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What is the relationship of the rainfall cycle to the cycle of grain agriculture in ancient Israel?
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28 Replies
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The amount of growth of the grain is dependent upon the amount of rainfall for ancient Israel. Without rain, they cannot produce food and have a famine. A time of good rainfall will produce crops that will sustain the people for many years.
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Adequate rainfall and the conservation of the available water was essential to the cycle of grain production in ancient Israel. There was only approximately 25% of the land (largely in the northern region) that was fit for agricultural purposes. This production was dependent on sufficient rainfall and/or storing and accessing water for growing crops, especially grain. Without enough rainfall and with any drought, famine would be inevitable. So, the residents of ancient Israel dedicated a significant amount of time and attention to finding, developing, maintaining, and defending their freshwater resources. This consisted of preserving the winter rains for summer use, since there could be months and even years without significant rainfall in the region.
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The residents of this land dedicated significant time and attention to the identification, development, maintenance, and defense of a freshwater resource which preserved the winter rains for summer use.
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The rainfall season in Ancient Israel was between October through May. Depending on the type of grain, harvesting was done during the months of March through May Grapes were harvested around August Farmers depended on rainfalls because the “river valleys” in the area were not suited for irrigation systems. I googled the material refereed in the question;
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Drought was common in ancient Israel. Seasonal drought allowed for crops to only grow during the rainy season, so that people would have to plan their yearly food usage. However, larger droughts were also common so that in some years, it would be especially difficult to nearly impossible to grow grain or other crops.
