Quote:
Originally Posted by 33girl
I don't think it's a matter of ignorance - more that they're saying that the word that meant "wine" really properly translated means "juice from grapes."
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It has to be remembered that until 1869, when Thomas Bramwell Welch came up with a method of pasteurization that prevented the fermentation of grape juice, "grape juice" was simply newly-pressed wine that hadn't fermented yet. There was no way, short of drinking it, to keep it from fermenting (or spoiling).
The reality is that most of the Hebrew or Greek words usually translated as "wine" in English Bibles suggest at least some level of fermentation. Nevertheless, there are those who argue that when the Bible refers to "new wine," for example, it is referring to juice of the grape that hasn't fermented yet.
It should also be remembered that when Alexander conquered Palestine, the people there adopted the Greek custom of diluting wine with water.