Wine in Palestine in the 1st Millennium B.C.E.

Levant , 2023

Recent excavations at Yavne show the scale of the wine industry at the site, indicating the central place of its wineries in the viticulture, processing and trade of wines from Ashqelon and Gaza during the Byzantine period. The paper analyses the textual and archaeological evidence for the production and popularity of these wines and gives emphasis to the discovery of a huge wine estate that includes multiple winepresses, warehouses and pottery kilns. These finds are contrasted with similar sites along the southern coastal plain of Late Antique Palestine. The specific wineries and pottery kilns associated with this industry are presented, showing unifying and differentiating characteristics, and the connection between the wineries and adjacent kilns in which ubiquitous Gazan amphorae were manufactured. These traits point towards the creation of a regional terroir (wine growing region) and a branded product from the 5th to 7th centuries CE. Finally, an attempt is made to address the production capacity of this wine industry, as expressed through evaluation of the winepresses at Yavne.

Food and foodways in the Middle East, 2009

The article explores the prominence of wine as a favoured intoxicant from the early Bronze Age to the advent of Islam in ancient Palestine. The Central Palestinian Mountains, notably along the west bank of the River Jordan, emerged as one of the earliest wine-producing regions on a commercial scale. This region, along with the adjacent Mediterranean coastal plain, is used as a case study to understand the origins of wine consumption and its prohibition. During the Bronze Age, alongside the cultivation of vines, the olive tree was also grown, leading to the luxury status of olive oil similar to that of wine. With the decline of wine production, a new industry of soap-making from olive oil emerged in Nablus within the Central Palestinian Mountains. This development catered to the common populace, contrasting with the historical use of perfumed oil for the elite. The creation of olive soap highlighted aspects of Muslim identity, particularly the emphasis on ritual purification before prayer, extending to personal hygiene practices that surpassed those of Medieval European Christians. The article demonstrates that the evolution of the wine and olive oil industries reflected shifts in societal practices and cultural identities in the long term.

Tel Aviv, 2021

One hundred fifty years have passed since the first published reference in modern Western scholarship to ancient wine production in the Negev Highland desert, and much is now known about its hydrological, climatic, agricultural, economic, social and political context. Yet, in 2020 two studies reached opposite conclusions regarding the extent and intensity of Negev Highland viticulture, its relationship to Byzantine 'Gaza wine' and the associated regional wine trade. This raises wider questions on how to evaluate apparently conflicting archaeological evidence for ancient microregional production and trade, with relevance to longstanding debates on the nature of the ancient Mediterranean economy and the onset of the Middle Ages in Europe. We survey previous research on Negev Highland viticulture, including the two most recent papers, demonstrating problems of equifinality in the calculationsbased approach to ancient production/consumption, and clarifying our own position regarding the relationship between archaeologically attested Negev viticulture and 'Gaza wine' of Late Antique historical texts. We then analyse additional sources of new evidence contributing to a more holistic synthesis of Negev Highland wine production and trade. At this sesquicentennial commemoration of Negev viticulture's historiography, we close with unresolved issues and promising directions for future research.

Journal of Roman Archaeology, 2020

In 2011 during a study tour of Sobata (Shivta), a debate took place concerning the likelihood that the central Negev settlements of Elusa, Sobata, Oboda, Ruheiba and Nessana (fig. 1) were significant partners in the trade of prestige Gaza wines during the 5th and 6th c. A.D. I challenged the participants as to whether these sites’ production facilities were of sufficient magnitude to produce a wine surplus for shipping across the Roman world and whether the transport of a bulk product in relatively heavy amphoras to the seaports at Gaza and Ashqelon c.100-120 km distant was both physically feasible and economically viable in the absence of paved roads. This paper will analyse a series of factors, including demography, agricultural technology, wine production capacity and transport possibilities to evaluate the region’s potential and the likelihood of these settlements playing a part in the wine trade of Gaza and Ashqelon.

ANESS 51, 2017

Oil and Wine Presses in Israel from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Periods, 2009

Chapter 47 in E. Ayalon et al. (eds.), Oil and Wine Presses in Israel from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Periods. BAR International Series 1972, Oxford, 2009, pp. 271-276.

Archaeopress, 2020

This book is devoted to the viticulture of two settlements, Antiochia ad Cragum and Delos, using results stemming from surface survey and excavation to assess their potential integration within the now well-known agricultural boom of the 5th-7th centuries AD. Interdisciplinary and ethnographic data supplements the main archaeological catalogue and provides a rounded understanding of production and use. The publication of an excavated viticultural vat in Rough Cilicia for the first time, along with the first complete discussion of the viticultural industry on Delos in Late Antiquity, underscores the significance of this book. The combined catalogue, analysis and discussion reinforce the noteworthy position viticulture held in Late Antiquity as an agricultural endeavour, socio-cultural and economic factor engrained within eastern Mediterranean settlements.

Atiqot, 2024

New evidence for Iron Age II and Persian-Period wine production in southern Samaria, including many winepresses and bell-shaped winery pits, has recently come to light, expanding our knowledge and revising some of our understandings concerning this phenomenon. While it was widely accepted that industrial wine production during these periods was confined to central Judah, in Jerusalem’s environs, it is now clear that wine was also produced throughout the southern Samaria region, particularly on the desert fringes. Some of these wine-production sites seemingly functioned already during Iron Age IIB, under Northern Kingdom control, while some of the sites also operated under Assyrian control following the conquest of Samaria, and even continued under the Persian administration.

The paper presents the dynamics of import of wine to Egypt and the origins of vintages that arrived to the Nile Valley in the Graeco-Roman period. The development of a market for imported wine was a phenomenon characteristic for this period in Egypt's history. Upon arrival of Alexander the Great, wine in Egypt was for the gods and aristocracy and the traditional beverage of the Nile Valley was beer, but through the ages it was wine that became the staple drink of the Egyptian population. Demand for wine increased as a result of Hellenic immigration and dietary Hellenization of the local population. Even though viticulture in Egypt had traditions dating back to the Old Kingdom, local supply could not meet the growing demand and wine was imported throughout the Graeco-Roman period. The origin of the foreign wines changed over time. It can be traced based on three types of evidence: literary sources, amphora finds, and papyrus documents. The analysis of data obtained from them permits to make a catalogue of imported wines available in Egypt and to place the Nile Valley in a broader perspective of Mediterranean trade routes. The factors that seem to have exerted some influence on wine import are Egypt’s trading traditions, foreign policy and geo-political situation. In Egypt of the 3rd century BC, wine from several locations is attested in both documentary and archaeological sources. Imported wine came primarily from the Aegean, as well as Crete and Cyprus. Early import of wines from Italy is also attested through ceramic evidence. The evidence from the turn of the 3rd and 2nd century BC reflects two general trends in wine commerce: the disappearance of some of the ‘old’ vintages and the increase of popularity of wines of Kos, Rhodes and Knidos. The rise of the Roman Empire triggered more changes in the Mediterranean trade routes. The successful development of vineyards in some newly created Roman provinces also resulted in export of their wines as far as Egypt. When Egypt itself became a part of the Roman state, it was integrated into the Empire’s trade network. The annexation of Egypt resulted in greater communication and interaction between this province and the West and its ports became stepping stones on eastbound wine trade routes. Later on, the division of the Roman Empire into the East and West parts triggered further significant changes in the wine trade network. Supply from the West was limited and new routes were established within the Eastern part of the Mediterranean. Key words: Egypt, wine, import, trade, papyri, amphorae

FİAD- Filistin Araştırmaları Dergisi, 2024

In the dynamic political atmosphere of the 19th century, interest in Jerusalem grew significantly, leading to an acceleration of migration to the region. Within the framework of imperialist policies directed at Ottoman territories, settlements with hegemonic aims increased. Influential organizations such as the Rothschild family and the Templer Society invested in Jaffa and its surroundings to ensure the permanence of foreign settlers in the area, establishing agricultural colonies aligned with Zionist ambitions. This study examines viticultural activities shaped by migration to Jerusalem, focusing specifically on Jaffa, Sarona, and Uyun Qara. Additionally, it is noteworthy that the chosen geography was selected for its suitability for agricultural activities, which contributed to the success of these migrations. Another factor enabling the productivity of German Jewish settlers in agricultural colonies around Jaffa was the integration of the Jaffa port into the international markets of the Eastern Mediterranean trade network during the 19th century. The significance of the port is evident in the processing of grapes in factories and their export to foreign markets. By the early 20th century, Jaffa, Sarona, and Uyun Qara had become prominent centers of wine production. Notably, the wines produced in Uyun Qara gained international recognition for their quality. In summary, this study, based on Ottoman archival documents as well as various research and analytical works, aims to investigate the viticultural activities conducted by foreign settlers in Ottoman Jerusalem between 1875 and 1917, with a particular focus on alcohol production and trade.