Judahite Elite in Jerusalem Drank Wine Flavored With Vanilla 2,600 Years Ago. Analysis of smashed wine jars in Jerusalem houses destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E. finds unexpected flavor in jars that the rich reused (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz).
The underlying article at PLOS ONE:
Residue analysis evidence for wine enriched with vanilla consumed in Jerusalem on the eve of the Babylonian destruction in 586 BCELast I heard, there was some skepticism about whether traces of vanilla were really found at c. 1600 BCE Megiddo. That was a few years ago. I see that there has been a formal publication of the evidence since them. I don't know what, if any, response there has been to it.
Ayala Amir , Israel Finkelstein, Yiftah Shalev, Joe Uziel, Ortal Chalaf, Liora Freud, Ronny Neumann, Yuval Gadot Published: March 29, 2022
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266085Abstract
The article presents results of residue analysis, based on Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) measurements, conducted on 13 ceramic storage jars unearthed in the Babylonian destruction layer (586 BCE) in Jerusalem. Five of the jars bear rosette stamp impressions on their handles, indicating that their content was related to the kingdom of Judah’s royal economy. The identification of the original contents remains is significant for the understanding of many aspects related to the nutrition, economy and international trade in the ancient Levant. The study shed light on the contents of the jars and the destruction process of the buildings in which they were found. The jars were used alternatively for storing wine and olive oil. The wine was flavored with vanilla. These results attest to the wine consumption habits of the Judahite elite and echo Jerusalem’s involvement in the trans-regional South Arabian trade of spices and other lucrative commodities on the eve of its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar.
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