Beer and Its Drinkers: An Ancient Near Eastern Love Story

Since the classical period, beer has developed a bad reputation as the drink of the uncouth and the loutish. But more ancient evidence from the Near East suggests that beer was highly regarded and used extensively is religious ritual. The author examines the evidence for beer production, storage and consumption in the archaeological record of Syria-Palestine, which tells us of the enduring popularity of one of humanity's oldest indulgences.