Architecture of the Floating (Or Sinking) City: How Was Venice Built? The Bible says that it is not good for man to be alone. [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. 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. 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. cultivation of dates in the region began to decline. (Guy Eisner / Sciencemag). And here we are actually planting history at the Arava Institute. They had experienced a very dry and sheltered environment for millennia. In addition to its honoured place in the history of Judea, the palm may contribute useful characteristics, such as environmental tolerance and disease resistance, to modern date cultivars. 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. I think thats why weve got such a tremendous response to bringing these dates back from extinction, she says. 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. Prophecy from the Bible is revealing itself as we speak. 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!) One was separated out as a control. If this is indeed a specific species, the author should make that clear and name the species. Radiocarbon dating at the University of Zurich confirmed the seeds dated from between 155 BC to 64 AD. 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. The tree and its fruit are mentioned in the Song of Songs and Psalms and featured on coins throughout the region. 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. 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. The first dates to ripen came from a palm tree named Hannah, which was grown from a seed about 10 years ago. Although its place of origin is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from lands around Iraq. An ancient Israeli coin depicted a palm tree with two baskets of fruit beneath. She was also interested in how plants can be used for medicine. Judean date palms were wiped . Of these, six of the seeds successfully sprouted. ( The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ) So valued was the tree that it became recognized as a symbol of good fortune in Judea. After six years of growth Hannah flowered and researchers got excited at the possibility of resurrecting the Judean date after 2,000 years. After 2,000 years, the formerly extinct Judean date palm was brought back to life by two women scientists in 2005. This seed, among others, was found during the excavations of Masada in the mid 1960s. Medieval Sea Monster Was Likely a Whale, New Research Reveals, What is Shambhala? The tree and its fruit are mentioned in the Song of Songs and Psalms and featured on coins throughout the region. 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. How could it be?" The first leaves were plagued with white spots, which the researchers put down to insufficient nutrients, and it was thought that the plant would never survive. Methusaleh and all the ancient date trees can be visited by contacting Keren Kolot. These plants are called Adam, Jonah, Uriel, Boaz, Judith, and Hannah. In biblical times, the Judean date palm was revered throughout the region for its medicinal qualities. 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. [6] Andrea Moresino-Zipper contests that in the former case, it is the woman who symbolises the defeated Judaea and the towering, dominating palm stands for victorious Rome, while in the latter case the palm tree does represent Judaea.[6]. 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. Nature has this immense power to renovate itself, to rejuvenate itself. A previous experiment with the seeds produced a single male plant that sprouted in 2005 which the researchers named Methuselah. 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. 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. The two stories are related, she said, because people destroyed the trees and now the land. Children today are the stewards of this planet. Pollinated by Methuselah, Hannah had around 100 dates last year and this year she had more than 600 dates. Israel365 News is the only media outlet reporting on it. They were widely used for different kinds of diseasescancers, TB [tuberculosis]all kinds of problems., Harvested dates grown on the ancient Judean date palm. 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. A land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey. 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. In ancient times the Judean date palm was a staple source of food, shelter, and shade. It takes time for seedlings to become seed-bearing trees, but eventually, that time came. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. The date palms are named for Biblical figures. Ancient Judean date palm trees resurrected from ancient seeds. 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. And we knew what there was, because it's mentioned in the Bible. Microsatellite genotyping of germinated seeds indicates that exchanges of genetic material occurred between the Middle East . 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 plant was nicknamed "Methuselah," after the longest-lived person in the Bible. Groves of Judean dates once flourished in Israel, as described by Pliny and Josephus, and were famous across the Roman Empire. Need prayer? CBN News got its first look ten years ago when Methuselah was still in the lab. Credit: Sarah Sallon Ruth Schuster May 6, 2021 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. Really? 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. She was planted in 2019. Some of the fruit were tasted, and some were sent for further research. 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. 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. Sallon has a hypothesis regarding Hannahs ancestors. 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 dates harvested from Hannah have a light brown skin, fibrous and chewy honey-colored flesh, and is less sweet than the popular Medjool date. 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. Its fruit was a staple of the Judean Desert and grew in thick forests along the Dead Sea and Jordan River valley. As part of this endeavor, Dr. Solowey succeeded in germinating one of these ancient date seeds in 2005, initially thought to be botanically impossible. ( Marcos Schonholz ). This is something that came from the past and is still alive.. But centuries ago, the land that is now the United States was a very different place As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. Back in the 1960s, famed Israeli archeologist Professor Yigal Yadin discovered thousands of date seeds buried under rubble during his excavations of Masada. Methuselah and Hannah, which are the oldest, have more eastern DNA, while the other trees DNA is more western.. But 800 years ago, crusaders destroyed the last Judean palm and rendered the plant extinct. DF_JST1058_2000_Year_Old_Date_Palms_HD1080_0_273, Date palms from 2000-Year-Old Date Seeds. Dubbed Methuselah it was the oldest seed ever grown attracting wide international attention. This has been reissued in recently years as a 10 shekel coin. 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. Herod the Great was renowned for his ambitious projects and extravagant tastes. Judean Date Palm Grown From 2,000 Year Old Seed Bears Fruit. 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. 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 The seeds were held in storage for 40 years at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan.[10][11]. Trees are like humans in that you need the pollen from a male tree to pollinate the flowers of a female plant. 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. The remaining 32 seeds were planted in a quarantined site at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel. 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. [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]. Read more: Date palm grown from 2,000-year-old seed is a dad . The species is widely cultivated and is naturalized in . But these werent ordinary dates. But the plant went extinct due to waves of conquest and intentional destruction. Seeds found in Judean desert are male and female, leading to hopes of producing dates. Judith and Boaz date back to approximately mid-second century BCE. 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. 6. 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. They were very dry. [3] Modern studies have been done in an attempt to confirm their medicinal value. Now I need to buy some and try them! Climatic conditions at the Dead Sea may have contributed to the longevity of this oldest, directly dated, viable seed. The remaining 33 were carefully soaked in water and fertilizer to encourage germination. Stay informed with the latest from CBN News delivered to your inbox. Like Methuselah, they have all been given Biblical names. 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. 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. Studies indicate. By the age of 10, most children in the United States have been taught all 50 states that make up the country. The seeds of Judean date palms turn out to have remarkable longevity. It grew around the Dead Sea in the south, to the Sea of Galilee and the Hula Valley regions in the north. 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 fruit of the tree symbolised life and prosperity and was praised in ancient . [18] By May 2015, the palm was 3.0 metres (9.8ft) tall and was producing pollen. After all, it took 15 years of patience, hope, anticipation, and ground-breaking agriculture techniques to make the seemingly botanically impossible feat possible. 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. 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. Ms. Solowey chose Methuselah to be the father, and she moved pollen from him onto Hannahs flowers. BEST OF 2021: Forests of Judean date palm trees once covered ancient Israel, from Lake Galilee to the Dead Sea. Who would have thought seeds thousands of years old would germinate?!? How Credible Are the Superstitions Surrounding the Mystical Irish Fairy Trees? Call it Canaan, the Levant or the Ancient Near East; the region has always had a troubled history of warfare and invasions. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? Ancient Judean date palm trees resurrected from ancient seeds. But as time progressed, the leaves began to look healthier. And lo, it came to pass that out of the earth Hannah and Judith sprouted. 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. 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. The Judean dates from the time of Christ had long been considered extinct. SEE ALSO: Bottoms Up: Israeli Scientists Brew Beer With Resurrected Yeast From 5,000 Years Ago. 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. In experiments praised by the Dalai Lama, for example, Dr. Sarah Sallon has shown that ancient Tibetan cures for cardiovascular disease really do work. [19] As of February 2020, Methuselah had reached 3.5 metres (11ft). 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SEE ALSO: Israeli DNA Study Unveils Reconstructed Face Of Mysterious, Long-Lost Human Relative. Most of the haul is being kept for science purposes. Recently, a restoration of life, in a sense, took place in the Holy Landbut with 2,000-year-old dry date seeds from the same region where the religious legends began., Mazal tov to Hannah and Methuselah on their 111 miracle babies! Dr. Solowey - and that at least one is a female! 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 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). Both Adam and Jonah have produced flowers. The experiment worked. We're talking about the resurrection of 2000-year-old plus ancient date seeds that come from the Judean Desert and from Masada and which are part of a scientific experiment, said Sarah Sallon, Director and Founder of The Natural Medicine Research Center at Hadassah Medical Organization, Jerusalem. Scientists Resurrect Mysterious Judean Date Palms From Biblical Era Methuselah the tree was grown from a 2,000-year-old seed found at Masada. Both seeds have been dated to between the 4th and 2nd centuries B.C.E. 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. ', 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. Ages in months at time of photograph (AtoC) Adam (110 months), Jonah (63 months), and Uriel (54 months). The eastern ones are all the species from Arabia and Iraq, and the western ones are from North Africa, Sallon explained. 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. Growth and development of the seedling over 26 months was compatible with normal date . CBN Partners provide hope to those who are suffering! About 100 ripe, tasty dates were cut from Hannah. 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. Thanks Jo. We are planting our second, female date tree, who was sprouted from an ancient seed. (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. Dates tree grown by a 2,000-year-old seed retrieved from archaeological sites in the Judean Desert, in Ketura, Israel, September 2, 2020. 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. Following this success, six further preserved seeds were sprouted.[2]. Wed have to take his word for it if it werent for the hard work of two women scientists. Solowey has nurtured more than 100 rare or near-extinct species back to life as part of a 10-year project to study plants and herbs used as ancient cures. [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. Later this fall, the Arava Institute plans to offer a limited number of dates for sale at the Kibbutz Ketura guesthouse. The Judean date palm was once common in ancient Judea. But the plant went extinct due to waves of conquest and intentional destruction. 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. 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. Source: Haaretz, Holloway, A. A little, young-looking palm tree named Judith was planted on Kibbutz Ketura recently. Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked! [10] The plant was nicknamed "Methuselah" after the longest-lived person listed in the Bible. But then, in 2005, botanical researcher Elaine Solowey decided to plant one and see what, if anything, would sprout. At the heart of the ceremony was a small package of dates. Years ago at Masada, archaeologists found a jar of those ancient date seeds. It is chronicled in the Bible, Quran, and ancient literature for its diverse powers. Researchers celebrate and sample the first fruit of palm trees germinated from ancient seeds from the Judean desert. [20] The genomes of these Judean date palms germinated from ancient seeds were sequenced and analyzed. After this process, one seed was found to be damaged and was subsequently discarded. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. The Judean Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is known from historical accounts for its sweet, large fruit, which even had medicinal properties. Those date palms of modern day Israel are modern and they were imported after the founding of the State in the 1950s. The dates flavor is similar to medjool, semi-dry with honey tones. To read about Dr. Soloweys work to protect other endangered plant species click here. For thousands of years, the date palm was a staple crop. Scientists in Israel grow date plants from 2,000-year-old seeds. 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. In ancient times, the classical writers described in detail, the dates of ancient Judea. Hannah grew for six years, then flowered. In the future, the hope is for Methuselah, a male tree, to be bred with a female to produce the same date variety eaten commonly in ancient Judea, where it was valued as much for its delicious flavor as for its medicinal properties., We all know the resurrection story from 2,000 years ago described in the pages of the Christian bible. Five years ago. A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire. 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. Call (800) 700-7000 or request prayer. 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). In 2011, the plant produced its first flowers and today, the living archaeological treasure continues to grow and thrive. She writes and talks about the creativity and innovation taking place in Israel and beyond. 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. And it is blossoming on Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava region, 40 minutes north of Eilat. Its mentioned in the Bible as one of the seven species found in the ancient Land of Israel. For the next four decades, the ancient seeds were kept in a drawer at Tel Aviv's Bar-Ilan University. Over the past decade, they grew an ancient Judean . And Solowey and Salone are hoping eventually to add the revived Judean dates to the harvest. By Benjitheijneb (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons Get out the cigarsMethuselah, a. By June 2008, the tree had nearly a dozen fronds and was nearly 1.4 metres (4ft 7in) tall. Uriel and Jonah date back to the first to second centuries CE. She has a rich and varied career, ranging from teaching Read More. Learn more here. 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. 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. Scientists determined that Methuselah was of the Hayany breed originally from Egypt. The remaining 33 were carefully soaked in water and fertilizer to encourage germination.