Wine Press Communal

A picture of another wine press at Shivta. Please note the individual compartments that surround the central, square, stomping area. These are where individual grape growers would bring their harvest. Thus, when the grapes were all pressed together, each grower could receive a certain percentage of the wine—based upon the amount of grapes that he/she brought to the press. Compare the monastic wine press at Shivta that did not need to separate out the harvest before pressing.