Did the Ancient Israelites Drink Beer? | Biblical Archaeology Review | Bible History Articles

Did the Ancient Israelites Drink Beer? | Biblical Archaeology Review | Bible History Articles. Ancient Israelites, with the possible exception of a few teetotaling Nazirites and their moms, proudly drank beer—and lots of it. Men, women and even children of all social classes drank it. Its consumption in ancient Israel was encouraged, sanctioned and intimately linked with their religion. Even Yahweh, according to the Hebrew Bible, consumed at least half a hin of beer (approximately 2 liters, or a six-pack) per day through the cultic ritual of libation, and he drank even more on the Sabbath (Numbers 28:7–10).