Israel is one of the most ancient wine-growing countries in the world, and its viticultural history can be traced far back into antiquity. It is even stated in the Bible that the vine is one of God's blessed plants. However, Palestine at that time did not correspond to the borders of Israel today; it also included parts of today's Lebanon, for example. For a long time, however, viticulture did not play a significant role; it was the Crusades in the 12th and 13th centuries that brought the vine back to the Middle East. Israel's viticulture received a considerable boost from a generous donation of French vines by Baron Edmond de Rothschild in 1882. The wine-growing regions are spread from north to south, beginning in the north with Galilee with the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights. Some researchers even suspect this was the origin of viticulture around 10,000 BC. In the centre lies Samaria and Samson, the lowlands between the Judean mountains and the coast, Judea itself and, in the deep south, the Negev Desert, on the boundary of which vines are grown. However, this is only possible in this particular region with sophisticated irrigation systems. Altogether, they form a vineyard area of about 3,000 hectares. Relatively little wine is drunk in Israel; much of it is exported to the Jewish communities of the world, where it plays a role above all in religious rituals. Therefore, a particular speciality is "kosher" wine", for the production of which only Sabbath-observant Jews are allowed to handle the entire winemaking process. According to religious rules, these vineyards have to have a sabbatical year and lie fallow and rest. Overall, several wineries produce wines of high international standards today.