The Jews and their God of Wine

In the period between the two revolts of the Jews of Palestine against Roman rule some non-Jews sought to identify the God of the Jews with their own god of wine, Dionysus or Liber. The actual evidence suggests three things. The cult of the Temple at Jerusalem was seen by outsiders to be characterised by an association with, and the use of, wine, an impression Jews did nothing to counteract. Second, outsiders acted on this impression, both as part of the cognitive step of identifying the God of the Jews with Dionysus, and, possibly, making gifts to the Temple, while it stood, of wine-related dedications. Third, this was a characterisation Jews were willing to embrace themselves, even at times of revolt. It should be emphasised that there is no evidence for any change in actual Temple practice. The wine libations, presumably, were poured as prescribed with their sacrifices, and nobody drank of the libations, least of all the priests

Ancient history · Art · Cult · nobody · Nothing · Theology · Visual arts · Wine · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Historical and Linguistic Studies · History · Medieval and Classical Philosophy · Philosophy · Religious studies

• Dionysos in Jerusalem and the Historicity of 2 Macc 6

  Open Access•Ory Amitay•Harvard Theological Review•2017

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