The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-08-18

demand brevlty. L will therefore |
condense, as far as possible, over
the vast area trayersed by your cor
respondent My first object is to
prove that wine of a non-intoxicat-
ing character, i. e., the pure fer
mented juice of the grape; as well
rs the fcrmented alcoholic wine, was
in common use in the Jewish era,
and was known to, and written of
by the sacred writers, and also by
secular historians of the age down
to the time of Lenophon and Pliny
names mentioned by your cores
pondent.
In the English version of the
Scriptures, the distinctions made in
the original arc often obscured.
This is especially true in relation to
the word wine. In the Hebrew, the
language in which the Old Testa-
ment was written, different wines
are indicated by different words,
which are all rendered in the Eng
lish translation by the one word
wine. The principal words thus
employed are yoyin, shehar, tirosh.
Yayin, according to the Biblical
critics, refers to wine in any form.
1t might be sweet or sour, fermented
or unfcrmcnted.
Shekar was the term applied to
any sweet juice derived from any
other source than the grape. 1t is
sometimes translated honey. 1t
usually refers to the juice of the
palm-tree or of its fruit, the date
and. like yayin, it included the fer
mented and the unfermented condi-
ton of the juice.
Tirosh was applied to the ripe
fruit of the vine, and to the fresh
juice of the grape before fermenta-
tion had begun. 1t is often trans
lated "new wine"
In brief, then, yayin means fer
mented or unfermented juice of the
grape; shekar means fermented or
unfermented wine or juice of the
palm-tree, of dates, or other sweet
fruit: tirosh means the sweet unfer-
mented juice of the grape. or new
wine.
No one disputes the sort of wine
mentioned in the text quoted by
your correspondent, where intoXica-
ton follows, but l will quote few
only from vast number which indi-
cate quite an opposite tendency,
some of which are palpablc mis-
translations =
In the holy place shall thou cause the
strong wine to be poured unto the Lord
for a drink offering.-Numbers 2S:7.
The term which is here rendered
"strong wine" is ,Shekar, which
should be translated "sweet wine"
This is supported by the statement
of an eminent Jewish rabbi, DR..
Adler, who says of the Jews, "In
their oblations and libations, both
public and private, they employed
the fruit of the vine, that is, pressed
grapes and unfermcnted grape
juice" fermentation is to them
always symbol of corruption" :"
According to Plutarch, even the
Egyptians used only unfermented
wine in sacrifice, and we know that
in their ceremonial observances the
Hebrews copied little from their
older neighbors.
Wine which cheercth God and man.
Judges 9:l3.
The wine here referred to cannot
be fermcnted, for the original word
so rendered is hrOSh, which as be-
fore shewn was always applied to
grapes or the pure fresh juice. Tc
those who like myself have lived in
wine-growing lands, | need not say
that the fresh juice of the grape has
a peculiarly refreshing effect wher
taken cool, that any quantity can be
drunk without any of the effects Of
fermented wine. In certain fevers
it is the best remedy known ant
given in hospitals as such.
He causeth the grass to grow for the
cattle and herb for the service of man
that he may bring forth fruit ont of the
earth: and wine that maketh glad thu
heart of man and oil to make his face t(
shine.-Ps. l04 IA. 10.
The wine referred to here must b,
of the unintoXicating kind, for it il
mentioned as natural produc
along with grass, the herb and oil
Fermented wine is not natural re
suit of growth, the basis of it il
alcohol, which is not found in an,
living grain, fruit or vegetable; i
is the product of decay and decom
position, to he found only at the ent
of natures funeral. If God intend
ed man to use it in his food, Ill
, would have given man a differen
organism, which no doubt woul'
, have inclnlad q fire. water nrno