In the days of the biblical kings, wine flavored with vanilla was a hit. According to a recent study by the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University, the kings of biblical Judah infused their wine with this luxury spice. The study demonstrates Judah’s wealth and power right before the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E. As vanilla was not grown in the Levant or ancient Near East, it may have arrived from India or tropical Africa, likely via the trade routes that passed through the Negev, Arabia, and beyond. Finding traces of vanilla in Iron Age Jerusalem […]
