Identifying the (Royal) Winepresses in the "Valley of the King"

Benyamin Storchan, Nathan Ben-Ari, Neria Sapir, Oded Lipschits

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper presents four Iron Age winepresses discovered at 'Emeq Lavan, Rogem Gannim and Mordot Arnona in Jerusalem. The winepresses located along 'Emeq Refa'im share a uniform industrial plan featuring three treading surfaces, settling vats and a central collection chamber. The installations date to the late eighth-seventh centuries BCE, when the subjugation of Judah to Assyria created a need for a centralized royal economy. The newly identified winepresses attest to the high degree of standardization of wine production in the region. We suggest that the location and implementation of a standardized plan indicate that these installations were part of a newfound royal estate established in areas that were previously sparsely populated and uncultivated. It is further suggested that the winepresses may be identified with the royal estate of mmšt (Mamsh[i]t), biblical "Valley of the King.".

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-22
Number of pages22
JournalAtiqot
Volume114
StatePublished - 2024

Keywords

  • Iron Age
  • Winepress
  • Judaea (Region)
  • viticulture
  • Valley of the King
  • Wine production
  • Royal Estate
  • mmšt

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