Alcohol in the Bible

Alcoholic beverages appear in the Hebrew Bible, after Noah planted a vineyard and became inebriated. In the New Testament, Jesus miraculously made copious amounts of wine^[1] at the wedding at Cana (John 2). Wine is the most common alcoholic beverage mentioned in biblical literature, where it is a source of symbolism,^[2] and was an important part of daily life in biblical times.^[2]^[3]^[4] Additionally, the inhabitants of ancient Israel drank beer and wines made from fruits other than grapes, and references to these appear in scripture.^[5] However, the alcohol content of ancient alcoholic beverages was significantly lower than modern alcoholic beverages.^[6]^[7]^[8] The low alcohol content was due to the limitations of fermentation and the nonexistence of distillation methods in the ancient world.^[9]^[6] Rabbinic teachers wrote acceptance criteria on consumability of ancient alcoholic beverages after significant dilution with water, and prohibited undiluted wine.^[7]

In the early 19th century the temperance movement began. Evangelical Christians became prominent in this movement, and while previously almost all Christians had a much more relaxed attitude to alcohol, today many evangelical Christians abstain from alcohol. Bible verses would be interpreted in a way that encouraged abstinence, for example 1 Corinthians 10:21, which states, "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too..."

Historically, however, the main Christian interpretation^[10] of biblical literature displays an ambivalence toward drinks that can be intoxicating, considering them both a blessing from God that brings joy and merriment and potentially dangerous beverages that can be sinfully abused.^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14] The relationships between Judaism and alcohol and Christianity and alcohol have generally maintained this same tension, though some modern Christian sects, particularly American Protestant groups around the time of Prohibition, have rejected alcohol as evil. The original versions of the books of the Bible use several different words for alcoholic beverages: at least 10 in Hebrew, and five in Greek. Drunkenness is discouraged and occasionally portrayed, and some biblical persons abstained from alcohol. Wine is used symbolically, in both positive and negative terms. Its consumption is prescribed for religious rites or medicinal uses in some places.

^ Six pots of thirty-nine litres each = 234 liters = 61.8 gallons, according to Seesemann, p. 163.
^ ^a ^b B. S. Easton (1915b).
^ Broshi (1984), p. 33.
^ Broshi (1986), p. 46: "In the biblical description of the agricultural products of the Land, the triad 'cereal, wine, and oil' recurs repeatedly (Deut. 28:51 and elsewhere). These were the main products of ancient Palestine, in order of importance. The fruit of the vine was consumed both fresh and dried (raisins), but it was primarily consumed as wine. Wine was, in antiquity, an important food and not just an embellishment to a feast.... Wine was essentially a man's drink in antiquity, when it became a significant dietary component. Even slaves were given a generous wine ration. Scholars estimate that in ancient Rome an adult consumed a liter of wine daily. Even a minimal estimate of 700g. per day means that wine constituted about one quarter of the caloric intake (600 out of 2,500 cal.) and about one third of the minimum required intake of iron."
^ Waltke (2005), p. 505.
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference Quarles was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference rabbinic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference scientific was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference sasson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ https://wineinthelordssupper.net/the-temperance-movements/
^ Waltke (2005), p. 127.
^ Fitzsimmonds, p. 1255: "These two aspects of wine, its use and its abuse, its benefits and its curse, its acceptance in God's sight and its abhorrence, are interwoven into the fabric of the [Old Testament] so that it may gladden the heart of man (Ps. 104:15) or cause his mind to err (Is. 28:7), it can be associated with merriment (Ec. 10:19) or with anger (Is. 5:11), it can be used to uncover the shame of Noah (Gn. 9:21) or in the hands of Melchizedek to honor Abraham (Gn. 14:18).... The references [to drinks that can contain alcohol] in the [New Testament] are very much fewer in number, but once more the good and the bad aspects are equally apparent...."
^ Raymond, p. 25: "This favorable view [of wine in the Bible], however, is balanced by an unfavorable estimate.... The reason for the presence of these two conflicting opinions on the nature of wine [is that the] consequences of wine drinking follow its use and not its nature. Happy results ensue when it is drunk in its proper measure and evil results when it is drunk to excess. The nature of wine is indifferent."
^ McClintock and Strong, p. 1016: "But while liberty to use wine, as well as every other earthly blessing, is conceded and maintained in the Bible, yet all abuse of it is solemnly condemned."

[1] Six pots of thirty-nine litres each = 234 liters = 61.8 gallons, according to Seesemann, p. 163.

[ISBEWine-2] B. S. Easton (1915b).

[Broshi_1984,_p._33-3] Broshi (1984), p. 33.

[4] Broshi (1986), p. 46: "In the biblical description of the agricultural products of the Land, the triad 'cereal, wine, and oil' recurs repeatedly (Deut. 28:51 and elsewhere). These were the main products of ancient Palestine, in order of importance. The fruit of the vine was consumed both fresh and dried (raisins), but it was primarily consumed as wine. Wine was, in antiquity, an important food and not just an embellishment to a feast.... Wine was essentially a man's drink in antiquity, when it became a significant dietary component. Even slaves were given a generous wine ration. Scholars estimate that in ancient Rome an adult consumed a liter of wine daily. Even a minimal estimate of 700g. per day means that wine constituted about one quarter of the caloric intake (600 out of 2,500 cal.) and about one third of the minimum required intake of iron."

[WaltkeP505-5] Waltke (2005), p. 505.

[Quarles-6] Cite error: The named reference Quarles was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[rabbinic-7] Cite error: The named reference rabbinic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[scientific-8] Cite error: The named reference scientific was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[sasson-9] Cite error: The named reference sasson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[10] ttps://wineinthelordssupper.net/the-temperance-movements/

[WaltkeP127-11] Waltke (2005), p. 127.

[12] Fitzsimmonds, p. 1255: "These two aspects of wine, its use and its abuse, its benefits and its curse, its acceptance in God's sight and its abhorrence, are interwoven into the fabric of the [Old Testament] so that it may gladden the heart of man (Ps. 104:15) or cause his mind to err (Is. 28:7), it can be associated with merriment (Ec. 10:19) or with anger (Is. 5:11), it can be used to uncover the shame of Noah (Gn. 9:21) or in the hands of Melchizedek to honor Abraham (Gn. 14:18).... The references [to drinks that can contain alcohol] in the [New Testament] are very much fewer in number, but once more the good and the bad aspects are equally apparent...."

[RaymondP25-13] Raymond, p. 25: "This favorable view [of wine in the Bible], however, is balanced by an unfavorable estimate.... The reason for the presence of these two conflicting opinions on the nature of wine [is that the] consequences of wine drinking follow its use and not its nature. Happy results ensue when it is drunk in its proper measure and evil results when it is drunk to excess. The nature of wine is indifferent."

[14] McClintock and Strong, p. 1016: "But while liberty to use wine, as well as every other earthly blessing, is conceded and maintained in the Bible, yet all abuse of it is solemnly condemned."

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