BEST OF 2021: Forests of Judean date palm trees once covered ancient Israel, from Lake Galilee to the Dead Sea. The date palms are named for Biblical figures. The Iliad can provide new insights on the role of motherhood among the ancient Greek gods, and by extension, amongst ancient mortal Greek women themselves. Watch the video below to learn more about the resurrection of this formerly extinct Judean date palm tree. These semi-dry dates with a reddish blonde color were recently harvested. Call us at 1 315 4971058. Israel365 News is the only media outlet reporting on it. 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. Its mentioned in the Bible as one of the seven species found in the ancient Land of Israel. After 2,000 years, the formerly extinct Judean date palm was brought back to life by two women scientists in 2005. Scientists Resurrect Mysterious Judean Date Palms From Biblical Era Methuselah the tree was grown from a 2,000-year-old seed found at Masada. Now a major discovery has come regarding these projects, from of all places, his bathtub. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. Fruit of the date palm was considered a staple food in the Judaean Desert, as it was a source of food and its tree of shelter and shade for thousands of years, and became a recognized symbol of the Kingdom of Judah. What cured here, she thinks, were some traditional herbal remedies., The date palm has a historical distribution stretching from Mauritania in the west to the Indus Valley in the east. Now I need to buy some and try them! The first complete mapping of a Neanderthal genome took place about five years ago - supporting the human-Neanderthal hook-up and also showing that Neanderthal DNA in humans is a thing. The remaining 32 seeds were planted in a quarantined site at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel. 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. Microsatellite genotyping of germinated seeds indicates that exchanges of genetic material occurred between the Middle East . 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. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. 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. Medieval Sea Monster Was Likely a Whale, New Research Reveals, What is Shambhala? A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire. [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. Dr. Solowey - and that at least one is a female! One that disappeared centuries ago was the Judean date. For thousands of years, the date palm was a staple crop. The first dates to ripen came from a palm tree named Hannah, which was grown from a seed about 10 years ago. ( Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ). 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. The eastern ones are all the species from Arabia and Iraq, and the western ones are from North Africa, Sallon explained. Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! 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. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. Need prayer? Dr. Solowey successfully germinated one of these seeds, which sprouted into a young date palm today, Methuselah has a permanent home in the Arava Institute research park on Kibbutz Ketura. Climate change, terrible typhoons, and hurricanes. Judith and Boaz date back to approximately mid-second century BCE. But these werent ordinary dates. The Pindo Palm Tree is cold tolerant to USDA Zone 7. 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. By June 2008, the tree had nearly a dozen fronds and was nearly 1.4 metres (4ft 7in) tall. After the successful germination of the first seed, Dr. Solowey and Dr. Sallon took to replicating the experiment. 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. All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream. Hannah wassprouted from a 2,000 year-old seed, and pollinated by another Ancient Judean date tree. It takes time for seedlings to become seed-bearing trees, but eventually, that time came. They were big; they were sweet. www.vivaspress.com. A previous experiment with the seeds produced a single male plant that sprouted in 2005 which the researchers named Methuselah. Methusaleh and all the ancient date trees can be visited by contacting Keren Kolot. The remaining 33 were carefully soaked in water and fertilizer to encourage germination. Sarah M. Wells is the author ofThe Family Bible Devotionaland two collections of poems,Between the Heron and the MossandPruningBurning Bushes. People are disturbed. An ancient date seed (Phoenix dactylifera L.) excavated from Masada and radiocarbon-dated to the first century Common Era was germinated. 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. [10] The plant was nicknamed "Methuselah" after the longest-lived person listed in the Bible. Interesting Engineering reports that Recently, Hannah's fruit was harvested for the first time.. Joanna Gillan is a Co-Owner, Editor and Writer of Ancient Origins. The tree and its fruit caused Jericho to become a major population center and are praised in the Hebrew Bible possibly several times indirectly, such as in Psalms (Psalms 92:1215), "The righteous himself will blossom forth as a palm tree does", and date clusters (Hebrew: .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans}) are mentioned in the Song of Songs (Song of Songs 7:8). The date palms are named for Biblical figures. 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. Hundreds of seeds were collected between 1963 and 1991. They all sat in storage for over 40 years. As a result, the tithing ceremony was held on Friday. See how the latest updates in Jerusalem and the world are connected to the prophecies we read in the Bible. Some of the fruit were tasted, and some were sent for further research. Top Image: Methuselah is a Judean date palm grown from a 2,000-year-old seed found at Masada. Germination of 2000-year-old seeds of Phoenix dactylifera from Judean desert archaeological sites provides a unique opportunity to study the Judean date palm, described in antiquity for the quality, size, and medicinal properties of its fruit, but lost for centuries. [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. Sallon is hopeful that Hannah, a female date tree, will flower this year and the plant could be pollinated by Methuselah - a tree the team grew from a 1,900-year-old Judean date palm seed in 2008. Eventually, Hannah produced 111 dates weighing between 15 and 18 grams each. [22][23], As of June 2021, dates have grown from the pollination of Hannah, one of the female specimens, by Methuselah. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? Thank God for the faithfulness of his people though the ages - to leave these seeds, and to find and nurture one to grow. [17] By November 2011 it was 2.5 metres (8ft 2in) high, having been transplanted from pot to earth. 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. Solowey planted some three thousand of them on Kibbutz Ketura, where each tree produces around 350 pounds of dates a year. [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. The remaining 32 seeds were planted in a quarantined site at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel. (Guy Eisner / Sciencemag). ( The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ) So valued was the tree that it became recognized as a symbol of good fortune in Judea. The Bible is our guidebook of ancient species, Sallon told CBN News. 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! 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. You can help bring hope today! It took me some time to figure out how I might do it because you only have one chance with each seed, Dr. Elaine Solowey, who runs the Center for Sustainable Agriculture at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Kibbutz Ketura, says in an Israeli Foreign Ministry video made back in 2016 before it was known whether these trees would even bear fruit. 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. 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. The Judean Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is known from historical accounts for its sweet, large fruit, which even had medicinal properties. 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? Children today are the stewards of this planet. 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. In daily prayers, we note how the righteous (tzadik) will grow. The Bible says that it is not good for man to be alone. Ms. Solowey chose Methuselah to be the father, and she moved pollen from him onto Hannahs flowers. 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. The researchers discovered that the seeds were up to 30 percent larger than date seeds today, which probably meant the fruit was larger, too. They were then dosed with Gibberellic acid, a growth-promoting plant hormone, and enzymatic fertilizer. Photo: CBN News, Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. According to the researchers, they look similar to the Medjool date, but have a sweeter, honey-like flavor. How could it be?" [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. Later this fall, the Arava Institute plans to offer a limited number of dates for sale at the Kibbutz Ketura guesthouse. In June of 2020, Hannah became the first Judean date palm tree, resurrected from the dust of ancient seeds, to bear fruit. until the 11th century C.E.but then it went extinct centuries ago. Get email notification for articles from Nir Hasson. Israeli scientists found out, The Resurrection of 2000-Year-Old Ancient Date Seeds: New Fruit Sprouts from Bible Times Source. 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. 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. Back in the 1960s, famed Israeli archeologist Professor Yigal Yadin discovered thousands of date seeds buried under rubble during his excavations of Masada. References to it are made in the Bible, the Koran, and other ancient literature. The seeds were germinated by warming and hydrating them slowly and gradually. Long the only lonely representative of its kind, the Judean palm in now reproducing and giving researchers a unique glimpse back in time. All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream. Were theonlyPop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives. The same is true for date palms. 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. [26] They may have shared the same wild ancestor. The harvest of the much-extolled but long-lost Judean dates was something of a scientific miracle. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. The Israeli scientists and horticulturists are now trying to find a way to use the tissue culture and make hundreds of thousands of exact replicas of Hannah, the date-palm tree germinatedfrom a seed dating back two millennia. 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. According to historical sources, the taste of them was something splendid. . They were the first dates to ripen from date palms grown from seeds that are more than 2,000 years old. Younger Methuselah. Radiocarbon dating at the University of Zurich confirmed the seeds dated from between 155 BC to 64 AD. 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. Herod the Great was renowned for his ambitious projects and extravagant tastes. Shes the fifth such tree to be planted there after Methuselah, Adam, Jonah and Hannah. By the age of 10, most children in the United States have been taught all 50 states that make up the country. 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. They nicknamed the tree Methuselah after Noahs grandfather, the oldest person who ever lived. ', 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 part that does is home to hundreds of millions of people, from the Atlantic coast of Morocco across North Africa and Egypt to Mesopotamia and east to India., TEL972-8-6356618FAX972-8-6356634EMAILinfo@arava.org, 1320 Centre Street, Suite 206Newton Centre, MA 02459, USATEL1-617-266-7100EMAILinfo@friendsofarava.org, Their names are Adam, Jonah, Uriel, Boaz, Judith, and Hannah, and their ages are well, actually, this ones a bit complicated., Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Energy Security: The Role of Renewable Energy Sources, Practical Challenges of Photovoltaic Systems in the Rural Bedouin Villages in the Negev, Center for Transboundary Water Management, Evidence-based wastewater monitoring and policy for addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, Decentralized Wastewater Management and Governance, Long Term Ecological Monitoring (LTER) in Wadi Shita, Offshore Zionism: Israel-Africa and Green Development, Jordan-Israel Center for Community, Environment & Research, Research in Political Ecology in the Middle East, The Last Straw: Conservation, Control, and the Eco-Political Life of Camels in the Negev Highlands, Sense of Place in an Era of Metabolic Rift, Daniel Fischel & Sylvia Neil Research & Visitors Park, Origins and insights into the historic Judean date palm based on genetic analysis of germinated ancient seeds and morphometric studies, The Albert B. Glickman Peace-building Leadership Seminar, Daniel Fischel & Sylvia Neil Outdoor Research & Visitors Park, Arava Alumni Peace & Environmental Network, Center for Applied Environmental Diplomacy, Applied Environmental Diplomacy: Pathways to Sustainability in the Jordan River Basin, Annual Cross-Border Environmental Cooperation Conference, Annual Reports, Financial Statements & Publications, After 2,000 Years, These Seeds Have Finally Sprouted, Scientists in Israel grow date plants from 2,000-year-old seeds, Dates Like Jesus Ate? Scientists determined that Methuselah was of the Hayany breed originally from Egypt. Three weeks later, the oldest tree to be successfully germinated sprouted. . 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. But the plant went extinct due to waves of conquest and intentional destruction. As of February 2020, Adam was 1.5 meters high (1.6 yards). She has another goal she hopes to accomplish as soon as possible: Publishing a childrens story she wrote to encourage childrens curiosity with science. The two stories are related, she said, because people destroyed the trees and now the land.
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