It's not so inappropriate; in the middle east you can just buy a waterpipe (bong) anywhere. It's called a hookah or a shisha and it's the standard way they smoke tobacco.
And weed they also smoke weed with it because yes it is a bong.
The tobacco was introduced to the Old World only in 16th century, so the only thing the Biblical Magi could smoke with their shisha in year 4 B.C. was weed.
I always heard that you do not want to smoke pot with a hookah because you'll gunk up your nice glassware - get a proper bong instead, and just use shisha (the flavored tobacco) in the hookah.