www.vivaspress.com. Five years ago. It grew around the Dead Sea in the south, to the Sea of Galilee and the Hula Valley regions in the north. 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. Ancient Judean date palm trees resurrected from ancient seeds. She has grown plants and herbs used in Tibetan, Chinese, and biblical medicine, as well as traditional folk remedies from other cultures to see whether their effectiveness can be scientifically proved. You can view our live recording of the harvesthere. As a result, the tithing ceremony was held on Friday. Call it Canaan, the Levant or the Ancient Near East; the region has always had a troubled history of warfare and invasions. 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. 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. It took me some time to figure out how I might do it because you only have one chance with each seed, Dr. Elaine Solowey, who runs the Center for Sustainable Agriculture at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Kibbutz Ketura, says in an Israeli Foreign Ministry video made back in 2016 before it was known whether these trees would even bear fruit. The conditions were dry and arid enough to preserve the seeds for 2,000 years. And here we are actually planting history at the Arava Institute. In Egypt and the Land of Israel, the two species come together. [10] The plant was nicknamed "Methuselah" after the longest-lived person listed in the Bible. It became the Jews symbol of grace and elegance and was often bestowed by them to women. For example, Davids beautiful daughter was named Tamar. Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed, Director of the Arava Institute at Kibbutz Ketura, sees this as. I wrote about the date, from the point of view of the date, he goes to sleep during the siege of Masada and literally wakes up in a laboratory. 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. The experiment worked. Six Ancient Plants From 2,000-Year-Old Seeds Have Been Grown - Newsweek [1] The palm, a male tree, was named Methuselah (not to be confused with a bristlecone pine tree of the same name). Benjitheijneb/CC BY SA 3.0 (Creative Commons ) A tree grown from a 2,000-year-old seed may bring its sub-species back to Israel, where it once flourished, after a . Dr. Sallon, who researches natural medicine, is one of the few lucky ones to have had the opportunity to taste one of the 111 ancient Judean dates harvested in September at Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. Solowey planted some three thousand of them on Kibbutz Ketura, where each tree produces around 350 pounds of dates a year. The Iliad can provide new insights on the role of motherhood among the ancient Greek gods, and by extension, amongst ancient mortal Greek women themselves. Sign up to our free daily newsletter today to get all the most important stories directly to your inbox. 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. Origins and insights into the historic Judean date palm based on Palm Trees for Sale at Ty Ty Nursery The first dates to ripen came from a palm tree named Hannah, which was grown from a seed about 10 years ago. 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. They selected 34 seeds they thought were the most viable. 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. Available at: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/6/eaax0384, Whelan, E. (2020) Fabled Palm Trees Reborn From Ancient Seeds In Israel. Ancient Origins. Scientists Resurrect Mysterious Judean Date Palms From Biblical Era Methuselah the tree was grown from a 2,000-year-old seed found at Masada. Its mentioned in the Bible as one of the seven species found in the ancient Land of Israel. 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. They became symbols of "beauty, precious shade and succulent plenty," Kershner wrote. [26] They may have shared the same wild ancestor. Specimen Pindo Palm Tree can be seen on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, GA. There are two groups of date species eastern and western. A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire. In June of 2020, Hannah became the first Judean date palm tree, resurrected from the dust of ancient seeds, to bear fruit. The plant was nicknamed "Methuselah," after the longest-lived person in the Bible. Climatic conditions at the Dead Sea may have contributed to the longevity of this oldest, directly dated, viable seed. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. The characteristics of the Judean date palm may shed light on aspects of ancient cultivation that contributed to the quality of its fruit and is thus of potential relevance to the agronomic improvement of modern dates, the authors write. 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. Scientists in Israel grow date plants from 2,000-year-old seeds The fruit sprouted from seeds 2,000 years old. It played a significant role in the Judean economy for about two millenniaat the least from the fifth century B.C.E. By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. CBN News got its first look ten years ago when Methuselah was still in the lab. Architecture of the Floating (Or Sinking) City: How Was Venice Built? I think thats why weve got such a tremendous response to bringing these dates back from extinction, she says. Fancy Sipping a Pint in a 1700-Year-Old Tree? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [18] By May 2015, the palm was 3.0 metres (9.8ft) tall and was producing pollen. Home Judean Date Palm Grown From 2,000 Year Old Seed Bears Fruit. This amazing date tree was grown from a seed preserved since - Medium [17] By November 2011 it was 2.5 metres (8ft 2in) high, having been transplanted from pot to earth. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. 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. You Can at The Baobab Tree Bar, The Power of the Flying Rowan Tree, Woe of the Witches, https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/extinct-tree-resurrected-ancient-seeds-now-dad-002838, https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/science/.premium-israeli-researchers-mate-2-000-year-old-date-seeds-hope-for-fruit-1.8503447, https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Seed-of-extinct-date-palm-sprouts-after-2-000-2628668.php, https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/6/eaax0384, https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/palm-tree-0013259, Seleucid Sling Stone Sheds New Light on Jewish Hannukah Story, Rogue Priest Second Temple Silver Coin Found By Girl in Jerusalem, Evidence of Hannukah Story Found in Razed Hellenistic Fortress, New Study Reveals How Legendary Assyrian Siege Ramp Overcame Lachish, Mesopotamian Superpowers Laying Waste To The Ancient Near East. Hundreds of seeds were collected between 1963 and 1991. In time, Hannah gave birth to a son, Samuel, who was the nazirite that chose Saul and David, the first two kings of Israel, for Gods people (1 Samuel 1). Available at: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/palm-tree-0013259. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. [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]. When compared with three other cultivars of date palm, genetic tests showed the plant to be closely related to the old Egyptian variety Hayani, 19% of its DNA[clarification needed] being different, and an Iraqi cultivar (16% different DNA). [4], Its likeness was engraved on shekalim, the ancient Hebrew unit of currency. Thats why we view every news story through the lens of faith. Shes the fifth such tree to be planted there after Methuselah, Adam, Jonah and Hannah. 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. ( Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ). In 2011, the plant produced its first flowers and today, the living archaeological treasure continues to grow and thrive. Two beautiful bathtubs Hanukkah or the Jewish Festival of Lights is celebrated in memory of the recovery of the Second Temple in Jerusalem from the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BC. Genesis 5:25-27 says that Methuselah lived 969 years! Elaine Solowey, Desert Plant Pioneer, successfully grew an extinct Judean Date Palm tree from a 2000 year old seed. Germination of 2000-year-old seeds of Phoenix dactylifera from Judean desert archaeological sites provides a unique opportunity to study the Judean date palm, described in antiquity for the quality, size, and medicinal properties of its fruit, but lost for centuries. 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. Both seeds have been dated to between the 4th and 2nd centuries B.C.E. Methuselah was chosen to father the fruit and pollen from his plant was placed onto Hannah's flowers. Soak them in a bowl of cool water for 48 hours. Haaretz.com, the online English edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, gives you breaking news, analyses and opinions about Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Photo: CBN News, Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. Now that the Judean date palm has been brought back to life and its fruit has even been harvested, researchers finally have the opportunity to study if the ancient medicinal claims are true. Some of the fruit were tasted, and some were sent for further research. Joanna completed a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) degree in Australia and published research in the field of Educational Psychology. {amount} donation plus {fee_amount} to help cover fees. In coming years, the team hopes to increase the size of the grove (and the yield) so that more people can give them a try., In the middle of Israels Arava Desert, a farming community is bringing trees back to life thats bearing fruit from the time of the Bible. The Pindo Palm produces an edible date fruit used to make jelly, and is also known as the Jelly Palm. Thanks Jo. Scientists Grew Palm Trees From 2,000-Year-Old Seeds Judean dates were once renowned for their size and flavor Brigit Katz Correspondent February 7, 2020 These palms are a modern variety. Three weeks later, the oldest tree to be successfully germinated sprouted. [13] She challenged her friend, Dr. Elaine Solowey from the Center for Sustainable Agriculture at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, with the task[14] and in 2005 Dr. Solowey managed to sprout several seeds, after slowly hydrating them in a common baby bottle warmer, then pretreating them in an ordinary solution of fertilizer and growth hormone. 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. The first of the ancient date seedlings, Methusaleh, is named for the oldest person mentioned in the Bible. CBN Partners provide hope to those who are suffering! Also available on most smart TVs and streaming services. But now, after 2,000 years, the Judean date palm is back and the sweet ancient fruit has been harvested once again. For more information and/or interview requests, please contact Institute Deputy Director Eliza Mayo. 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. During Yigal Yadins excavations of Masada in the mid 1960s, ancient date seeds were discovered beneath rubble at the Northern Palace approach. And though shes just nine-years-old, she carries an ancient heritage. 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 . So far, we have five males and two females seven altogether, and I've tried lots of seeds and most of them are deader than door nails, Solowey said. [citation needed] The tree so defined the local economy that the Roman emperor Vespasian celebrated the reconquest after the First Jewish Revolt (6670 AD) by minting Judaea Capta coinage, a series of coins sometimes depicting Judaea as a mourning woman beneath a date palm. And then I realized that many of these species had actually disappeared. The Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is an important symbol in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.Methuselah represents a variety of date palm that was grown in ancient Judea but disappeared many hundreds of years ago. In daily prayers, we note how the righteous (tzadik) will grow. ( Marcos Schonholz ). (Guy Eisner / Sciencemag). The researchers discovered that the seeds were up to 30 percent larger than date seeds today, which probably meant the fruit was larger, too. What Do 2,000-Year-Old Ancient Judean Dates Taste Like? - NoCamels Available at: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/extinct-tree-resurrected-ancient-seeds-now-dad-002838, Hassan, N. (2020) Israeli Researchers Mate 2,000-year-old Date Seeds, Hope for Fruit. Haaretz. 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. In this age of global warming and species loss, I thought its important to try and bring back to life these ancient varieties. All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream. Date Palm Sprouted from Ancient Seed Gives Fruit Like That of Bible Times In the middle of Israel's Arava Desert, a farming community is bringing trees back to life that's bearing fruit from the time of the Bible. Elaine Solowey of the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies with the tree named 'Judith. Climate change, terrible typhoons, and hurricanes. The same is true for date palms. Now I need to buy some and try them! The site of the ceremony was not happenstance. Palm trees in the ruins of Babylon. Ever Tried 2,000-year-old Dates? Now You Can, Thanks to These - Haaretz Of these, six of the seeds successfully sprouted. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.. Dubbed Methuselah it was the oldest seed ever grown attracting wide international attention. But Dr. Sarah Sallon of the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem began to look for more Judean date palm seeds and 30 of the ancient seeds were recovered from Qumran, the same location where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the desert. Over the past decade, they grew an ancient Judean . The date palm is one of the oldest cultivated fruit trees in the world and is highly symbolic in parts of the Middle East, as well as the Muslim, Christian and Jewish faiths. If this is indeed a specific species, the author should make that clear and name the species. YWAM Founder Loren Cunningham Diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer. The Bible is our guidebook of ancient species, Sallon told CBN News. Thank God for the faithfulness of his people though the ages - to leave these seeds, and to find and nurture one to grow. No. These semi-dry dates with a reddish blonde color were recently harvested. They were very dry. At the heart of the ceremony was a small package of dates. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing. Ezekiel 47:12. And I look at the plantations on Ketura. And though shes just nine-years-old, she carries an ancient heritage., Its possible to divide the world in two: the part that venerates the humble-seeming fruit known as the date, and the part that does not. To donate to Dr. Soloweys ancient dates research project, click here. Great piece I had no idea about such amazing botanical work going on. One was separated out as a control. These unique dates are currently being kept cool in storage. It was a harvest that grabbed a global media spotlight. She was soon proven wrong. . Medieval Sea Monster Was Likely a Whale, New Research Reveals, What is Shambhala? The Judean Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is known from historical accounts for its sweet, large fruit, which even had medicinal properties. Seeds found in Judean desert are male and female, leading to hopes of producing dates. Scientists determined that Methuselah was of the Hayany breed originally from Egypt. 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. Who Destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria? After 2,000 years, the formerly extinct Judean date palm was brought back to life by two women scientists in 2005. This week the Arava Institute celebrated the first Judean Dates ever to be grown into fruit since the time of King Herod., They were given Biblical names: Adam, Boaz, Hannah, Jonah, Judith and Uriel. It is sometimes claimed that date growing as a commercial fruit export stopped at the end of 70 AD, when the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans. 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. Collect date seeds. Exodus 15:27. This is the second year of harvesting fruit from this previously extinct tree, brought back to life by Dr. Elaine Solowey. [13][15] Three of the seeds were subsequently planted at Ketura, Israel, in the Arabah in southern Israel. Judean Date Palm Grown From 2,000 Year Old Seed Bears Fruit. 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. So, in 2005, Sallon turned to Solowey, an expert on arid agriculture, for help. 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. The seeds were germinated by warming and hydrating them slowly and gradually. Phoenix dactylifera - Tree - Date Palm :: Seeds for Sale, Tree seeds The Date Trees Grown From 2,000-Year-Old Seeds - The Atlantic They were the first dates to ripen from date palms grown from seeds that are more than 2,000 years old. In the paper published by Science Advances, the scientists say the genetic relationships between the ancient date and current varieties show Methuselah and Adam close to eastern modern varieties Fardh4 and Khalass, respectively, assigned to current Arabian Gulf varieties; Hannah and Judith related to modern Iraqi varieties Khastawi and Khyara, respectively; and Uriel, Boaz, and Jonah, the most western genotypes, related to modern Moroccan varieties, Mahalbit, Jihel, and Medjool, respectively.. It is chronicled in the Bible, Quran, and ancient literature for its diverse powers. Now a major discovery has come regarding these projects, from of all places, his bathtub. The age of the seeds range from some of the oldest germinated seeds in the world - Methuselah, Hannah, and Adam with a carbon date to the first to fourth centuries BC, to the mid-second century BC to mid-first century AD plants known as Judith and Boaz, to the youngest of the Judean date palms - Uriel and Jonah are the youngest (first to second centuries AD). 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. [20], As of 2012, there were tentative plans to crossbreed the male palm with what was considered its closest extant relative, the Hayani date from Egypt, to generate fruit by 2022; however, two female Judean palms have been sprouted since then. 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.
