CBN Partners provide hope to those who are suffering! 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. [17] By November 2011 it was 2.5 metres (8ft 2in) high, having been transplanted from pot to earth. [19] As of February 2020, Methuselah had reached 3.5 metres (11ft). 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. Sarah M. Wells is the author ofThe Family Bible Devotionaland two collections of poems,Between the Heron and the MossandPruningBurning Bushes. 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. They nicknamed the tree Methuselah after Noahs grandfather, the oldest person who ever lived. For the next four decades, the ancient seeds were kept in a drawer at Tel Aviv's Bar-Ilan University. 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. 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). 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. 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. Years ago at Masada, archaeologists found a jar of those ancient date seeds. 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. Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked! cultivation of dates in the region began to decline. 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.. Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! CBN News got its first look ten years ago when Methuselah was still in the lab. The date was so important to the region that it featured on ancient coinage, and even on Israel's 10-shekel coin today. Ages in months at time of photograph (AtoC) Adam (110 months), Jonah (63 months), and Uriel (54 months). Although its place of origin is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from lands around Iraq. And here we are actually planting history at the Arava Institute. The remaining 33 were carefully soaked in water and fertilizer to encourage germination. Throughout the history of civilization, the concept of the apocalypse has been ever present, in one way or another. [3] Modern studies have been done in an attempt to confirm their medicinal value. As of February 2020, Adam was 1.5 meters high (1.6 yards). There are two groups of date species eastern and western. During the Byzantine and Arab periods (4th to 11th century AD) the Judean date palms were barely holding on and the continued waves of conquest and destruction meant that by the 19th century, no traces of these historic plantations remained, according to a study conducted about the trees in 2020. Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Herod the Great was renowned for his ambitious projects and extravagant tastes. After 2,000 years, the formerly extinct Judean date palm was brought back to life by two women scientists in 2005. Researchers celebrate and sample the first fruit of palm trees germinated from ancient seeds from the Judean desert. Holy Land Uncovered on location special from Kibbutz Ketura, where 2 female scientists created a Miracle!! Sign up to our free daily newsletter today to get all the most important stories directly to your inbox. 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. Palm trees in the ruins of Babylon. The two stories are related, she said, because people destroyed the trees and now the land. Scientists Revive Ancient Trees From 2,000-Year-Old Seeds, Aided by Modern Ingenuity, a Taste of Ancient Judean Dates, Scientists pick and taste ancient dates for first time since the Second Temple, Dates from time of Maccabees & Jesus are revived, bring Jewish, Arab unity, Date Seeds Unearthed From the Time of Jesus Are Revived, Adding Fruit to Jewish, Arab Unity, Scientists grow fresh dates from a 6th BCE seed, What do 2,000-year-old Ancient Judean Dates taste like? Methuselah, Adam, and Hannah date back to the first to fourth centuries BCE. See how the latest updates in Jerusalem and the world are connected to the prophecies we read in the Bible. Five years ago. The same is true for date palms. 32 additional intact seeds were chosen, out of which 6 sprouted. Wed have to take his word for it if it werent for the hard work of two women scientists. The Pindo Palm Tree is cold tolerant to USDA Zone 7. The site of the ceremony was not happenstance. 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 harvested dates are undergoing study regarding their properties and nutritional values. The seedlings would later be moved to Kibbutz Ketura. 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. But now, after 2,000 years, the Judean date palm is back and the sweet ancient fruit has been harvested once again. The remaining 33 were carefully soaked in water and fertilizer to encourage germination. A previous experiment with the seeds produced a single male plant that sprouted in 2005 which the researchers named Methuselah. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. God is everywhereeven in the news. Changes in weather and growing conditions combined with human activity are likely to blame for the disappearance of the Judean date palm sometime in the Middle Ages. 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 YWAM Founder Loren Cunningham Diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer. Government Bouncers on Your Church's Front Door? 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. In 2011, the plant produced its first flowers and today, the living archaeological treasure continues to grow and thrive. her team just so happens to have one other Judean date palm on hand in . Following this success, six further preserved seeds were sprouted.[2]. Dates were famous in antiquity for medicinal value, said Solowey. 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. Back in the 1960s, famed Israeli archeologist Professor Yigal Yadin discovered thousands of date seeds buried under rubble during his excavations of Masada. Most of the haul is being kept for science purposes. The date palm was even used as a symbol for Israel. 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. They were widely used for different kinds of diseasescancers, TB [tuberculosis]all kinds of problems., Harvested dates grown on the ancient Judean date palm. 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Those date palms of modern day Israel are modern and they were imported after the founding of the State in the 1950s. Need prayer? [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. Scientists determined that Methuselah was of the Hayany breed originally from Egypt. No. 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. Female plants need male pollen to produce fruit, and all six of the new date palm trees are female, Sallon explains. Credit: Sarah Sallon Ruth Schuster May 6, 2021 But the plant went extinct due to waves of conquest and intentional destruction. 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. www.vivaspress.com. [16] Methuselah flowered in March 2011 and is male. (Guy Eisner / Sciencemag). [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. SEE ALSO: Israeli DNA Study Unveils Reconstructed Face Of Mysterious, Long-Lost Human Relative. 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Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. But these werent ordinary dates. Photo: Marcos Schonholz, What Do 2,000-Year-Old Ancient Judean Dates Taste Like? The remaining 32 seeds were planted in a quarantined site at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel. Spanish conquistadors couldn't believe their eyes while exploring the rugged terrain of the Andes during their invasion of Peru. She has another goal she hopes to accomplish as soon as possible: Publishing a childrens story she wrote to encourage childrens curiosity with science. Thanks Jo. "I assumed the food in the seed would be no good after all that time. Interesting Engineering reports that Recently, Hannah's fruit was harvested for the first time.. Its possible that they brought the seeds with them on their return to Zion, she said. Remove the seeds from the fruit, and wash them to remove any excess fruit particles. This has been reissued in recently years as a 10 shekel coin. To read about Dr. Soloweys work to protect other endangered plant species click here. According to historical sources, the taste of them was something splendid. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. The date palms are named for Biblical figures. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. The Bible says that it is not good for man to be alone. [7] However, study of contemporary sources indicates that the date industry continued in Judea throughout the Roman period and that, indeed, the Roman Imperial treasury collected a good deal of the profits. This remarkable feat confirms the long-term viability of the kernels once ensconced in succulent Judean dates, a fruit cultivar lost for centuries. {amount} donation plus {fee_amount} to help cover fees. Submitted by escamp on August 31, 2015 - 3:04pm. Eventually, Hannah produced 111 dates weighing between 15 and 18 grams each. Out of the changes from natural weather shifts, new life can grow again. In experiments praised by the Dalai Lama, for example, Dr. Sarah Sallon has shown that ancient Tibetan cures for cardiovascular disease really do work. 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. Of these, six of the seeds successfully sprouted. 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. ', Israeli Researchers Mate 2,000-year-old Date Seeds, Hope for Fruit, Canaanite Palace Built on a Fault Was Destroyed by Quake 3,700 Years Ago, Scientists Find New Way Climate Change Can Ruin Life as We Know It. ( The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ). Methusaleh and all the ancient date trees can be visited by contacting Keren Kolot. Israeli Scientists Found Out, Bottoms Up: Israeli Scientists Brew Beer With Resurrected Yeast From 5,000 Years Ago, Israeli DNA Study Unveils Reconstructed Face Of Mysterious, Long-Lost Human Relative. 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. The Judean dates harvested from Hannah have a light brown skin, fibrous and chewy honey-colored flesh, and is less sweet than the popular Medjool date. Morphology of six germinated ancient Judean date seeds before planting. Antibiotics didnt help. Hannah was the first female tree. Collect date seeds. 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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. They are similar in taste and form to the modern day zahidi dates. [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. Both seeds have been dated to between the 4th and 2nd centuries B.C.E. 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. Methuselah is and for a long time researchers believed that this was the only Judean date palm they would ever see. Younger Methuselah. If this is indeed a specific species, the author should make that clear and name the species. NoCamels.com is the leading news website covering breakthrough innovation from Israel for a global audience. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. [4], Its likeness was engraved on shekalim, the ancient Hebrew unit of currency. [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. 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. But the plant went extinct due to waves of conquest and intentional destruction. Read more: Date palm grown from 2,000-year-old seed is a dad . 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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. They became symbols of "beauty, precious shade and succulent plenty," Kershner wrote. We know from the Talmud that the Jews exiled to Babylonia [in Mesopotamia] cultivated date groves. Modern day studies have shown dates benefit digestion, lower cholesterol, improve memory, increase blood production, have aphrodisiac properties, and strengthen the nervous system. It grew around the Dead Sea in the south, to the Sea of Galilee and the Hula Valley regions in the north. Dubbed Methuselah it was the oldest seed ever grown attracting wide international attention. 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. Its fruit was a staple of the Judean Desert and grew in thick forests along the Dead Sea and Jordan River valley. Then, two things happened: either Chaos or Gaia created the universe as we know it, or Ouranos and Tethys gave birth to the first beings. And lo, it came to pass that out of the earth Hannah and Judith sprouted. Though it was disputed for many years, there is conclusive evidence that Neanderthals bred with modern humans (Homo sapiens). Why? They selected 34 seeds they thought were the most viable. A little, young-looking palm tree named Judith was planted on Kibbutz Ketura recently. The skin of the fruit is light brown and it is reported to be less sweet, and more fibrous and chewy than the Medjool date commonly grown in Israel today. She was soon proven wrong. [18] By May 2015, the palm was 3.0 metres (9.8ft) tall and was producing pollen. 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. You can view our live recording of the harvesthere. On Friday, an unusual ceremony was held on a hilltop overlooking the Old City in Jerusalems Abu Tor neighborhood. Now I need to buy some and try them! 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. A date harvest from 2000-year-old seeds. Date palms generally thrive in hot arid regions and in Biblical times, were cultivated in the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea region. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. Growth and development of the seedling over 26 months was compatible with normal date . She writes and talks about the creativity and innovation taking place in Israel and beyond. Especially now, I think that people need that. They were given the names Jonah, Uriel, Boaz, Judith, Hannah, and Adam. 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. Uriel and Jonah date back to the first to second centuries CE. Source: Haaretz, Holloway, A. Yes, the New York Times justbroke the storyof the children of Methuselah and Hannah, biblical date trees (that didnt meet on JDate) with some impressive history and something to teach at this perilous time as a lead up to the Jewish New Year., Just 30 miles north of the Red Sea, in the Negev Desert, scientists from the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies travelled back in time two millennia, becoming the first people to pick and sample dates from trees with roots stretching back to the days of Jesus and the Maccabees., Dr. 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. 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. [1] The palm, a male tree, was named Methuselah (not to be confused with a bristlecone pine tree of the same name). Scientists Resurrect Mysterious Judean Date Palms From Biblical Era Methuselah the tree was grown from a 2,000-year-old seed found at Masada.