Tell el-Far'ah (bowl and spoon) and Gezer (jug). Wine was a popular drink in the ancient world. It was made mainly from grapes that were trodden by foot in stone or pottery vats and collected in jars for fermentation and storage. Ancient wine had to be strained of its dregs and was therefore usually poured through strainers before drinking. Besides being a common beverage, it was also used in ritual and in medicine. Contaminated water was often mixed with wine to purify it. Less popular among the Israelites was beer, a common drink in Mesopotamia and Egypt.