flipRefreshment of the Halt (Enriched Oasis Water)
Date and Fig Oasis Drink
DrinkEvocation🍯 🍋facile15 min (+ soaking)
Refreshment of the Halt (Enriched Oasis Water)
Date and Fig Oasis Drink
A naturally sweet drink made from ripe dates and figs crushed in fresh water, sometimes perked up with a touch of vinegar or very ripe fig for freshness. Energizing and thirst-quenching: the traveler's comfort upon reaching the oasis.
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Why this dish? At oases like Kadesh Barnea, water and fruits (dates, figs) restored the exhausted people's strength. This thick, sweet drink evokes those life-saving halts in the midst of wandering.
When we found an oasis, it was like finding life again. Under the palm trees, we crushed ripe dates and figs in fresh water, and we drank this thick, sweet brew that restored strength to weary legs. Drink of it too, traveler, and bless the water that never fails.
Ingredients
- •Ripe dates — a handful (sweetness and energy)
- •Dried or fresh figs — a few (sweetness and tangy freshness)
- •Fresh spring water — as needed (base)
How it was made : The date palm and fig tree were the providential fruits of the oases. The fruits were crushed in water to yield a sweet, nourishing, and easily digestible drink—a precursor to date syrup ("date honey") widespread in the ancient Near East.
Sources : Book of Numbers, chapter 20 (Kadesh) · Nathan MacDonald, What Did the Ancient Israelites Eat? (2008)