User:Flex/AiB
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Alcoholic beverages appear repeatedly in the Bible – from Noah planting a vineyard and becoming inebriated in the Hebrew Bible[1] to Jesus in the New Testament miraculously making copious amounts[2] of wine at the wedding at Cana[3] and later incorporating wine as part of the central rite of Christianity, the Eucharist.[4] Wine is the most common alcoholic beverage mentioned in biblical literature, where it is a frequent source of symbolism,[5] and was an important part of daily life in biblical times.[6][7][5] The inhabitants of ancient Palestine also drank beer and wines made from fruits other than grapes, and some references to these appear in the scriptures, too.[8]
On the whole, biblical literature displays an ambivalence toward intoxicating drinks, considering them both a blessing from God that brings joy and merriment and potentially dangerous beverages that can be unwisely and sinfully abused.[9][10][11][12][13][14] The relationships between Judaism and alcohol and Christianity and alcohol have generally maintained this same tension, though Christianity saw a number of its adherents, particularly around the time of Prohibition, rejecting alcohol itself as inherently evil.