The fruit of the vine: Viticulture in ancient Israel and the Hebrew Bible

The present dissertation reconstructs the practice of viticulture in Israelite agriculture from analysis of the biblical traditions of the vine, vineyards, and wine, and the archaeological evidence of wine presses, jugs, epigraphic notations, and paleobotanical finds from Iron Age (1200-586 BCE) Syria-Palestine. My thesis is that viticulture, no less than drinking, is a cultural marker that shaped the social sphere of Israelite practitioners.;Chapter 3 is concerned with the cultivation of the grape vine, from starting a vineyard, tilling the soil, planting and training the vines, and finally to the measures taken to protect the vineyard. Chapter 4 is a discussion of the two primary installations of the vineyard, viz., the tower and the wine press. It consists of analysis of the textual and archaeological evidence for vineyard towers, and of the variety of wine presses found in sites and through field survey.;Chapter 5 is a reconstruction of the grape harvest and wine production. The first section details the harvesting and collection of grapes. The second section focuses on the celebrative aspects of the vintage. Section three details the chemical process involved in fermentation, while section four is an analysis of all the different terms for wine in biblical and epigraphic materials. Chapter 6 is a study on wine consumption from daily sustenance to the important role of the banquet in family life.;Chapter 1 begins with a summary of the history of viticulture in Syria-Palestine and the role of alcohol in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Next follows a discussion of the geographic conditions and agricultural calendar of ancient Israel. Chapter 2 is a discussion of the sociology of the vintner. It includes an examination of the archaeological evidence for Israelite farming inclusive of horticulture: the Gezer Calendar; domestic architecture; and the Samaria Ostraca. Section two contains a discussion of the primary labor pool of the farm, that is, the family. A third section focuses on the custom of patrimonial inheritance.