156 Professor Beck's Researches on Wines 



opiates, and other strong drugs being added. {PoTton's Illus- 

 trations.) And severe denunciations against the use of this 

 drink are contained in various parts of the sacred Scriptures. 



Moreover, the grapes of Palestine were remarkable for their 

 size and richness. The account given by Moses of the bunch of 

 grapes, brought by the spies to the Israelitish camp (Num. xiii. 

 24), is confirmed by the statements of several travellers. Doubdan 

 assures us that in the valley of Eshcol were bunches of grapes 

 of ten or twelve pounds. Forster tells us, that he was informed 

 by a Religious who had lived many years in Palestine, that there 

 were bunches of grapes in the valley of Hebron so large that 

 two men could scarcely carry one, i. e. without bruising or ble- 

 mishing the berries. Indeed, travellers generally concur in their 

 high commendation of the grapes of that country. 



To these facts I will only add, that the wines of Palestine were 

 generally kept in bottles made of leather or goat skins, firmly 

 sewed or pitched together. In these, the process of fermenta- 

 tion took place, and the wine acquired its proper degree of 

 strength. 



In the absence of any thing like chemical analysis, these 

 are the data from which we must draw our conclusions con- 

 cerning the nature of the wines referred to by the sacred 

 writers. Some of them are represented to have been sweet 

 wines, which, if not the strongest, are known to be among the 

 stronger kinds. The grapes from which they were produced, 

 were remarkable for their richness and excellence, the climate of 

 the country being such as to favour their growth, and the de- 

 velopment of those principles which, during fermentation, are 

 converted into alcohol ; and, as the grapes of that country are 

 known to furnish very rich and spiritous wines, we may infer, 

 that the ancient wines were similar in their character, since there 

 is abundant evidence that the climate has not suffered any ma- 

 terial change for 3000 years. 



I should not omit, in confirmation of this view of the spiritous 

 nature of the wines of Palestine, to advert to the modes in which 

 they were kept. It is now well known, that, when mixtures of 

 alcohol and water are put into bladders, the water evaporates, 

 and leaves the alcohol in a more concentrated form ; and it is 

 asserted, tliat wine which has been kept in bottles closed by 

 pieces of bladder firmly tied over the mouth, in a few weeks ac- 



