They called him Methuselah after the oldest person in the Bible. In 2005, a team of scientists sprouted a preserved 2,000-year-old seed, the oldest seed germinated with human-assistance (with the claim in 2012 of a 32,000-year-old arctic flower involving fruit tissue rather than a seed). Palm trees in the ruins of Babylon. Its a childrens story about the science and what it represents., Viva Sarah Press is a journalist and speaker. In 2005, Dr. Sarah Sallon challenged her friend and fellow scientist, Dr. Elaine Solowey from the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, to see if they could get any of the date palm seeds to grow. And though shes just nine-years-old, she carries an ancient heritage. Were available 24/7. [24], Researchers at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies at Kibbutz Ketura plan to grow dates resurrected from seeds found at archaeological sites in the Judaean Desert and Masada in large quantities using tissue culture, and then establish them in commercial plantations.[25]. The seeds were germinated by warming and hydrating them slowly and gradually. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. [9] A 1974 study blames the 15th-century disappearance of date palms from the Jericho-Ein Gedi region on human activity, but Goor raises the possibility that the climate change led to the springs in the area delivering less water, which harmed the water-intensive cultivation of date palms.[9]. Last week, when the first dates ripened, a harvest was organized. The seeds were held in storage for 40 years at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan.[10][11]. Eventually, Hannah produced 111 dates weighing between 15 and 18 grams each. The two researchers pollinated the flowers from Hannah with those of Methuselah to reconstruct the taste of ancient date palms to the maximum extent possible. After eight weeks, a small green shoot emerged from one seed, producing a sapling no one had seen in centuries and becoming the oldest known tree seed to germinate. There are other types of dates in the world, but according to Pliny the Elder (writing in the first century AD), none were as succulent or as sweet as the Judean date palm. Dr. This week the Arava Institute celebrated the first Judean Dates ever to be grown into fruit since the time of King Herod." [5], When the Roman Empire invaded ancient Judea, thick forests of date palm up to 80 feet (24m) high and 7 miles (11km) wide covered the Jordan River valley from the Sea of Galilee in the north to the shores of the Dead Sea in the south. Hannahs DNA is reminiscent of that of ancient trees from Mesopotamia, todays Iraq, as is the modern zahidi variety, which is considered an Iraqi species. A handful of date seeds from fruit that ripened around the time of Jesus have been successfully planted and grown in southernIsrael, researchers have revealed., The worlds most remarkable date palm trees might not exist if Sarah Sallon hadnt gotten sick while working as a doctor in India in 1986. Sallons near future plans include learning more about the new-old dates, how to reintroduce the Judean date to the market, and continue to research the medicinal properties of these dates. The genome sequences of the ancient Judean date palms were compared to those of 110 contemporary Phoenix dactylifera varieties and other wild Phoenix species . It would be interesting if they were used back then for the same reasons, she tells NoCamels during a phone call from her Jerusalem home. They selected 34 seeds they thought were the most viable. Radiocarbon dating at the University of Zurich confirmed the seeds dated from between 155 BC to 64 AD. Methuselah was grown from a seed that was discovered at the archaeological excavations at Masada, while Hannah is from a seed discovered a little further north along the Dead Sea at Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The first of the ancient date seedlings, Methusaleh, is named for the oldest person mentioned in the Bible. Radiocarbon dating of the fragments of the seed shells still clinging to the roots of the plants confirmed the seeds date back to between 1,800 and 2,400 years ago. Female plants need male pollen to produce fruit, and all six of the new date palm trees are female, Sallon explains. These semi-dry dates with a reddish blonde color were recently harvested. Those date palms of modern day Israel are modern and they were imported after the founding of the State in the 1950s. Nature has this immense power to renovate itself, to rejuvenate itself. But all was not lost, because in 1963, the late archeologist Yigael Yadin began excavating Masada, a mountaintop fortress built over 2,000 years ago on the shore of the Dead Sea, where King Herod built a spectacular palace. But I will secretly plant one of the seeds from Hannah here and hope that in another 20 years, it will produce fruit.. It is not clear whether there was ever a single distinct Judean cultivar, but dates grown in the region have had distinctive reputations for thousands of years, and the date palm was anciently regarded as a symbol of the region and its fertility. After six years of growth Hannah flowered and researchers got excited at the possibility of resurrecting the Judean date after 2,000 years. And lo, it came to pass that out of the earth Hannah and Judith sprouted. It takes time for seedlings to become seed-bearing trees, but eventually, that time came. Specimen Pindo Palm Tree can be seen on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, GA. Most people know of the great construction achievements of the dynastic Egyptians such as the pyramids and temples of the Giza Plateau area as well as the Sphinx. her team just so happens to have one other Judean date palm on hand in . No. During Yigal Yadins excavations of Masada in the mid 1960s, ancient date seeds were discovered beneath rubble at the Northern Palace approach. Once the Roman Empire took control of the kingdom in 70 AD, the date palms were destroyed in an attempt to cripple the Jewish economy. Elaine Solowey, Desert Plant Pioneer, successfully grew an extinct Judean Date Palm tree from a 2000 year old seed. All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream. Interesting Engineering reports that Recently, Hannah's fruit was harvested for the first time.. This opens the door to thousands of potential experiments. They were then dosed with Gibberellic acid, a growth-promoting plant hormone, and enzymatic fertilizer. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Cultivation of dates in the region almost disappeared after the fourteenth century AD from a combination of climate change and infrastructure decay but has been revived in modern times. Watch the video below to learn more about the resurrection of this formerly extinct Judean date palm tree. . Following this success, six further preserved seeds were sprouted.[2]. 3 min read. Long the only lonely representative of its kind, the Judean palm in now reproducing and giving researchers a unique glimpse back in time. While the scientific and agricultural communities celebrated this landmark harvest, only Sallon, Solowey, a handful of the other scientists involved in the revival project and a few kibbutz members got to sample bits of this long-lost variety of dates, last tasted back in the times of Jesus and the Maccabees. On August 23rd, 2021, Arava Institute staff harvested three bunches of dates from our world-famous ancient date palms. Dates were one of the seven species listed as special to the land of Israel, described in the bible as honey., A land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey; Deuteronomy 8:8. The date was so important to the region that it featured on ancient coinage, and even on Israel's 10-shekel coin today. The experiment seeks to rediscover the origins of the historic date palm population and confirm the date seeds long-term durability, while shedding light on ancient cultivation techniques that nurtured this unique fruit and exploring its potential relevance for modern date agronomy. And it is blossoming on Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava region, 40 minutes north of Eilat. Read more: Date palm grown from 2,000-year-old seed is a dad . I think thats why weve got such a tremendous response to bringing these dates back from extinction, she says. Many books and videos show depictions of vast work forces hewing blocks of stone in the hot desert sun and carefully setting them into place. It has allegedly served as both an aphrodisiac and a contraceptive, and as a cure for a wide range of health issues including cancer, malaria, and toothache. Its mentioned in the Bible as one of the seven species found in the ancient Land of Israel. ( The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ) So valued was the tree that it became recognized as a symbol of good fortune in Judea. Sarah Sallon, director of the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center in Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, led a team that included Elaine Solowey, and Nathalie Chabrillange. Not as sweet as the Medjooldate, not sticky at all, and with a pleasant honey aftertaste is how Dr. Sarah Sallon describes the taste of a date sprouted from a 2,000-year-old seed. Photo: Marcos Schonholz, What Do 2,000-Year-Old Ancient Judean Dates Taste Like? The largest and most famous so far has been dubbed Methuselah, but the plant turned out to be a male, meaning it will never bear fruit. Genesis 5:25-27 says that Methuselah lived 969 years! Sallon is hopeful that Hannah, a female date tree, will flower this year and the plant could be pollinated by Methuselah - a tree the team grew from a 1,900-year-old Judean date palm seed in 2008. People are disturbed. She writes and talks about the creativity and innovation taking place in Israel and beyond. According to Jewish tradition, the Children of Israel came out of Egypt with date palm saplings that were eventually planted in the land of Israel. Other date seeds were found in caves near the Dead Sea. The open hilltop, which is known as the Hill of Evil Counsel, is at the center of a battle that the neighborhood residents, including Sallon, are fighting against a construction project that they say will obliterate it. They were the first dates to ripen from date palms grown from seeds that are more than 2,000 years old. Medieval Sea Monster Was Likely a Whale, New Research Reveals, What is Shambhala? The dates flavor is similar to medjool, semi-dry with honey tones. After being kept in storage for over 40 years, a project initiated by Dr. Sallon, aimed to germinate ancient seeds found on archaeological sites in an effort to reintroduce extinct plants previously grown in the region. Ancient Judean date palm trees resurrected from ancient seeds. But the plant went extinct due to waves of conquest and intentional destruction. Until Sallon initiated a project aimed at germinating ancient seeds to reintroduce extinct plants previously grown in the region and learn about their qualities. Throughout the history of civilization, the concept of the apocalypse has been ever present, in one way or another. The tree itself was a source of shelter, its fruit . She was also interested in how plants can be used for medicine. The first dates to ripen came from a palm tree named Hannah, which was grown from a seed about 10 years ago. The eastern ones are all the species from Arabia and Iraq, and the western ones are from North Africa, Sallon explained. Holy Land Uncovered on location special from Kibbutz Ketura, where 2 female scientists created a Miracle!! were collected from Judean desert archaeological sites such as an ancient palace-fortress built by King Herod and caves located in southern Israel at Masada, Qumran, Wadi Makukh, and Wadi Kelt, located in the Judean desert between the Judean Hills and the Dead Sea. The Judean date disappeared entirely, and this site is also in terrible danger of destruction. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. Actually, this one came from Qumran -- was found in the caves -- and much to our astonishment, she also sprouted, said Elaine Solowey, the botanist who coaxed the seeds to grow. It is chronicled in the Bible, Quran, and ancient literature for its diverse powers. A previous experiment with the seeds produced a single male plant that sprouted in 2005 which the researchers named Methuselah. Later this fall, the Arava Institute plans to offer a limited number of dates for sale at the Kibbutz Ketura guesthouse. Judean Date Palm Grown From 2,000 Year Old Seed Bears Fruit. Hundreds of seeds were collected between 1963 and 1991. A little, young-looking palm tree named Judith was planted on Kibbutz Ketura recently. Microsatellite genotyping of germinated seeds indicates that exchanges of genetic material occurred between the Middle East . Thegoal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. You can help bring hope today! We are going to be testing those dates in the future to see actually what they do and whether they differ from other commercial varieties of modern dates. Dr. Solowey - and that at least one is a female! This remarkable feat confirms the long-term viability of the kernels once ensconced in succulent Judean dates, a fruit cultivar lost for centuries. It was a harvest that grabbed a global media spotlight. Because several seedlings are female, it is hoped that it will be possible to pollinate one or more of the female Judean date palms with the pollen from Methuselah. As a result, the tithing ceremony was held on Friday. Judean date palm in 2012. France's University of Montpellier conducted genetic testing on the Judean date and found that it shares some qualities with the Iraqi Zahidi date as well as other date varieties that were once grown in ancient Mesopotamia, Arabia, and Pakistan. How Credible Are the Superstitions Surrounding the Mystical Irish Fairy Trees? But they're not the original date tree that grew here, Sallon said. By Benjitheijneb (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons Get out the cigarsMethuselah, a. This years harvest from Hannahproduced almost 700 dates (after 111 during last years first harvest), which were pollinated by Methuselah and two other ancient date palms named Adam and Jonah. Especially now, I think that people need that. The first complete mapping of a Neanderthal genome took place about five years ago - supporting the human-Neanderthal hook-up and also showing that Neanderthal DNA in humans is a thing. The date palm was even used as a symbol for Israel. If you dont look back to the history you will not see the future. Methusaleh and all the ancient date trees can be visited by contacting Keren Kolot. This extraordinary achievement demonstrates the kernels' long-term vitality after being nestled in succulent Judean dates, a fruit variety that has been lost for millennia. Over the past 15 years, a project has been underway in Israels southern Arava region to revive ancient species of date palms germinated from seeds found at archaeological digs in the Judean Desert. ( Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ). Masada was the last stand of a small band of Jewish rebels who held out against three Roman legions for several years before committing mass suicide in 73 AD. All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream. The remaining 32 seeds were planted in a quarantined site at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel. [3] Modern studies have been done in an attempt to confirm their medicinal value. For thousands of years, the date palm was a staple crop. Need prayer? Back in the 1960s, famed Israeli archeologist Professor Yigal Yadin discovered thousands of date seeds buried under rubble during his excavations of Masada. Home Judean Date Palm Grown From 2,000 Year Old Seed Bears Fruit. But now, after 2,000 years, the Judean date palm is back and the sweet ancient fruit has been harvested once again. Sallon has a hypothesis regarding Hannahs ancestors. After all, date palms are praised in the Bible as well as in Islam, Greek and Roman civilizations as symbols of beauty, fertility, peace, and victory. The species of palm was thought to be extinct for 800 years but hundreds of seeds of. (2020) Origins and insights into the historic Judean date palm based on genetic analysis of germinated ancient seeds and morphometric studies. Science Advances Vol 6. Dr. Solowey successfully germinated one of these seeds, which sprouted into a young date palm today, Methuselah has a permanent home in the Arava Institute research park on Kibbutz Ketura. NoCamels.com is the leading news website covering breakthrough innovation from Israel for a global audience. They dont read science journals, she tells NoCamels, noting that her friend, Jane Goodall, wrote the introduction to her unpublished childrens book. cultivation of dates in the region began to decline. The remaining 32 seeds were planted in a quarantined site at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel. Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, "New Life, From an Arctic Flower That Died 32,000 Years Ago", "After 2,000 Years, These Seeds Have Finally Sprouted", "2000-Year-Old Date Pit Sprouts In Israel", "2,000-Year-Old Seed Sprouts, Sapling Is Thriving", "Extinct Judean Date Palm Grows After 1500 Years", "1.4.8 The Crusader period and Little Ice Age, 1.0 ka to 0.4 ka BP, and 1.4.9 The Moslem-Ottoman period, 0.4 ka to 0.1 ka BP", "From Extinction to Resurrection: The Judean Date Palm Tree", "Origins and insights into the historic Judean date palm based on genetic analysis of germinated ancient seeds and morphometric studies", "Researchers confirm age of "Methuselah" tree", "2000-Year-Old Date Pit Sprouts in Israel", "Medicinal date palm from oldest known seed planted", "Date palm grown from 2,000-year-old seed is a dad", "Israeli researchers grow new date plants from 2,000-year-old seeds", "The genomes of ancient date palms germinated from 2,000 y old seeds", "Scientists Resurrect Mysterious Judean Date Palms From Biblical Era", "Extinct tree from the time of Jesus rises from the dead", How King Solomon and the Romans Shaped the Judean Date Palm, "Germination, Genetics, and Growth of an Ancient Date Seed", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Judean_date_palm&oldid=1142182782, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2018, Articles with disputed statements from July 2018, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from December 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 23:58. In ancient times, date palms were used for their supposed medicinal properties to cure many diseases and infections, promoting longevity and acting as a mild aphrodisiac. For thousands of years, the date palm was a staple crop. The site of the ceremony was not happenstance. Dr. Elaine Solowey, director of the Center for Sustainable Agriculture of the Arava Institute, and Dr. Sarah Sallon, director of the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center of Hadassah Hospital, harvested these ancient dates in the culmination of an ambitious, decades-long experiment to raise the biblical-era Phoenix dactylifera date palm from the dead. Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist of the 1st century AD, wrote that Jericho's dates were known for their succulence and sweetness, though he distinguished a considerable variety of them and discussed several different varieties by name. I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds, about Herod the Greats Alabaster Bathtubs, about Seleucid Sling Stone Sheds New Light on Jewish Hannukah Story, about Rogue Priest Second Temple Silver Coin Found By Girl in Jerusalem, about Evidence of Hannukah Story Found in Razed Hellenistic Fortress, about New Study Reveals How Legendary Assyrian Siege Ramp Overcame Lachish, about Mesopotamian Superpowers Laying Waste To The Ancient Near East, For Sale In Britain: A Small Ancient Man With A Colossal Penis, Sacred Marvels: 17 Cathedrals That Will Take Your Breath Away, In Pictures, Egyptologists Reveal a Lost Chamber in the Great Pyramid With Cosmic Rays, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Unleashing the End of the World. Goor only detects a decline in date cultivation through the period of Early Arab rule and especially during the Crusades, when he notes that the devastation of the region was particularly hard on the palm plantations. The Bible says that it is not good for man to be alone. While waiting for the results of cross-pollination with the Egyptian 'date' ;-) I pray that more seeds be given to the researcher (and proud mama!) I clicked on the link from Facebook because I remember date palms being grown and harvested in the San Diego area in the early 60's. Available at: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/palm-tree-0013259. In experiments praised by the Dalai Lama, for example, Dr. Sarah Sallon has shown that ancient Tibetan cures for cardiovascular disease really do work. Submitted by escamp on August 31, 2015 - 3:04pm. The harvested dates are undergoing study regarding their properties and nutritional values. Methuselah and Hannah, which are the oldest, have more eastern DNA, while the other trees DNA is more western.. It is interesting to note that the Ezekiel prophesied that in the Messianic era, a river would flow from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, revitalizing the saline water, transforming it into a thriving ecosystem. Cultivation of dates in the region almost disappeared after the fourteenth century CE from a combination of climate change and infrastructure decay but has been revived in modern times. In February of this year, the latest scientific paper published about the germination of these seeds inScience Advances,revived new interest in these dates, says Sallon. Understanding the Mysterious Kingdom of Shambhala, Alleged Sighting of the Mythical Manananggal in the Philippines Causes Public Anxiety, The Green Children of Woolpit: Legendary Visitors from Another World, The Evidence is Cut in Stone: A Compelling Argument for Lost High Technology in Ancient Egypt, Caesars Savage Human Skewers Unearthed In German Fort. The fruits from these seven species were the only acceptable plant offerings in the Temple and their first fruits were brought to be eaten in Jerusalem. Dates were famous in antiquity for medicinal value, said Solowey. The tree and its fruit are mentioned in the Song of Songs and Psalms and featured on coins throughout the region. The Judean Date Palm symbolized ancient Judah and was mentioned in the Bible but when the nation it symbolized was conquered and sent into exile in 70 CE, cultivation of dates in the region began to decline. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. She has a rich and varied career, ranging from teaching Read More. Thick forests of the ancient date palms towering up to 80 feet (24.38 meters) and spreading for 7 miles (11.27) covered the Jordan River valley from the Sea of Galilee in the north to the shores of the Dead Sea in the south. Who would have thought seeds thousands of years old would germinate?!? To read the full paper on Origins and insights into the historic Judean date palm based on genetic analysis of germinated ancient seeds and morphometric studies by Sarah Sallon et al., please refer to Science Advances. Very much like the lyrics of the famous She may be ancient Egypts most famous face, but the quest to find the eternal resting place of Queen Nefertiti has never been hotter. (DtoF) Boaz (54 months), Judith (47 months), and Hannah (88 months). [16] Methuselah flowered in March 2011 and is male. Sallon explained that the taste is very close but not exactly the same as what the residents of the country would have eaten 2,000 years ago since in ancient times dates were grown from shoots from the best producing trees rather than by pollinating date palm flowers. Elaine Solowey of the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies with the tree named 'Judith. Phoenix dactylifera date or date palm is a flowering plant species in the palm family Arecaceae, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. They were given the names Jonah, Uriel, Boaz, Judith, Hannah, and Adam. God is everywhereeven in the news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter today to get all the most important stories directly to your inbox. Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed, Director of the Arava Institute at Kibbutz Ketura, sees this as. Researchers hold a date tree grown by a 2,000-year-old seed retrieved from archaeological sites in the Judean Desert, in Ketura, Israel, September 2, 2020. Most of the dates will go to research, but those that were tasted had, as Dr. Soloway said, a honey or caramel aftertaste., Methuselah is a date palm that Dr. Elaine Solowey sprouted from a 2,000-year-old date seed. symbolized ancient Judah and was mentioned in the Bible but when the nation it symbolized was conquered and sent into exile in 70 CE. They are similar in taste and form to the modern day zahidi dates. In this age of global warming and species loss, I thought its important to try and bring back to life these ancient varieties. Sallon obtained five of those original seeds and gave them to Solowey. After devising a method to sprout them, Solowey succeeded in sprouting seeds found in other places such as the Qumran caves in the area where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. References to it are made in the Bible, the Koran, and other ancient literature.
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