McClintock Biblical Encyclopedia: Press

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McClintock Biblical Encyclopedia: Press


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( ôּåּøָä , purâh; ëçíüò ). Among the Israelites this was a large trough, usually hewn out of stone (Isa_5:2; Mat_21:33; comp. Nonni, Dionys. 12:330) or dug in the earth and walled up (Harmer, 3, 117). It had a trellised opening below. This trough was called gath, âִּú (in the Talmud also âúä ), or purâh, ôּåּøָä (Isa_63:3); and in it the grapes were trodden by men (five usually work together in Persia still; Kämpfer, Aemen. p. 377). Hence the phrase to tread the wine-press (Job_24:11; Lam_1:15; Isa_63:2). The juice (Heb. tirôsh, úִּéøùׁ ) flowed through the opening into a vat, usually in the earth (called yekeb, éֶ÷ֶá Gr. ðñïëήíéïí , Isa_5:2, or ὑðïëήíéïí , Isa_16:10, and simply ëçíüò , Mat_21:33; Lat. lacus vinarius, Colum. 12:18: in Job_24:11, this word means, however, the trough or press itself). From this it is taken for fermentation in earthen vessels. These presses, which are still common in the East and the Levant (Arvieux 4:272 sq.; Kämpfer, ut sup.), were almost always outside of the towns, either in the vineyards or on mountains (Zec_14:10; Isa_5:2; Mat_21:33; Mar_12:1; Rev_14:20). The slaves must usually have trodden the press, as it was hard labor (Isa_63:1 sq.). They were cheered in it by singing and music (see Isa_16:10; Jer_25:30; Jdg_9:27; Jer_25:30; Jeremiah 48, 33). See Ugolino, De Re Rust. Vet. Heb_6:14 sq., in his Thesaur. 29. SEE OIL; SEE WINE.