What did people eat and drink in the Land of Israel in the days of the patriarchs, the Judges and the Kings? Archaeology now gives a surprisingly detailed answer, from bread baked in clay ovens to a 3,000-year-old yeast that was brought back to life and used to brew beer.
What people ate
Bread, lentil stew, olive oil, figs and honey, with meat on special days and fish brought from far away. Read what excavations, bones, seeds and ancient texts tell us about the ancient table. Read about the food of ancient Israel.
Beer, wine and honey
Royal wine with honey and resin, the beer of the Philistines and the oldest known beehives in the world. Read the story of the drinks, and of the scientists who tasted a beer made with ancient yeast. Read about beer and wine in ancient Israel.
See it in person
You can stand where this food was grown, pressed and eaten: the City of David in Jerusalem, Tel Rehov in the Jordan Valley, Tel Beth-Shemesh in the Judean Shephelah, Tel Miqne (Ekron) and Tel es-Safi (Gath). Start with our private Jerusalem day, or tell us what you would like to see and we will build a private tour around the ancient table.