Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday.

For this special Jewish New Year episode, co-hosts Amanda Borschel-Dan and Jessica Steinberg dish while their festive dishes are cooking.

We first hear about Steinberg's adventures in the Negev Desert on the trail of innovative wineries way down south.

Borschel-Dan talks about a study in which a team of Israeli scientists and archaeologists believe they have identified the earliest physical evidence of opium use. She also discusses the recent discovery of an untouched 3,300-year-old cave at Palmachim beach -- and it's unfortunate aftermath.

The next two days are holidays, so the pair picked out two favorite episodes of our weekly Times Will Tell podcast that will be shared instead of the Daily Briefing on Monday and Tuesday. They explain why these episodes are worth another listen.

Discussed articles include:

In the Negev, a new breed of vintners are making the desert bloom

Israeli archaeologists uncover earliest known use of opium in the ancient world

Frozen in time: 3,300-year-old burial cave from Ramses II era found at popular beach

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IMAGE: Pouring a Nana Estate Winery rose while looking out toward the unlikely desert terroir of this Negev vineyard. (Courtesy: Nana Winery)

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