The Wines of the Ancient Orient. 



n 



was called ma rjebib, "raisin-water". It had a sour taste; honey 

 was added to sweeten it iDiwan of the Hudhailites, loo, 13). 

 Ancient Arabia imported most of its wines from Syria. 



Babylonia was no real wine coiintry. The conditions of 

 the soil and the climate in Southern Babylonia prohibited an 

 extensive culture of vines. A myth, stating the reasons for 

 the lack of extensive viticulture in that country, tells us that 

 Dionysos was angered with the Babylonians who drank beer 

 (sikera), and turned away from these countries ^ Yet viti- 

 culture was practised in Southern Babylonia at a very early 

 date. The earliest reference which we possess, so far, regard- 

 ing the planting of vineyards in Babylonia, is that in Cylinder A, 

 XX VIII, 10 11 of Gudea. It reads: ne-sag-bi kur-gestin-bi- 

 bi-x\ i. e., "The ne-sag was like a mountain (planted) with 



vines ". We know also of the fact that the Babylonian 



vineyards had their special names as was the case in ancient 

 Egypt 2. This bit of information we gain from Gudea, Cyl. A, 

 XXVIII, 23 24: s''^ sar-gig-edin e-hi sig-ga-bi kur-gestin-bi- 

 bi-x ki-iti-ldiii-e ina-dm, i. e., "The garden 'aiiqullu (that is 

 the name of the vineyard!) which was planted by the temple, 



was like a mountain (planted) with vines , Avhich rises 



up on a magnificent place". This same passage is instructive 

 from another point of view. The alluvial ground of southern 

 Babylonia would have been detrimental to viticulture, but 

 the early Babylonians knew this fact and planted their vine- 

 yards on artificially raised plots (Gudea: "which rises up on 

 a magnificent place"). This fact has been overlooked by 

 scholars so far. When we come to speak of the viticulture 

 of the Ancient Egyptians in detail, we shall see, that the very 

 .same mode of planting vineyards was used by them. To 

 speak of borrowing would be very hasty. The genius of both 

 civilizations was such that each one could come upon this 

 devise without the help of the other. In view, however, of 

 the fact that the Babylonians at this earh- date at least 3, 



i) Jul. Afric. Ke0Toi, c, 25' TTivouai ^u&ov ArfJTTTioi, KuXa.uov TTuiovec, 

 KrjXToi pepprioiav (i. e., cerevisia), oiKcpa BajiuXujvioi. Aiovuaoc fap KaxeXiTiev 

 tupflCfLi^voq. 2) See following chapter. 



3) This instance in Gudea is the only reference to the custom, a^ tar as 

 Babylonia is concerned. 



