Beer may have been brewed later because it was safer than water but the reason beer was first brewed, and the reason it is one of the oldest beverages, is because barley and wheat are the oldest domesticated crops. It also didn't have hops in it 10,000 years ago and it probably was never boiled. The best theory is that they either had surplus porridge or traded some porridge that ended up fermenting and enjoyed the effects so did it intentionally. By comparison, ancient breweries in Egypt have only existed for about 4000-5000 years, or roughly half the time that beer has been made.
Good points!
Actually I posted some historical stuff a few months ago that proved even in ancient times, though there was not "germ theory" there WAS an intrinisic understanding that "alcohol from fermentables" WERE safer than water.
Alcohol is toxic to most of those things as well. Obviously, that's why we don't get sick from wines and meads as well. So no matter what came first wine, beer or mead, it was seen as "healthier" than the water.
Maybe if HBT starts working again I can search for it, I swear it was within the last month.
In fact even as far back as the old testament authors there was a basic understanding of "medicine" and the prevention of illness. Many of the prohibitions of eating certain foods, such as shellfish and pork didn't really have "religuous" significance, per se, they were because there was a basic though limited understanding of food bornes illness inhereant in both of those things, such as trichinosis. So what was the best way to "get the word out?" To have the religuous teachings reflect that (often creating a "mythology" around it) but the reason was literally to "put the fear of GOD" into them to prevent them from eating those things.
Same with "ritualistic bathing" in early religions...dirt was bad, water and bathing was "pure." And "Cleanliness was next to godliness."
We studied that in minsterial school.
Even the role of wine which appeared in the bible had a similar significance. In terms of consuming, it was given more prominance that drinking water in the bible. Because to the desert people fresh safe water was a rarity. Even when I was a kid, goign through first communion in the Catholic church, I asked my sponsoring priest about this, and he explained something similar.
Though the ancients may not of had words like "pathogens" or "Trichonosis" or "Germs" in their lexicon, they did seem to have powers of observations about their environment, what was good and bad for them.
I'm pretty sure this stuff will be covered in that discovery series on tonight. Maybe Torg will watch it and learn something.