/16 - Alcohol. Stein does the same, "In other words, it is possible to become intoxicated from wine mixed with three parts water, but one's drinking would probably affect the bladder long before it affected the mindthere is a striking difference between the drinking of alcoholic beverages today and the drinking of wine in New Testament times." The scripture is consistent on this point. This was a common enough practice that he could make an example out of it. The destroyer has fallen on your ripened fruit and grapes. He blessed the wine and instructed the men to drink from it. We are only given two options, neither of which is to drink alcoholic wine in any appreciable way. Note how long it took. 8-14%. Astonishingly enough, wine that has even this low an alcoholic content is forbidden. strong convictions about drinking alcohol. The consecration of the Eucharist took place at a time where wine was a significant part of every feasts in the society. Drinking wine unmixed, on the other . Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. Luke 10:34. Because sugar and yeast were not yet added to wine, its alcohol content remained lower than modern day spirits. The assumption maintains that grape juice will always, naturally, ferment and have an alcoholic content of about 12% to 15%. In a recent letter, a visitor to the Biblical Studies Foundation web site asked, "Could you help explain whether the Bible promotes drinking alcohol or whether it condemns it." . Perry Stone shared a little history about wine.. he found that their water was not suitable to drink.. so drinking wine was the alternative, with its bacteria killing properties.. Scripture warns us to avoid drunkenness, the danger of living for our own pleasure in drunken parties (Romans 13:13-14). History and archeology also show that in ancient times alcoholic wines were commonly diluted before drinking. The Bible has 17 warnings against the abuse of wine and strong drink and 19 examples of its abuse. Strong drink is full strength wine with an alcohol content of, at most, 12-15%. The data which is incorrectly presented, and which I want to address here, comes from non-Christian ancient writers including Pliny the Elder and Columella. 13. The Hebrew word most commonly used in the Old Testament clearly describes alcoholic wine and fresh grape juice. 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