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. They selected 34 seeds they thought were the most viable. The Judean date palm was once common in ancient Judea. 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. As the researchers hoped would be the case with their revived date palms, plants irrigated from the Jerusalem waters would be uniquely vibrant and grant special medicinal qualities. 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. In ancient times, date palms were used for their supposed medicinal properties to cure many diseases and infections, promoting longevity and acting as a mild aphrodisiac. How Credible Are the Superstitions Surrounding the Mystical Irish Fairy Trees? Why does Judaism matter and how is it connected to Christianity? Out of the changes from natural weather shifts, new life can grow again. The species is widely cultivated and is naturalized in . Seeds found in Judean desert are male and female, leading to hopes of producing dates. Nefer Say Nefer - Was Nefertiti Buried in the Valley of the Queens? The harvested dates are undergoing study regarding their properties and nutritional values. I too wonder if this is a specific species as date palms have been cultivated forever. 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. All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream. Ms. Solowey chose Methuselah to be the father, and she moved pollen from him onto Hannahs flowers. They were the first dates to ripen from date palms grown from seeds that are more than 2,000 years old. But these werent ordinary dates. And it is blossoming on Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava region, 40 minutes north of Eilat. Years ago at Masada, archaeologists found a jar of those ancient date seeds. Who would have thought seeds thousands of years old would germinate?!? It played a significant role in the Judean economy for about two millenniaat the least from the fifth century B.C.E. The Judean date palm is a date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) grown in Judea. On August 23rd, 2021, Arava Institute staff harvested three bunches of dates from our world-famous ancient date palms. 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. [10] The plant was nicknamed "Methuselah" after the longest-lived person listed in the Bible. Its a childrens story about the science and what it represents., Viva Sarah Press is a journalist and speaker. In the Shephelah region or the Judean foothills of south-central Israel, archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a Seleucid Hellenistic fortress that was burned by Hasmonean (Judean) conquerors Israeli archaeologists have revealed the secrets behind the Assyrian siege ramp that conquered the ancient Judean town of Lachish. Date palm cultivation is thought to be up to . 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. In March of this year, she was pollinated using pollen from Methuselah. Judith and Hannah were female, but only Hannah flowered. The date palm was even used as a symbol for Israel. 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. And we knew what there was, because it's mentioned in the Bible. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. 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. Ancient Judean date palm trees resurrected from ancient seeds. Uriel and Jonah date back to the first to second centuries CE. 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. Ancient Chinese Earthquake Detector Invented 2,000 Years Ago Really Worked! 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 . 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. Luckily two of the subsequent. The same is true for date palms. 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. (2015) Extinct Tree Resurrected from Ancient Seeds is now a Dad. Ancient Origins. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. Call us at 1 315 4971058. To donate to Dr. Soloweys ancient dates research project, click here. This years harvest from Hannahproduced almost 700 dates (after 111 during last years first harvest), which were pollinated by Methuselah and two other ancient date palms named Adam and Jonah. You can help bring hope today! Solowey soaked the seeds in enzymatic water and fertilizer and planted them in sterile potting soil in pots in a greenhouse. Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed, Director of the Arava Institute at Kibbutz Ketura, sees this as. Source: Haaretz, Holloway, A. I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds, about Herod the Greats Alabaster Bathtubs, about Seleucid Sling Stone Sheds New Light on Jewish Hannukah Story, about Rogue Priest Second Temple Silver Coin Found By Girl in Jerusalem, about Evidence of Hannukah Story Found in Razed Hellenistic Fortress, about New Study Reveals How Legendary Assyrian Siege Ramp Overcame Lachish, about Mesopotamian Superpowers Laying Waste To The Ancient Near East, For Sale In Britain: A Small Ancient Man With A Colossal Penis, Sacred Marvels: 17 Cathedrals That Will Take Your Breath Away, In Pictures, Egyptologists Reveal a Lost Chamber in the Great Pyramid With Cosmic Rays, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Unleashing the End of the World. Both Adam and Jonah have produced flowers. The findings suggest that it might be a good option for examining the lifetime of plant seeds. Stay informed with the latest from CBN News delivered to your inbox. Germinated ancient Judean date seedlings. This remarkable feat confirms the long-term viability of the kernels once ensconced in succulent Judean dates, a fruit cultivar lost for centuries. ***Please sign up forCBN Newslettersand download theCBN News appto ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***. All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream. 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. Exodus 15:27. 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. "I assumed the food in the seed would be no good after all that time. An ancient date seed (Phoenix dactylifera L.) excavated from Masada and radiocarbon-dated to the first century Common Era was germinated. Credit: Sarah Sallon Ruth Schuster May 6, 2021 A date harvest from 2000-year-old seeds. Hannah wassprouted from a 2,000 year-old seed, and pollinated by another Ancient Judean date tree. Thanks Jo. symbolized ancient Judah and was mentioned in the Bible but when the nation it symbolized was conquered and sent into exile in 70 CE. There are two groups of date species eastern and western. Haaretz.com, the online English edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, gives you breaking news, analyses and opinions about Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. They selected 34 seeds they thought were the most viable. It is sometimes claimed that date growing as a commercial fruit export stopped at the end of 70 AD, when the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans. Now I need to buy some and try them! The site of the ceremony was not happenstance. 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. 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. In ancient times the Judean date palm was a staple source of food, shelter, and shade. And I look at the plantations on Ketura. 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. 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. SEE ALSO: Bottoms Up: Israeli Scientists Brew Beer With Resurrected Yeast From 5,000 Years Ago. One that disappeared centuries ago was the Judean date. Interesting Engineering reports that Recently, Hannah's fruit was harvested for the first time.. 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. This seed, among others, was found during the excavations of Masada in the mid 1960s. 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. But they're not the original date tree that grew here, Sallon said. Because they were famous. Available at: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Seed-of-extinct-date-palm-sprouts-after-2-000-2628668.php, Sallon, S. et al. 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. Hundreds of seeds were collected between 1963 and 1991. 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. . Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing. Ezekiel 47:12. 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. And here we are actually planting history at the Arava Institute. A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire. Sarah M. Wells is the author ofThe Family Bible Devotionaland two collections of poems,Between the Heron and the MossandPruningBurning Bushes. [16] Methuselah flowered in March 2011 and is male. You can use the pits from any fresh dates bought from the grocery store to grow a flourishing date palm. This opens the door to thousands of potential experiments. Holy Land Uncovered on location special from Kibbutz Ketura, where 2 female scientists created a Miracle!! Ancient sources have suggested that the Judean date palm tree had many unique medicinal properties no longer found in todays palm varieties. She was soon proven wrong. Five years ago. 1. 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. 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. 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. Other date seeds were found in caves near the Dead Sea. Dates were famous in antiquity for medicinal value, said Solowey. Israel365 News is the only media outlet reporting on it. Pollinated by Methuselah, Hannah had around 100 dates last year and this year she had more than 600 dates. 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. Antibiotics didnt help. That allowed them to be exported all over the Roman empire and they had medicinal qualities, Sallon said. 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. For more information and/or interview requests, please contact Institute Deputy Director Eliza Mayo. Joanna completed a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) degree in Australia and published research in the field of Educational Psychology. In 2005, Dr. Sarah Sallon challenged her friend and fellow scientist, Dr. Elaine Solowey from the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, to see if they could get any of the date palm seeds to grow. 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. Scientists in Israel grow date plants from 2,000-year-old seeds. The seeds were held in storage for 40 years at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan.. ( The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ). [17][20] By 2015 Methuselah had produced pollen that has been used successfully to pollinate female date palms. . Hannah grew for six years, then flowered. 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. Methusaleh was even given the Guinness WorldRecords designation as the oldest seed cultivated. In experiments praised by the Dalai Lama, for example, Dr. Sarah Sallon has shown that ancient Tibetan cures for cardiovascular disease really do work. The seedlings would later be moved to Kibbutz Ketura. Most of the haul is being kept for science purposes. 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. In ancient times, the classical writers described in detail, the dates of ancient Judea. [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]. Submitted by escamp on August 31, 2015 - 3:04pm. 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. Climate change, terrible typhoons, and hurricanes. The remaining 32 seeds were planted in a quarantined site at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel. 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. 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. But the plant went extinct due to waves of conquest and intentional destruction. 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. We know from the Talmud that the Jews exiled to Babylonia [in Mesopotamia] cultivated date groves. During 19631965, excavations at Herod the Great's palace on Masada, Israel, revealed a cache of date palm seeds preserved in an ancient jar. References to it are made in the Bible, the Koran, and other ancient literature. The Judean Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is known from historical accounts for its sweet, large fruit, which even had medicinal properties. It is chronicled in the Bible, Quran, and ancient literature for its diverse powers. Herod the Great was renowned for his ambitious projects and extravagant tastes. Most of the dates will go to research, but those that were tasted had, as Dr. Soloway said, a honey or caramel aftertaste., Methuselah is a date palm that Dr. Elaine Solowey sprouted from a 2,000-year-old date seed. 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. Although its place of origin is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from lands around Iraq. Watch the video below to learn more about the resurrection of this formerly extinct Judean date palm tree. According to Jewish tradition, the Children of Israel came out of Egypt with date palm saplings that were eventually planted in the land of Israel. By June 2008, the tree had nearly a dozen fronds and was nearly 1.4 metres (4ft 7in) tall. The harvested fruit is currently being analyzed for its nutritional value. Its fruit was a staple of the Judean Desert and grew in thick forests along the Dead Sea and Jordan River valley. They all sat in storage for over 40 years. ( Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ). Researchers celebrate and sample the first fruit of palm trees germinated from ancient seeds from the Judean desert.