23. Gen_40:11, the Wine of Egypt

Genesis 40:11, the Wine of Egypt

Genesis 40:11 : “I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.” To break the force of this, it is pleaded that it was only a dream. But a dream designed to certify an immediate coming event could only be intelligible and pertinent by representing an existing usage.

Bacchus Squeezing Grapes to Drink A singular proof of the ancient usage of squeezing the juice of grapes into a cup has been exhumed at Pompeii. It is that of Bacchus standing by a pedestal, and holding in both hands a large cluster of grapes, and squeezing the juiceinto a cup.

“Plutarch affirms that before the time of Psammetichus, who lived six hundred years before Christ, the Egyptians neither drank fermented wine nor offered it in sacrifice”—Nott, Third Lecture.

“In remote antiquity, grapes were brought to the table, and the juice there expressed for immediate use”—Nott, London Ed. p. 58.

“Josephus’ version of the butler’s speech is as follows: He said ‘that by the king’s permission he pressed the grapes into a goblet, and, having strained the sweet wine, he gave it to the king to drink, and that he received it graciously.’ Josephus here uses gleukos to designate the expressed juice of the grape before fermentation could possibly commence”—Bible Commentary, p. 18.

Bishop Lowth of England, in his Commentary on Isaiah, in 1778, remarking upon Isaiah 5:2, refers to the case of Pharaoh’s butler, and says, “By which it would seem that the Egyptians drank only the fresh juice pressed from the grapes, which was called oinos ampilinos, i.e., wine of the vineyards.”

Rev. Dr. Adam Clarke, on Genesis 40:11, says: “From this we find that wine anciently was the mere expressed juice of the grape without fermentation. The saky, or cupbearer, took the bunch, pressed the juice into the cup, and instantly delivered it into the hands of his master. This was anciently the yayin [wine] of the Hebrews, the oinos [wine] of the Greeks, and the mustum [new fresh wine] of the ancient Latins.” Baxter’s Comprehensive Bible quotes Dr. Clarke with approbation.

“It appears that the Mohammedans of Arabia press the juice of the grape into a cup, and drink it as Pharaoh did”—Nott, London Ed. p. 59.

Milton says of Eve:

“For drink the grape she crushed—inoffensive must.” So also Gray:

“Scent the new fragrance of the breathing rose,
And quaff the pendent vintage as it grows.”

—Nott, 59.