Thats why we view every news story through the lens of faith. Uriel and Jonah date back to the first to second centuries CE. The date palms are named for Biblical figures. It was a harvest that grabbed a global media spotlight. 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. In the mid-1900s, archaeologists discovered date palm seeds stored in an ancient jar in the ruins of the palace of Herod the Great in Masada, Israel. 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. A little, young-looking palm tree named Judith was planted on Kibbutz Ketura recently. But 800 years ago, crusaders destroyed the last Judean palm and rendered the plant extinct. (Guy Eisner / Sciencemag). Plants have been produced from date palm seeds that have been buried for 2,000 years in old ruins and caves. Methuselah happens to be a male Judean date palm, so the team of scientists planted a few more seeds from the cache of ancient seeds unearthed in Herods palace excavation to see if they could propagate a bride for Methuselah. said Solowey. [5], Climatological research has proven that immediately after 1000, the climate became colder and more humid, reaching a peak around 1600, followed by a century of severe heat and drought, and then again by colder times with more rainfall. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. To read about Dr. Soloweys work to protect other endangered plant species click here. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. The Romans eventually succeeded and by 500 AD the once plentiful date palm had almost completely disappeared, driven to extinction for the sake of conquest. The part that does is home to hundreds of millions of people, from the Atlantic coast of Morocco across North Africa and Egypt to Mesopotamia and east to India., TEL972-8-6356618FAX972-8-6356634EMAILinfo@arava.org, 1320 Centre Street, Suite 206Newton Centre, MA 02459, USATEL1-617-266-7100EMAILinfo@friendsofarava.org, Their names are Adam, Jonah, Uriel, Boaz, Judith, and Hannah, and their ages are well, actually, this ones a bit complicated., Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Energy Security: The Role of Renewable Energy Sources, Practical Challenges of Photovoltaic Systems in the Rural Bedouin Villages in the Negev, Center for Transboundary Water Management, Evidence-based wastewater monitoring and policy for addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, Decentralized Wastewater Management and Governance, Long Term Ecological Monitoring (LTER) in Wadi Shita, Offshore Zionism: Israel-Africa and Green Development, Jordan-Israel Center for Community, Environment & Research, Research in Political Ecology in the Middle East, The Last Straw: Conservation, Control, and the Eco-Political Life of Camels in the Negev Highlands, Sense of Place in an Era of Metabolic Rift, Daniel Fischel & Sylvia Neil Research & Visitors Park, Origins and insights into the historic Judean date palm based on genetic analysis of germinated ancient seeds and morphometric studies, The Albert B. 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SEE ALSO: Bottoms Up: Israeli Scientists Brew Beer With Resurrected Yeast From 5,000 Years Ago. During Yigal Yadins excavations of Masada in the mid 1960s, ancient date seeds were discovered beneath rubble at the Northern Palace approach. What cured here, she thinks, were some traditional herbal remedies., The date palm has a historical distribution stretching from Mauritania in the west to the Indus Valley in the east. They were the first dates to ripen from date palms grown from seeds that are more than 2,000 years old. And they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there beside the water. Shes the fifth such tree to be planted there after Methuselah, Adam, Jonah and Hannah. Holy Land Uncovered on location special from Kibbutz Ketura, where 2 female scientists created a Miracle!! More than 850,000 date trees grow in Israel. Ancient sources have suggested that the Judean date palm tree had many unique medicinal properties no longer found in todays palm varieties. BEST OF 2021: Forests of Judean date palm trees once covered ancient Israel, from Lake Galilee to the Dead Sea. No. [18] By May 2015, the palm was 3.0 metres (9.8ft) tall and was producing pollen. Between 2011 and 2014 Ms. Solowey planted the seeds and six more have sprouted over the years. 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. Who Destroyed the Great Library of Alexandria? You can help bring hope today! After the successful germination of the first seed, Dr. Solowey and Dr. Sallon took to replicating the experiment. Architecture of the Floating (Or Sinking) City: How Was Venice Built? Submitted by escamp on August 31, 2015 - 3:04pm. Available at: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/science/.premium-israeli-researchers-mate-2-000-year-old-date-seeds-hope-for-fruit-1.8503447, Kalman, M. (2005) Seed of extinct date palm sprouts after 2,000 years. SFGATE. And I look at the plantations on Ketura. And then I realized that many of these species had actually disappeared. Judean Date Palm Revived from Extinction by Emily Frances - i24, Sept. 14th, 2020 "Dr. Elaine Solowey, Desert Plant Pioneer, successfully grew an extinct Judean Date Palm tree from a 2000 year old seed. They became symbols of "beauty, precious shade and succulent plenty," Kershner wrote. Especially now, I think that people need that. (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. Sarah Sallon, the director of the Borick Natural Medicine Research Center at Hadassah University Hospital, and Dr. Elaine Solowey, who runs the Center for Sustainable Agriculture at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies at Kibbutz Ketura, have so far successfully managed to germinate seven seeds, among dozens that they have attempted to revive. symbolized ancient Judah and was mentioned in the Bible but when the nation it symbolized was conquered and sent into exile in 70 CE. Researchers celebrate and sample the first fruit of palm trees germinated from ancient seeds from the Judean desert. Elaine Solowey of the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies with the tree named 'Judith. 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. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? The seeds of Judean date palms turn out to have remarkable longevity. A date harvest from 2000-year-old seeds. ( Marcos Schonholz ). The first dates to ripen came from a palm tree named Hannah, which was grown from a seed about 10 years ago. See how the latest updates in Jerusalem and the world are connected to the prophecies we read in the Bible. 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. 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. They were then dosed with Gibberellic acid, a growth-promoting plant hormone, and enzymatic fertilizer. Date palm cultivation is thought to be up to . Now more have been grown and genetic analysis finds a twist in the origin story of the 'Judean date' A resurrected Judean date palm tree called Adam. Top Image: Methuselah is a Judean date palm grown from a 2,000-year-old seed found at Masada. Also available on most smart TVs and streaming services. If you dont look back to the history you will not see the future. The dates flavor is similar to medjool, semi-dry with honey tones. The date palm was even used as a symbol for Israel. The tree and its fruit are mentioned in the Song of Songs and Psalms and featured on coins throughout the region. Both Adam and Jonah have produced flowers. That allowed them to be exported all over the Roman empire and they had medicinal qualities, Sallon said. After 2,000 years, the formerly extinct Judean date palm was brought back to life by two women scientists in 2005. In 2005, several of these seeds were obtained by the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center of the Hadassah Medical Organization, which gave them to Dr. Elaine Solowey at the Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Phoenix dactylifera and over 1000 other quality seeds for sale. Need prayer? Other date seeds were found in caves near the Dead Sea. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. [13][15] Three of the seeds were subsequently planted at Ketura, Israel, in the Arabah in southern Israel. NoCamels.com is the leading news website covering breakthrough innovation from Israel for a global audience. Climate change, terrible typhoons, and hurricanes. Judean date palms were wiped . Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail; they will yield new fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the Temple. Government Bouncers on Your Church's Front Door? Date Palm Sprouted from Ancient Seed Gives Fruit Like That of Bible Times, Jerusalem Dateline: 8/4/17 How the Dead Sea Is Giving Life, Revival Goes Nationwide, Hits Theaters After 'Jesus Revolution' Film as Well as ORU, Portland, Ohio State, Teen Witch Collapses on Church Doorstep, Finds Freedom from 'Torment' After Deal with the Devil, 'Great Peace in Jesus': Kelsey Grammer Gets Real About His Faith Journey with Jesus. The species of palm was thought to be extinct for 800 . Methusaleh was even given the Guinness WorldRecords designation as the oldest seed cultivated. 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. The findings suggest that it might be a good option for examining the lifetime of plant seeds. Methuselah is and for a long time researchers believed that this was the only Judean date palm they would ever see. After this process, one seed was found to be damaged and was subsequently discarded. Source: Haaretz, Holloway, A. The tree itself was a source of shelter, its fruit . 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 . 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. Hundreds of seeds were collected between 1963 and 1991. In Scripture, Hannah prayed and prayed for a child, promising that if God would answer that prayer, she would dedicate her child to a life of serving the Lord. In ancient times, the classical writers described in detail, the dates of ancient Judea. 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. In March of this year, she was pollinated using pollen from Methuselah. Dr. Solowey - and that at least one is a female! 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. The Judean date palm is a date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) grown in Judea. In June of 2020, Hannah became the first Judean date palm tree, resurrected from the dust of ancient seeds, to bear fruit. Back in the 1960s, famed Israeli archeologist Professor Yigal Yadin discovered thousands of date seeds buried under rubble during his excavations of Masada. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. Home Judean Date Palm Grown From 2,000 Year Old Seed Bears Fruit. Learn more here. By June 2008, the tree had nearly a dozen fronds and was nearly 1.4 metres (4ft 7in) tall. Antibiotics didnt help. Dates tree grown by a 2,000-year-old seed retrieved from archaeological sites in the Judean Desert, in Ketura, Israel, September 2, 2020. Modern day studies have shown dates benefit digestion, lower cholesterol, improve memory, increase blood production, have aphrodisiac properties, and strengthen the nervous system. Scientists determined that Methuselah was of the Hayany breed originally from Egypt. Interesting Engineering reports that Recently, Hannah's fruit was harvested for the first time.. 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. And though Sallon compares the taste of these ancient Judean dates to the Medjool, she reiterates that she is not a food expert and simply happens to eat the Medjool variety. The Judean Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is known from historical accounts for its sweet, large fruit, which even had medicinal properties. [17][20] By 2015 Methuselah had produced pollen that has been used successfully to pollinate female date palms. They selected 34 seeds they thought were the most viable. A team led by Sarah Sallon, which planted these six trees, first tried in 2005 to germinate a 2,000-year-old seed from the . Until Sallon initiated a project aimed at germinating ancient seeds to reintroduce extinct plants previously grown in the region and learn about their qualities. [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]. 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. [8] Asaph Goor, in his 21-page article History of the Date through the Ages in the Holy Land, never mentions any such Roman devastation of the date palms, but rather cites numerous contemporary accounts attesting to the continuing extent of date cultivation through the Roman period. Five years ago, National Geographic reported that Methuselah was over ten-feet tall and had been used to pollinate a wild modern female date palm. [4], Its likeness was engraved on shekalim, the ancient Hebrew unit of currency. 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. Were available 24/7. The seeds were germinated by warming and hydrating them slowly and gradually. By Benjitheijneb (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons Get out the cigarsMethuselah, a. Scientists in Israel grow date plants from 2,000-year-old seeds. Wed have to take his word for it if it werent for the hard work of two women scientists. 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. So, for the kibbutz, it's a big venture, Sallon said. It is chronicled in the Bible, Quran, and ancient literature for its diverse powers. But the plant went extinct due to waves of conquest and intentional destruction. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. The seeds were held in storage for 40 years at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan.. However, its value was also the source of its demise and eventual extinction. The date palms are named for Biblical figures. 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. trees were revealed by DNA testing as females, and one of them, Hannah, has borne one bunch with 111 dates, which were harvested in early September. The researchers conducted a series of tests to verify the age of the seeds, and it was confirmed through carbon 14 dating that they were more than 2,000 years old. Last week, when the first dates ripened, a harvest was organized. [21], As of 2019, altogether thirty-two Judean date palm seeds have been grown from locations in the Dead Sea area, and six saplings (Adam, Jonah, Uriel, Boaz, Judith, and Hannah) have survived. This is something that came from the past and is still alive.. Morphology of six germinated ancient Judean date seeds before planting. A little, young-looking palm tree named Judith was planted on Kibbutz Ketura recently. Of these, six of the seeds successfully sprouted. Spanish conquistadors couldn't believe their eyes while exploring the rugged terrain of the Andes during their invasion of Peru. The harvested dates are undergoing study regarding their properties and nutritional values. About 100 ripe, tasty dates were cut from Hannah. In biblical times, the Judean date palm was revered throughout the region for its medicinal qualities. And though shes just nine-years-old, she carries an ancient heritage. According to the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, Radiocarbon dating at the University of Zurich confirmed the seeds dated from between 155 BC to 64 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. Eventually, Hannah produced 111 dates weighing between 15 and 18 grams each. 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. We are planting our second, female date tree, who was sprouted from an ancient seed. One was separated out as a control. In experiments praised by the Dalai Lama, for example, Dr. Sarah Sallon has shown that ancient Tibetan cures for cardiovascular disease really do work. 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. The date was so important to the region that it featured on ancient coinage, and even on Israel's 10-shekel coin today. 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. If this is indeed a specific species, the author should make that clear and name the species. 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. Really? 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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. They are similar in taste and form to the modern day zahidi dates. . [17] By November 2011 it was 2.5 metres (8ft 2in) high, having been transplanted from pot to earth. I wanted to see how medicinal the flora of Israel was and what it had been used for and so on. Medieval Sea Monster Was Likely a Whale, New Research Reveals, What is Shambhala? Though it was disputed for many years, there is conclusive evidence that Neanderthals bred with modern humans (Homo sapiens). In daily prayers, we note how the righteous (tzadik) will grow. Sarah M. Wells is the author ofThe Family Bible Devotionaland two collections of poems,Between the Heron and the MossandPruningBurning Bushes. [3] Modern studies have been done in an attempt to confirm their medicinal value. 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. During 19631965, excavations at Herod the Great's palace on Masada, Israel, revealed a cache of date palm seeds preserved in an ancient jar. reported that Methuselah was over ten-feet tall and had been used to pollinate a wild modern female date palm. [16] Methuselah flowered in March 2011 and is male. She has another goal she hopes to accomplish as soon as possible: Publishing a childrens story she wrote to encourage childrens curiosity with science. Years ago at Masada, archaeologists found a jar of those ancient date seeds. Theres a resurrection story you probably havent heard coming out of Judea. I too wonder if this is a specific species as date palms have been cultivated forever. The species of palm was thought to be extinct for 800 years but hundreds of seeds of Phoenix dactylifera 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. 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!) CBN Partners provide hope to those who are suffering! Scientists Resurrect Mysterious Judean Date Palms From Biblical Era Methuselah the tree was grown from a 2,000-year-old seed found at Masada. Great piece I had no idea about such amazing botanical work going on. These unique dates are currently being kept cool in storage. Microsatellite genotyping of germinated seeds indicates that exchanges of genetic material occurred between the Middle East .