Huge 1,500-year-old wine factory discovered in Israel is the largest known winery in the world from the Byzantine period, and produced two million litres of plonk every year

A massive wine factory, dating 1,500 years, has been discovered in Israel, and is the largest known winery ever discovered from the Byzantine period.

The sophisticated facility, unearthed in Yavne, could produce up to two million litres of wine per year, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority.

For comparison, the UK as a whole now produces just short of eight million litres per year.

Archaeologists spent two years excavating the 75,000 sq ft site as part of a move from the Israel Land Authority to expand the city of Yavne into the surrounding area.

They found five massive wine presses, warehouses for ageing and marketing the wine, and even kilns for firing the clay vessels used to store the wine.

The well organised and structured factory produced the regional wine known as Gaza, or Ashkelon, which was then exported throughout the Mediterranean.

Wine drinking was common for adults and children during the Byzantine period, around 520 CE, due to the poor quality of the water.

The site was located in the central area of Israel and at the time would have been important enough of a region to be on a map alongside Jerusalem.

It was a Christian town with three large churches, but there were also populations of Jewish people and Samaritans in the town at the same time period, around 520 CE.

'We have been exposing an industrial area of ancient Yavne,' said IAA archaeologist Dr Jon Seligman, who led the work with Dr Ellie Haddad and Liat Nadav-Ziv.

'We found remains of other industries, for example producing glass and metal. We also found remains from other periods, such as a house from the 9th century and some other buildings from the interim period between the Byzantine and Islamic.'

The plant includes tens of thousands of fragments and intact earthen amphorae (jars), well planned access between the facilities, and more.

Each of the exposed winepresses covered an area of about 2,421 st ft (225 sq metres), and when the five were combined with two massive warehouses, it made for an imposing industrial region of an important ancient city.

Around the treading floor, where the grapes were crushed barefoot to extract the liquid, compartments were built for fermenting the wine, and next to them two huge octagonal shaped vats for collecting the wine.

'We were surprised to discover a sophisticated factory here, which was used to produce wine in commercial quantities,' study authors explained.

Furthermore, decorative niches in the shape of a conch, which adorned the winepresses, indicate the great wealth of the factory owners.

'A calculation of the production capacity of these winepresses shows that approximately two million litres of wine were marketed every year, while we should remember that the whole process was conducted manually,' the team said.

Between the winepresses, four large warehouses were discovered, which formed the winery of the factory, storing up the juice as it aged ahead of being sold.

The wine is aged in elongated amphorae, known as 'Gaza jars'. The jars themselves, some of which were discovered complete, together with hundreds of thousands of their fragments, were made at the site in large kilns.

In its modern incarnation, Yavneh is a relatively unassuming city, sitting about 15 miles from Tel Aviv and a few miles east of the Mediterranean Sea.

It was this proximity to the sea that turned it into one of the most important wine production facilities in the ancient world.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10080467/Huge-2-421-square-foot-WINE-FACTORY-dating-1-500-years-discovered-Israel.html

'Gaza and Ashkelon Wine' was considered a quality wine brand of the ancient world, the team said.

Its reputation has spread far and wide, a bit like Jaffa oranges denote their origin and quality today from Israel', the archaeologists explained.

Everyone knew that this was a product from the Holy Land product, and everyone wanted more and more of this wine, according to Dr Seligman and colleagues.

'It was taken to many, many countries around the Mediterranean.

'We’re talking Egypt, we’re talking Turkey, Greece, maybe to southern Italy as well,' the team said.

Its name came from the ports it was marketed through, Gaza and Ashkelon, rather than from the location it was produced.

'So far, other sites where wine was produced are known from the southern coastal plain.

'But now, we seem to have found the main production center of this prestigious wine,' according to the team behind the discovery.

'From here, commercial quantities were transported to the ports, and then throughout the Mediterranean basin'.

It appears that wine making dates back further than the 1,500 year period of this winery, as they also found rare and older winepresses from the Persian period.

These ancient presses date back 2,300 years, to about 200 BCE, the team explained.

'In the Mishna it is said that after the destruction of Jerusalem, the Jewish leadership migrated to Yavne, and that the sages of Yavne lived in a vineyard and studied Torah,' the archaeologists explained.

'The excavation shows a continuum of existence of the wine industry at the site over many centuries of years.'

Eli Eskozido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said: 'The Yavne excavation is a mega-excavation of the Israel Antiquities Authority covering 1.7 acres, with the participation of hundreds of workers.

'Our archaeologists are doing sacred work by exposing unknown chapters of the history of the country, while working hard in the heat and cold. I welcome the cooperation with the Israel Land Authority and the Yavne Municipality.'

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10080467/Huge-2-421-square-foot-WINE-FACTORY-dating-1-500-years-discovered-Israel.html

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A very nice Discovery... I love history

Oyibo and discovery are like Taliban vs Afghanistan.

Righteousness2:
They found a trace of Noah's ark,
They Found a trace of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,
They Found an old scroll of the book of Nahum 1
They Found a trace of mount Sinai and all that Bible stories.

GOD ALMIGHTY in HIS Mercy and Goodness is making available all these Ancient Discoveries, that Humanity will know and Understand that HE Alone is GOD, that the HOLY BIBLE is HIS Word and that JESUS CHRIST is the Only way by which we can be Saved.

Folks, we are the Last of the Last Moments! The Rapture of the Bride of Christ is so Imminent! Whether you Believe or not is Irrelevant! JESUS IS About to Snatch all who are Prepared out of this Sinking Collasping Ship.

The Choice is yours,
Come to JESUS and be Saved!
Reject JESUS and be Damned!

ride on pastor

We are still in the Bible era

Check very well....

After Jesus turned water to wine an Igbo man started that business

Cool

God bless Isreal.

This is what this Terrorists people from religion of piss are claiming that Isreal is their land.

To all nairaland end time pastors

Shayo na bad be that lol

Nice discovery

Righteousness2:
They found a trace of Noah's ark,
They Found a trace of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,
They Found an old scroll of the book of Nahum 1
They Found a trace of mount Sinai and all that Bible stories.

GOD ALMIGHTY in HIS Mercy and Goodness is making available all these Ancient Discoveries, that Humanity will know and Understand that HE Alone is GOD, that the HOLY BIBLE is HIS Word and that JESUS CHRIST is the Only way by which we can be Saved.

Folks, we are the Last of the Last Moments! The Rapture of the Bride of Christ is so Imminent! Whether you Believe or not is Irrelevant! JESUS IS About to Snatch all who are Prepared out of this Sinking Collasping Ship.

The Choice is yours,
Come to JESUS and be Saved!
Reject JESUS and be Damned!

It is only a stupid person that won't believe in God after seeing everything the Bible said coming to pass and those places in the the Bible too

God's own country

Righteousness2:
They found a trace of Noah's ark,
They Found a trace of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,
They Found an old scroll of the book of Nahum 1
They Found a trace of mount Sinai and all that Bible stories.

GOD ALMIGHTY in HIS Mercy and Goodness is making available all these Ancient Discoveries, that Humanity will know and Understand that HE Alone is GOD, that the HOLY BIBLE is HIS Word and that JESUS CHRIST is the Only way by which we can be Saved.

Folks, we are the Last of the Last Moments! The Rapture of the Bride of Christ is so Imminent! Whether you Believe or not is Irrelevant! JESUS IS About to Snatch all who are Prepared out of this Sinking Collasping Ship.

The Choice is yours,
Come to JESUS and be Saved!
Reject JESUS and be Damned!

Pastor...all that was found is meant to solidify our believe and also our way of life.

Now that they have found wine press....should we be drinking wine

Those stuff are weird sha

Prayfortheworld:

Is It is only a stupid person that won't believe in God after seeing everything the Bible said coming to pass and those places in the the Bible too

you should learn to respect other religions and beliefs. The conviction you have about yours is the same for others'

you're probably Christian because you were born into that faith.

hahn:
Check very well....

After Jesus turned water to wine and Igbo man started that business

By making and selling FAKE WINES

The way you people are digging up Israel make una nor dig the sins buried at calvary o.

Righteousness2:
They found a trace of Noah's ark,
They Found a trace of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,
They Found an old scroll of the book of Nahum 1
They Found a trace of mount Sinai and all that Bible stories.

GOD ALMIGHTY in HIS Mercy and Goodness is making available all these Ancient Discoveries, that Humanity will know and Understand that HE Alone is GOD, that the HOLY BIBLE is HIS Word and that JESUS CHRIST is the Only way by which we can be Saved.

Folks, we are the Last of the Last Moments! The Rapture of the Bride of Christ is so Imminent! Whether you Believe or not is Irrelevant! JESUS IS About to Snatch all who are Prepared out of this Sinking Collasping Ship.

The Choice is yours,
Come to JESUS and be Saved!
Reject JESUS and be Damned!

Its quite ironic that you same religious pundits that will say people should not take alcohol are now trying to celebrate the largest alcohol producing factory in ancient time.

That factory alone, with its old tech produced around 25% of what the whole Britain can produce today.

The discovery of the factory and artefacts does not in any way say prove anything about your religion's claims.

The aztec skull tower was discovered few years ago in Mexico. Does that also support the Aztec religion's theories?

Wake up from your delusion. No god is coming. The only problem with the world now is we the humans. The world as we know it can end in a few weeks or a few centuries based only on our decisions and not on one god waking up.

The next discovery will be Jesus sandals and cloth

This people will find what they are looking for one day.

After so many discoveries and validation of the Bible, some fools still says there is no God.

Righteousness2:
They found a trace of Noah's ark,
They Found a trace of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah,
They Found an old scroll of the book of Nahum 1
They Found a trace of mount Sinai and all that Bible stories.

GOD ALMIGHTY in HIS Mercy and Goodness is making available all these Ancient Discoveries, that Humanity will know and Understand that HE Alone is GOD, that the HOLY BIBLE is HIS Word and that JESUS CHRIST is the Only way by which we can be Saved.

Folks, we are the Last of the Last Moments! The Rapture of the Bride of Christ is so Imminent! Whether you Believe or not is Irrelevant! JESUS IS About to Snatch all who are Prepared out of this Sinking Collasping Ship.

The Choice is yours,
Come to JESUS and be Saved!
Reject JESUS and be Damned!

Christianity's greatest tool
Fear

TeamLeader:
After so many discoveries and validation of the Bible, some fools still says there is no God.

You are the fool mr. You just don't know it yet

EddyNumerouno:


you should learn to respect other religions and beliefs. The conviction you have about yours is the same for others'

you're probably Christian because you were born into that faith.

Maybe they should show us what was written in their holy books that we've seen on this earth, like what we often sees in Israel and Greece the Bible told us about.

Ps: I'm not against any religion i don't go to church. GOD IS GOD whether buddah or yaweh

If you still no believe the validity of Christianity, na you sabi!