Abstract
This paper presents four Iron Age winepresses discovered at ‘Emeq Lavan, Rogem Gannim and Mordot Arnona in Jerusalem. The winepresses located along ‘Emeq Refa’im share a uniform industrial plan featuring three treading surfaces, settling vats and a central collection chamber. The installations date to the late eighth–seventh centuries BCE, when the subjugation of Judah to Assyria created a need for a centralized royal economy. The newly identified winepresses attest to the high degree of standardization of wine production in the region. We suggest that the location and implementation of a standardized plan indicate that these installations were part of a newfound royal estate established in areas that were previously sparsely populated and uncultivated. It is further suggested that the winepresses may be identified with the royal estate of mmšt (Mamsh[i]t), biblical “Valley of the King.”
Recommended Citation
Storchan, Benyamin; Ben-Ari, Nathan; Sapir, Neria; and Lipschits, Oded
(2024)
"Identifying the (Royal) Winepresses in the “Valley of the King”,"
Atiqot: Vol. 114, Article 2.
Available at:
https://publications.iaa.org.il/atiqot/vol114/iss1/2