In the Old Testament there are two Hebrew words that are used, one is "Yayain." Young's Concordance defines this word as "what is pressed out" grape juice. The other word is the word "Tirosh" defined as "what is possessed," new wine. So we take it that in Bible times grape juice was called wine. They had no way to keep it fresh and so eventually, it would become "Yayain" fermented wine, strong drink. We need to consider a long time authority on this matter, Smith's Bible Dictionary: "The simple wines of antiquity was incomparably less deadly than the stupefying and ardent beverages of our western nations. The wines of antiquity was more like syrups; many of them were not intoxicant; many more intoxicant in a small degree; and all of them, as a rule, taken only when largely diluted with water. They contained, even undiluted, but 4 or 5 percent of alcohol."
The Hebrew word "Yain," wine, is the same root word in the Greek, was not confined to an intoxicating liquor made of fruits by alcoholic fermentation of their expressed juices, but more frequently referred to a thick, non-intoxicating syrup, or jam, produced by boiling. This was done to store the articles of food, exactly what we do even today. We store them in bottles, jars, metal cans, while they put them in skins (bottles).
The Greek word "Oinos, Oinon, Oine," the grape, or vine-plant, is used by many to always mean fermented and intoxicating liquor, which is totally inaccurate, and only could come from pure ignorance or from those who fancied drunkenness to be the highest delight, and intoxication a christian practice; the Mohammedan Arabians were always sober people. Oinos, wine, or drink made from any fruit, grain, such as dates, apples, pears, barley, or lotus seed. If specially indicated as made from grapes it is called Oinos' ampelinos. As in the Hebrew "Yain," the word does not in the Greek always signify fermented intoxicating drink, but grapes as fresh fruit, dried as raisins, or jam, or preserved by boiling for storage, or as a thick syrup for table use for spreading on bread as we do butter, and this was also dissolved in water for a drink or beverage at meals, as described in the Bible by Solomon and others. This mixing of the syrups with water ready for use at meals is referred to in more than one of our Lord's parables. This drink was absolutely non-alcoholic and non-intoxicating. Grape juice was also prepared by heating it, as soon as possible after it had been squeezed in the press, by boiling, so as to prevent fermentation, and yet preserve its thin liquid form as a drink. To insure this, certain resinous gums were dissolved in this juice, or sulphate of lime, which is called gypsum, was put into it.
All of these plans for producing a non-intoxicating wine are still followed in every grape-growing country of Southern Europe and Asia, as of old.
It should be taken in mind that when reading in the Bible concerning "Wine," we are seldom dealing with the strongly intoxicating and loaded liquors, but usually with beverages such as I have already described. These were harmless and sober as our own teas, coffees, and cocoas. Had they not been so, the ancient populations would have been perpetually in a state of drunkenness. These facts should never be forgotten when we read of "wine" there; this was simple fruit syrup, except where especially stated to be of the intoxicating kinds, which latter the prophets always condemn.
By Dr. Bill Kanoy
I don't expect you fellows to believe this....in doing so would wreck your sinful practices.