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. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? The experiment worked. Out of the changes from natural weather shifts, new life can grow again. But now, after 2,000 years, the Judean date palm is back and the sweet ancient fruit has been harvested once again. 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. The first dates to ripen came from a palm tree named Hannah, which was grown from a seed about 10 years ago. The ancient fruit made tonics for longevity, laxatives, and aphrodisiacs; lore claims they could cure infections. Scientists determined that Methuselah was of the Hayany breed originally from Egypt. As soon as the ancient Judean date palm had grown into a tree, Ms. Solowey used genetic testing on it to confirm if it was indeed male and thus incapable of producing fruit. The tree itself was a source of shelter, its fruit . A little, young-looking palm tree named Judith was planted on Kibbutz Ketura recently. See how the latest updates in Jerusalem and the world are connected to the prophecies we read in the Bible. Submitted by escamp on August 31, 2015 - 3:04pm. 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. 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. In daily prayers, we note how the righteous (tzadik) will grow. BEST OF 2021: Forests of Judean date palm trees once covered ancient Israel, from Lake Galilee to the Dead Sea. Hannah wassprouted from a 2,000 year-old seed, and pollinated by another Ancient Judean date tree. Who would have thought seeds thousands of years old would germinate?!? A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire. Phoenix dactylifera and over 1000 other quality seeds for sale. So valued was the tree that it became recognized as a symbol of good fortune in Judea. Source: Haaretz, Holloway, A. Elaine Solowey, Desert Plant Pioneer, successfully grew an extinct Judean Date Palm tree from a 2000 year old seed. 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. Ancient Judean date palm trees resurrected from ancient seeds. The species has earned the new name Judean date palm, along with the scientific name Phoenix dactylifera. 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. Methuselah is and for a long time researchers believed that this was the only Judean date palm they would ever see. The species is widely cultivated and is naturalized in . 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. 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. During 19631965, excavations at Herod the Great's palace on Masada, Israel, revealed a cache of date palm seeds preserved in an ancient jar. [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]. According to the researchers, they look similar to the Medjool date, but have a sweeter, honey-like flavor. The Pindo Palm produces an edible date fruit used to make jelly, and is also known as the Jelly Palm. The first of the ancient date seedlings, Methusaleh, is named for the oldest person mentioned in the Bible. Researchers revived a 2,000-year-old palm from seeds found inside an ancient Judean jar. But 800 years ago, crusaders destroyed the last Judean palm and rendered the plant extinct. Now You Can, Thanks to These Israeli Researchers Researchers celebrate - and sample - the first fruit of palm trees germinated from ancient seeds from the Judean desert Dates tree grown by a 2,000-year-old seed retrieved from archaeological sites in the Judean Desert, in Ketura, Israel, September 2, 2020. Credit: Marcos Shonholtz Nir Hasson By the age of 10, most children in the United States have been taught all 50 states that make up the country. The date was so important to the region that it featured on ancient coinage, and even on Israel's 10-shekel coin today. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. 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. After 2,000 years, the formerly extinct Judean date palm was brought back to life by two women scientists in 2005. Methuselah was chosen to father the fruit and pollen from his plant was placed onto Hannah's flowers. According to historical sources, the taste of them was something splendid. This seed, among others, was found during the excavations of Masada in the mid 1960s. She was planted in 2019. "I assumed the food in the seed would be no good after all that time. Dr. 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. ( Marcos Schonholz ). She lives in Ashland, Ohio, with her husband, Brandon, and their four children, Lydia, Elvis, Henry, and Izzy (their Westie). She writes and talks about the creativity and innovation taking place in Israel and beyond. 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. The Pindo Palm Tree is cold tolerant to USDA Zone 7. This study, which confirms the long-term survival of date palm seeds, provides a unique opportunity to rediscover the origins of a historic date palm population that existed in Judea 2,000 years ago. Scientists Resurrect Mysterious Judean Date Palms From Biblical Era Methuselah the tree was grown from a 2,000-year-old seed found at Masada. Morphology of six germinated ancient Judean date seeds before planting. [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. 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. Following this success, six further preserved seeds were sprouted.[2]. Judith and Hannah were female, but only Hannah flowered. Sallon, who lives in Jerusalem, offered one to a friend, but because she is an observant Jew, she couldnt accept it because it wasnt properly tithed, as Jewish religious law requires. 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. Learn more here. 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. Groves of Judean dates once flourished in Israel, as described by Pliny and Josephus, and were famous across the Roman Empire. Herod the Great was renowned for his ambitious projects and extravagant tastes. 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. 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. We need a lot of data to do research on, to work out the properties, what the nutritional value is, says Sallon, a pediatric gastroenterologist who directs the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, as to why the bulk of the date harvest was taken to research labs. 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. Trees are like humans in that you need the pollen from a male tree to pollinate the flowers of a female plant. It is chronicled in the Bible, Quran, and ancient literature for its diverse powers. Methuselah the Judean Date Palm is still going strong even after sprouting from a 2,000-year-old seed. 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. Home Judean Date Palm Grown From 2,000 Year Old Seed Bears Fruit. Years ago at Masada, archaeologists found a jar of those ancient date seeds. How Credible Are the Superstitions Surrounding the Mystical Irish Fairy Trees? Hundreds of seeds were collected between 1963 and 1991. Antibiotics didnt help. (DtoF) Boaz (54 months), Judith (47 months), and Hannah (88 months). I am reminded of the prophecy of Israel returning to itshomeland before the End of Days, and this resurrected tree, past symbol of Israel seen on shekel coins, seems to best epitomize that ancient prediction. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. [13][15] Three of the seeds were subsequently planted at Ketura, Israel, in the Arabah in southern Israel. A previous experiment with the seeds produced a single male plant that sprouted in 2005 which the researchers named Methuselah. How could it be?" [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. During Yigal Yadins excavations of Masada in the mid 1960s, ancient date seeds were discovered beneath rubble at the Northern Palace approach. [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. Plants have been produced from date palm seeds that have been buried for 2,000 years in old ruins and caves. The first tree, Methuselah, was discovered to be male. One that disappeared centuries ago was the Judean date. Exodus 15:27. The first of the ancient date seedlings, Methusaleh, is named for the oldest person mentioned in the Bible. Growing in a greenhouse for the last nine years,Judith was recently transplanted in what Kibbutz Ketura calls the Ancient Judean Date Orchard. 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. This is the second year of harvesting fruit from this previously extinct tree, brought back to life by Dr. Elaine Solowey. Eventually, Hannah produced 111 dates weighing between 15 and 18 grams each. As a result, the tithing ceremony was held on Friday. 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. I too wonder if this is a specific species as date palms have been cultivated forever. Over the past decade, they grew an ancient Judean . Also available on most smart TVs and streaming services. In March of this year, she was pollinated using pollen from Methuselah. A previous experiment with the seeds produced a single male plant that sprouted in 2005 which the researchers named Methuselah. This is something that came from the past and is still alive.. But then, in 2005, botanical researcher Elaine Solowey decided to plant one and see what, if anything, would sprout. Holy Land Uncovered on location special from Kibbutz Ketura, where 2 female scientists created a Miracle!! People are disturbed. [dubious discuss] Goor quotes several later, Ottoman-period travellers to the area as to the rarity of date palms, including Pierre Belon, who in 1553 scoffed at the idea that the region could have ever produced the bounty of dates reported in ancient sources. Available at: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/6/eaax0384, Whelan, E. (2020) Fabled Palm Trees Reborn From Ancient Seeds In Israel. Ancient Origins. 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. Sign up to our free daily newsletter today to get all the most important stories directly to your inbox. Nevertheless, the taste and shape of these revived dates are consistent with the history of the dates that the two women have derived from their genetic research. 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. ( The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ). A 15-year effort to germinate 2,000-year-old seeds from an ancient date palm is finally bearing fruit. The fruit sprouted from seeds 2,000 years old. [17][20] By 2015 Methuselah had produced pollen that has been used successfully to pollinate female date palms. 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. Elaine Solowey of the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies with the tree named 'Judith. We are planting our second, female date tree, who was sprouted from an ancient seed. Dates were famous in antiquity for medicinal value, said Solowey. One was separated out as a control. 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. So, for the kibbutz, it's a big venture, Sallon said. Later this fall, the Arava Institute plans to offer a limited number of dates for sale at the Kibbutz Ketura guesthouse. Wed have to take his word for it if it werent for the hard work of two women scientists. . Thats why we view every news story through the lens of faith. Hannah grew for six years, then flowered. Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! The tree so defined the local economy that it became a prime resource for the invading Roman army to destroy. CBN Partners provide hope to those who are suffering! In Egypt and the Land of Israel, the two species come together. Especially now, I think that people need that. 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. 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. The seeds were held in storage for 40 years at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan.. 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. Available at: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/palm-tree-0013259. 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. About 100 ripe, tasty dates were cut from Hannah. But they're not the original date tree that grew here, Sallon said. 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. 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. For the next four decades, the ancient seeds were kept in a drawer at Tel Aviv's Bar-Ilan University. Now I need to buy some and try them! And though shes just nine-years-old, she carries an ancient heritage. Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword? The eastern ones are all the species from Arabia and Iraq, and the western ones are from North Africa, Sallon explained. [4], Its likeness was engraved on shekalim, the ancient Hebrew unit of currency. Mother and Child Reunion Of Thetis And Achilles, Seductive Sirens of Greek Mythology and How Heroes Resisted Them, Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon, Pegasus of Greek Mythology: Majestic Winged Horse of Mount Olympus, Dreams of Human-Powered Flight: Daedalus and the Story of Icarus, The Warriors Who Shaped African History: The Horsemen of Oyo, Royal Mistress Jane Shore Walked Streets of London in her Underwear, Leonardo Da Vincis Notes Show He Understood Gravity Long Before Newton, Talks Begin on Repatriating Remains of Patrick Sarsfield, Irish War Hero, The Ramessid Dynasty: A Golden Era in Ancient Egypt, Unraveling the Mystery of the Carnac Stones: An Ancient Puzzle of Epic Proportions, Unraveling the Enigma of Aramu Muru, The Mysterious Gate of the Gods. They are drier and sweeter than the medjool date and taste like natural honey. Dubbed Methuselah it was the oldest seed ever grown attracting wide international attention. A date harvest from 2000-year-old seeds. I wanted to see how medicinal the flora of Israel was and what it had been used for and so on. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing. Ezekiel 47:12. 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 . But I will secretly plant one of the seeds from Hannah here and hope that in another 20 years, it will produce fruit.. Make sure to buy dates that haven't been pitted. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.. We hope that one day these trees that came from 2,000 years ago will be the hope of peace in our region, Abu Hamed said. [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. 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. I think the biggest problem is hydrating them because if you hydrate them too quickly, you kill them and you only get one crack at each seed, Solowey told CBN News. Phoenix dactylifera date or date palm is a flowering plant species in the palm family Arecaceae, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. By Benjitheijneb (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons Get out the cigarsMethuselah, a. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. In 2011, the plant produced its first flowers and today, the living archaeological treasure continues to grow and thrive. Already in the fifth century BC, Herodotus noted that the greatest importance of the Judean dates was that they were drier and less perishable than those from Egypt and thus suitable for storage and export, which is still an important distinction today. In biblical times, the Judean date palm was revered throughout the region for its medicinal qualities. In early 2019, three of the six trees named by Dr. Solowey Adam, Jonah and Hannah were moved out of their greenhouse home to be planted outdoors at the Arava Institutes Daniel Fischel & Sylvia Neil Research & Visitors Park. Archaeobotanical records suggest that the earliest exploitation and consumption of dates is from the Arabian Neolithic some 7000 years before the present., The plump, golden-brown dates hanging in a bunch just above the sandy soil were finally ready to pick., The answer, Im happy to say, is sweeter than you think.