WINE IN THE BIBLE AND TIME OF JESUS - DR. GIL HAAS, SAINT AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

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During Jesus’ time, wine may have been laced with tree resins, spices, peppers, and capers to sustain the wine for a longer time and to flavor a deteriorating product; recall that corks and screw tops (that allow wine to be stored for a prolonged time interval) were not available.  Since there were no pesticides, and the ravages of birds on a sweet, mature grape crop were well known, the grapes were harvested earlier to avoid tempting avian predators and limit the problem of insects.  Earlier picking and the unavailability of commercial yeast meant less sugar available for fermentation which led to a lower alcohol content (< 10%) and a drier wine.  The Middle East’s dry weather led to smaller berries.  These produced a richer, more concentrated wine, a small volume of which could be carried in a skin and then diluted with water to create more servings.  This practice is mirrored by the deacon who adds a small amount of water to the wine at Eucharist.  Wine historians believe that most of the wine of Jesus’ time was a version of muscat.  Muscat at that time was a significantly less sweet beverage than its modern counterpart. 

~Dr. Gil Haas, Saint Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
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If you have a liturgical question or an inquiry about anything that transpires during or around our worship service, please forward the question you would like researched to: gghaas@aol.com. Please note whether we can credit you as the source of the question.