by Navigator 23 Replies latest watchtower bible
Waiting et al,
There's no evidence whatsoever that the crowd at the wedding feast in Cana were drunk. The presumption would be that this was a religious crowd at a religious wedding, after 7 days of feasting you go through a lot of wine...especially if the friends of the groom were to provide the wine, most would be quite poor and not be able to provide large quantities of wine.
Yerusalem
According to Dr. Lamsa, middle eastern weddings were celebrations rather than religious occassions. Only the men drank. The requirement to toast the happy couple and to keep the cups full made it difficult for the men to stay sober. In fact the comments of the steward which read in the Jerusalem bible, "people generally serve the best wine first, and keep the cheaper sort till the guests have had plenty to drink" would tend to support Dr. Lamsa's position. The poorer people provided the cheapest wines. I have traveled some in the middle east and the cheaper wines are barely fit to drink when you've grown accustom to German and California wines. They are extremely cheap, however. The backwards valleys of Syria and Iraq have changed little over the centuries. They are still plowing with oxen. I have no information regarding the financial status of the guests. Each guest was expected to do his duty and provide adequate quantities if somewhat poorer grades of drink. The exception was for the Rabbis who were not expected to provide wine, but generally had water served. My son-in-law, who is a lebanese christian, tells me that the only change in the custom is that they don't go on for three days anymore. He never shows up at any occassion without several bottles of wine.
Navigator,
I question the ascertation that weddings were not viewed as religious occasions. I think that just as today, it would depend on the couple and their families. I'd like to see sources on the Rabbis only supplying water, but even if that's so, Jesus was not a trained and ordained Rabbi, the term was given to him out of respect for his teaching ability. As Jesus public ministry had not yet really begun it's quite possible no one was calling him Rabbi then. Another great possiblity is that apparently God doesn't disapprove of Social Drinking...POUR ME ANOTHER ROUND....
Yerusalem
I agree. Make mine a double.
