Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Ancient honey

3,000-Year-Old Beehives Found in Israel -Matti Friedman

Archeologists digging in northern Israel have discovered evidence of a 3,000-year-old honey industry, including remnants of ancient honeycombs, beeswax and what they believe are the oldest intact beehives ever found.

The findings include 30 intact hives dating to around 900 BCE... The beehives, made of straw and unbaked clay, have a hole at one end to allow the bees in and out and a lid on the other end to allow beekeepers access to the honeycombs inside. They were found in orderly rows, three high, in a room that could have accommodated around 100 hives. The Bible repeatedly refers to Israel as a "land of milk and honey."
(AP/Washington Post)

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