Get email notification for articles from Nir Hasson. The fruit sprouted from seeds 2,000 years old. 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. A previous experiment with the seeds produced a single male plant that sprouted in 2005 which the researchers named Methuselah. In biblical times, the Judean date palm was revered throughout the region for its medicinal qualities. Date palm cultivation is thought to be up to . Pollinated by Methuselah, Hannah had around 100 dates last year and this year she had more than 600 dates. 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. Fancy Sipping a Pint in a 1700-Year-Old Tree? 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. For thousands of years, the date palm was a staple crop. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. Younger Methuselah. [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. After 2,000 years, the formerly extinct Judean date palm was brought back to life by two women scientists in 2005. It played a significant role in the Judean economy for about two millenniaat the least from the fifth century B.C.E. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. You can help bring hope today! 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. Remove the seeds from the fruit, and wash them to remove any excess fruit particles. 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. The species of palm was thought to be extinct for 800 . 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 then, in 2005, botanical researcher Elaine Solowey decided to plant one and see what, if anything, would sprout. 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. The Pindo Palm produces an edible date fruit used to make jelly, and is also known as the Jelly Palm. They were widely used for different kinds of diseasescancers, TB [tuberculosis]all kinds of problems., Harvested dates grown on the ancient Judean date palm. Phoenix dactylifera date or date palm is a flowering plant species in the palm family Arecaceae, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. In the Kingdom of Judea it was a source of food, shelter, medicine, and shade. Palm trees in the ruins of Babylon. [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. And though shes just nine-years-old, she carries an ancient heritage. The Judean date disappeared entirely, and this site is also in terrible danger of destruction. [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. {amount} donation plus {fee_amount} to help cover fees. On Friday, an unusual ceremony was held on a hilltop overlooking the Old City in Jerusalems Abu Tor neighborhood. She lives in Ashland, Ohio, with her husband, Brandon, and their four children, Lydia, Elvis, Henry, and Izzy (their Westie). [3] Modern studies have been done in an attempt to confirm their medicinal value. The seeds of Judean date palms turn out to have remarkable longevity. AtAncient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. This has been reissued in recently years as a 10 shekel coin. 32 additional intact seeds were chosen, out of which 6 sprouted. Uriel and Jonah date back to the first to second centuries CE. Methusaleh and all the ancient date trees can be visited by contacting Keren Kolot. [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]. Top Image: Methuselah is a Judean date palm grown from a 2,000-year-old seed found at Masada. 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. 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. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? Learn more here. In June of 2020, Hannah became the first Judean date palm tree, resurrected from the dust of ancient seeds, to bear fruit. 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. NoCamels.com is the leading news website covering breakthrough innovation from Israel for a global audience. Plants have been produced from date palm seeds that have been buried for 2,000 years in old ruins and caves. Recently, Hannahs fruit was harvested for the first time. Credit: Sarah Sallon Ruth Schuster May 6, 2021 Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. And we knew what there was, because it's mentioned in the Bible. 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. See how the latest updates in Jerusalem and the world are connected to the prophecies we read in the Bible. 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. Scientists determined that Methuselah was of the Hayany breed originally from Egypt. Judean date palms are praised in the Bible. So valued was the tree that it became recognized as a symbol of good fortune in Judea. Wed have to take his word for it if it werent for the hard work of two women scientists. These semi-dry dates with a reddish blonde color were recently harvested. Buried beneath the rubble, Yadin unearthed a small stockpile of seeds stowed in a clay jar dating back 2,000 years. The Bible is our guidebook of ancient species, Sallon told CBN News. CBN Partners provide hope to those who are suffering! They nicknamed the tree Methuselah after Noahs grandfather, the oldest person who ever lived. Government Bouncers on Your Church's Front Door? The seeds were germinated by warming and hydrating them slowly and gradually. Ancient Judean date palm trees resurrected from ancient seeds. One was separated out as a control. [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]. 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. No. The Judean Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is known from historical accounts for its sweet, large fruit, which even had medicinal properties. Make sure to buy dates that haven't been pitted. Groves of Judean dates once flourished in Israel, as described by Pliny and Josephus, and were famous across the Roman Empire. Spanish conquistadors couldn't believe their eyes while exploring the rugged terrain of the Andes during their invasion of Peru. She was soon proven wrong. 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. 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. Thanks Jo. This opens the door to thousands of potential experiments. Antibiotics didnt help. Morphology of six germinated ancient Judean date seeds before planting. A land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey. After six years of growth Hannah flowered and researchers got excited at the possibility of resurrecting the Judean date after 2,000 years. Not as sweet as the Medjooldate, not sticky at all, and with a pleasant honey aftertaste is how Dr. Sarah Sallon describes the taste of a date sprouted from a 2,000-year-old seed. The first of the ancient date seedlings, Methusaleh, is named for the oldest person mentioned in the Bible. [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. The harvest of the much-extolled but long-lost Judean dates was something of a scientific miracle. Dr. Sarah Sallon came up with the initiative to germinate some ancient seeds[12] and persuaded the archaeological storage at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to share some. Following this success, six further preserved seeds were sprouted.[2]. 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. After this process, one seed was found to be damaged and was subsequently discarded. 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. Joanna completed a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) degree in Australia and published research in the field of Educational Psychology. The ancient fruit made tonics for longevity, laxatives, and aphrodisiacs; lore claims they could cure infections. Growth and development of the seedling over 26 months was compatible with normal date . It is chronicled in the Bible, Quran, and ancient literature for its diverse powers. All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream. Some of the fruit were tasted, and some were sent for further research. DF_JST1058_2000_Year_Old_Date_Palms_HD1080_0_273, Date palms from 2000-Year-Old Date Seeds. Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword? Shes the fifth such tree to be planted there after Methuselah, Adam, Jonah and Hannah. This is the second year of harvesting fruit from this previously extinct tree, brought back to life by Dr. Elaine Solowey. Hundreds of seeds were collected between 1963 and 1991. Herod the Great was renowned for his ambitious projects and extravagant tastes. Researchers celebrate and sample the first fruit of palm trees germinated from ancient seeds from the Judean desert. The first of the ancient date seedlings, Methusaleh, is named for the oldest person mentioned in the Bible. Though it was disputed for many years, there is conclusive evidence that Neanderthals bred with modern humans (Homo sapiens). According to the researchers, they look similar to the Medjool date, but have a sweeter, honey-like flavor. Solowey planted some three thousand of them on Kibbutz Ketura, where each tree produces around 350 pounds of dates a year. Watch the video below to learn more about the resurrection of this formerly extinct Judean date palm tree. her team just so happens to have one other Judean date palm on hand in . 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. (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. [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. Eventually, Hannah produced 111 dates weighing between 15 and 18 grams each. Those date palms of modern day Israel are modern and they were imported after the founding of the State in the 1950s. Extensively described in antiquity, its image appeared on coins and synagogues as a symbol of the region while its fruits were famous for their taste, large size and medicinal . 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. Two of . They dont read science journals, she tells NoCamels, noting that her friend, Jane Goodall, wrote the introduction to her unpublished childrens book. . 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. 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. 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!) The findings suggest that it might be a good option for examining the lifetime of plant seeds. Five years ago. 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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. More than 850,000 date trees grow in Israel. 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. By the age of 10, most children in the United States have been taught all 50 states that make up the country. The Bible says that it is not good for man to be alone. Both seeds have been dated to between the 4th and 2nd centuries B.C.E. But now, after 2,000 years, the Judean date palm is back and the sweet ancient fruit has been harvested once again. Back in the 1960s, famed Israeli archeologist Professor Yigal Yadin discovered thousands of date seeds buried under rubble during his excavations of Masada. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. Need prayer? 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. The date palms are named for Biblical figures. The proud parents are date palms grown from ancient seeds uncovered in archeological excavations in Israel., Not as sweet as the Medjool date, not sticky at all, and with a pleasant honey aftertaste is how Dr. Sarah Sallon describes the taste of a date sprouted from a 2,000-year-old seed., So what do 2,000-year-old dates taste like? For thousands of years, the date palm was a staple crop. For conservation, Sallon, who moved from England to Israel, tells NoCamels. Most of the haul is being kept for science purposes. And then I realized that many of these species had actually disappeared. Sallon obtained five of those original seeds and gave them to Solowey. 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. The eastern ones are all the species from Arabia and Iraq, and the western ones are from North Africa, Sallon explained. 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.

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