The researchers used an interdisciplinary approach, combining textual analysis of rabbinic literature like the Mishna, the Tosefta, and the Jerusalem Talmud with archaeological evidence and Classical Greek and Latin agricultural treatises. This integration of evidence demonstrated the sages’ deep familiarity with vineyard planning and growing techniques.The underlying article is published in the Journal of Interdisciplinary History. It is behind the subscription wall.A key finding of the study was that the distances mandated by the sages between vine rows to prevent crossbreeding were “nearly identical” to those found in Classical-era vineyards in Italy and France.
Mediterranean Viticulture in Late Antique PalestineShulamit Miller, Guy Bar-Oz, Eyal Ben-Eliyahu, Gil Gambash The Journal of Interdisciplinary History (2025) 56 (1): 43–79. https://doi.org/10.1162/jinh.a.3
Abstract
Viticulture in Late Antiquity was a widespread, economically vital, and regionally diverse form of horticulture in the Mediterranean world, and archaeological and textual sources such as rabbinical literature shed light on viticulture, particularly in Palestine. Vineyard cultivation was shaped by local geography, climate, and religious norms, with techniques ranging from dryland farming to terracing, and from small plots to industrial-scale wine production. Rabbinical texts highlight Jewish legal and theological concerns—such as prohibitions on mixed planting and non-kosher wine—yet also show that rabbis operated within a shared Mediterranean viticultural koiné. Despite religious distinctions, vintners engaged in trade, adapted common practices, and contributed to a vibrant, interconnected viticultural economy. This article’s multidisciplinary perspective positions Palestine as a fully integrated participant in Late Antique Mediterranean wine culture, with its own regional adaptations shaped by religious, economic, and environmental factors.
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