Identifying the (Royal) Winepresses in the "Valley of the King"

This paper presents four Iron Age winepresses discovered at 'Emeq Lavan, Rogem Gannim and Mordot Arnona in Jerusalem. The winepresses located along 'Emeq Refa'im share a uniform industrial plan featuring three treading surfaces, settling vats and a central collection chamber. The installations date to the late eighth-seventh centuries BCE, when the subjugation of Judah to Assyria created a need for a centralized royal economy. The newly identified winepresses attest to the high degree of standardization of wine production in the region. We suggest that the location and implementation of a standardized plan indicate that these installations were part of a newfound royal estate established in areas that were previously sparsely populated and uncultivated. It is further suggested that the winepresses may be identified with the royal estate of mmšt (Mamsh[i]t), biblical "Valley of the King.".