Did the Ancient Israelites Drink Beer?

BAR 36:05 ^ | Sep/Oct 2010 | Michael M. Homan

[MHGinTN]

Since beer was a staple in ancient Egypt and the Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt, it is likely that they drank beer while in Egypt. BUT they may have avoided beer after their deliverence because it was so ... Egyptian.

[SuzyQue]

Proverbs 31:6-7 (New International Version)

6 Give beer to those who are perishing,
wine to those who are in anguish;

7 let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.

[UCANSEE2]

I read somewhere that beer was discovered because grain was used to filter muddy water and the grain fermented when left to stand

Bears eat spoiled apples and get drunk off their furry butts. Probably been doing so longer than we have.

[Clarksville]

Now we know why they are the He-BREWS!

[November 2010]

NIV is only translation I saw that mentions beer. I don’t read greek so can’t judge for myself.

[redpoll]

Beats me. All I can say is that some us modern Israelites have lifted a mug here and there. LOL

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

IIRC the straw had a filter effect so you didn't get all the bugs, vegetable matter and small rocks in your mouth while sipping your brew.

No aseptic bottling in those days.

[SuzyQue]

Well, they’re two different words. So, it could be beer vs. wine. Or it could mean one kind of wine and another kind.

shekar (translated as beer)
shay-kawr’
from ‘shakar’ (7937); an intoxicant, i.e. intensely alcoholic liquor:—strong drink, + drunkard, strong wine.

yayin (translated as wine)
yah’-yin
from an unused root meaning to effervesce; wine (as fermented); by implication, intoxication:—banqueting, wine, wine(-bibber).

From Strong’s Dictionary.

[Publius]

Beer brewing ping.

[November 2010]

I see the Midianites more as beer drinkers than the Hebrews. : )

[Pharmboy]

Smile.

[Rytwyng]

In the General/Chat forum, on a thread titled Did the Ancient Israelites Drink Beer?, November 2010 wrote: 2,000 pages of Bible. No mention of beer. I doubt this is true.

Older translations render it as "strong drink", a distinct entity from wine. We might be tempted to interpret this as distilled spirits (whisky, brandy, etc), but such did not exist at the time -- the distillation of "al-kohol" was discovered by the medieval Arabs. So it's gotta be either beer or mead (fermented honey). Given that it's in the fertile crescent and a short walk from the beer brewing ancient Egyptians, I'm betting on beer.

[Rembrandt]

Oh man, another Republican bashing thread - Busch’s fault!

[null and void]

*GROAN*

[Walkingfeather]

Proverbs 31:6

[Walkingfeather]

Now THAT was clever...

[November 2010]

NIV? Only translation I saw using “beer.”

[Little Bill]

All of the pictograph's that I have seen of Egyptians drinking beer have them swilling it out of cups or mugs. From the hair and the beard I looks like a Middle Kingdom Hippie doing some herb with a water pipe.

[TruthConquers]

That is interesting.

I remember learning a latin phrase that meant, “Water of life”, aqua vita. What I remember is that the scots had named scotch by the same name as well. I am not sure where in history this was, but at least back in the Roman Empire.

I had thought that “aqua vita” would have been strong drink.

[Grizzled Bear]

2,000 pages of Bible. No mention of beer. I doubt this is true.

Reading comprehension is not your strength.

Proverbs 31: 1 - 7:

The sayings of King Lemuel—an oracle his mother taught him:

"O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows, do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel— not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.