In fact, Mesopotamia had specific laws dedicated to the
production and consumption of beer as shown in the translation
below:
"If an unbarum, a naptarum or a mudum wants to sell his
beer, the sabitum shall sell his beer for him at the current price."
Surprisingly enough, ancient tablet inscriptions show (picture on
the left) that the distribution
and allocation of beer was
strictly based on social ranks. It
was, of course, logical for the
Mesopotamians to have a
cuneiform symbol for beer and
this symbol appears three times
on a tablet (an upright jar with
a pointed base) dating back to
3100 BC. This tablet now
resides in the British Museum.
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