BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Byzantine Wine Press Uncovered in Israel

Bible and archaeology news

Byzantine Wine Press. Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced the discovery of a massive Byzantine wine press near Hamei Yo’av. Archaeologists excavating the 1,000-square-foot wine press found a decorative ceramic lantern nearby. The early Christian lantern is shaped like a miniature church and is decorated with five crosses; when lit, it would project cross-shaped illuminations.

The Byzantine settlement’s wine press includes six fermentation compartments and a large, sloping treading floor that is connected to a settling vat and collecting pits with lead pipes. The settlement is located along the ancient road to the port at Ashkelon, where the wine would be shipped across the Mediterranean.

Take a step further into antiquity. Explore the earliest known wine-making operation, located near Mt. Ararat, in the Bible History Daily feature Did This Winery Get Noah Drunk?

A ceramic lantern with cross-shaped decorations was uncovered at the Hamei Yo’av excavations. Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority