To the Jews, wine was a gift from God and a source of joy (Judg. 9:13; Ps. 104:15). The law did not demand total abstinence, but it did warn against drunkenness (Deut. 21:18-21; Prov. 20:1; 23:20-21, 29-35). The prophet Amos denounced the luxurious indulgences of the people in both Judah and Samaria (Amos 6:1-7), and Isaiah also thundered against such godless living (Isa. 5:11-12, 22).