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. Mother and Child Reunion Of Thetis And Achilles, Seductive Sirens of Greek Mythology and How Heroes Resisted Them, Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon, Pegasus of Greek Mythology: Majestic Winged Horse of Mount Olympus, Dreams of Human-Powered Flight: Daedalus and the Story of Icarus, The Warriors Who Shaped African History: The Horsemen of Oyo, Royal Mistress Jane Shore Walked Streets of London in her Underwear, Leonardo Da Vincis Notes Show He Understood Gravity Long Before Newton, Talks Begin on Repatriating Remains of Patrick Sarsfield, Irish War Hero, The Ramessid Dynasty: A Golden Era in Ancient Egypt, Unraveling the Mystery of the Carnac Stones: An Ancient Puzzle of Epic Proportions, Unraveling the Enigma of Aramu Muru, The Mysterious Gate of the Gods. 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. This amazing date tree was grown from a seed preserved since - Medium For conservation, Sallon, who moved from England to Israel, tells NoCamels. ***Please sign up forCBN Newslettersand download theCBN News appto ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. 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). That allowed them to be exported all over the Roman empire and they had medicinal qualities, Sallon said. The first of the ancient date seedlings, Methusaleh, is named for the oldest person mentioned in the Bible. 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. Date palm cultivation is thought to be up to . Why? But I will secretly plant one of the seeds from Hannah here and hope that in another 20 years, it will produce fruit.. The first of the ancient date seedlings, Methusaleh, is named for the oldest person mentioned in the Bible. Growth and development of the seedling over 26 months was compatible with normal date . [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. 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. 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. symbolized ancient Judah and was mentioned in the Bible but when the nation it symbolized was conquered and sent into exile in 70 CE. 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. CBN Partners provide hope to those who are suffering! 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. 6. Sallon obtained five of those original seeds and gave them to Solowey. [19] As of February 2020, Methuselah had reached 3.5 metres (11ft). According to historical sources, the taste of them was something splendid. 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? It is chronicled in the Bible, Quran, and ancient literature for its diverse powers. Buried beneath the rubble, Yadin unearthed a small stockpile of seeds stowed in a clay jar dating back 2,000 years. 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. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. Fifteen years ago, the first tree Solowey sprouted was a male. Younger Methuselah. Judean date palm - Wikipedia Back in the 1960s, famed Israeli archeologist Professor Yigal Yadin discovered thousands of date seeds buried under rubble during his excavations of Masada. Ever Tried 2,000-year-old Dates? Now You Can, Thanks to These - Haaretz 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. They were big; they were sweet. . Scientists in Israel grow date plants from 2,000-year-old seeds In daily prayers, we note how the righteous (tzadik) will grow. [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. 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. 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. But they're not the original date tree that grew here, Sallon said. Both Adam and Jonah have produced flowers. The Judean Date Palm: Extinct Tree Resurrected from Ancient Seeds 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. 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. Five years ago. But now, after 2,000 years, the Judean date palm is back and the sweet ancient fruit has been harvested once again. Dubbed Methuselah it was the oldest seed ever grown attracting wide international attention. In biblical times, the Judean date palm was revered throughout the region for its medicinal qualities. For the next four decades, the ancient seeds were kept in a drawer at Tel Aviv's Bar-Ilan University. Israeli scientists found out, The Resurrection of 2000-Year-Old Ancient Date Seeds: New Fruit Sprouts from Bible Times Source. 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. Phoenix dactylifera and over 1000 other quality seeds for sale. Luckily two of the subsequent. Palm Trees for Sale at Ty Ty Nursery This is the second year of harvesting fruit from this previously extinct tree, brought back to life by Dr. Elaine Solowey. One was separated out as a control. They all sat in storage for over 40 years. Thank God for the faithfulness of his people though the ages - to leave these seeds, and to find and nurture one to grow. See how the latest updates in Jerusalem and the world are connected to the prophecies we read in the Bible. Especially now, I think that people need that. Fancy Sipping a Pint in a 1700-Year-Old Tree? "I assumed the food in the seed would be no good after all that time. Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, "New Life, From an Arctic Flower That Died 32,000 Years Ago", "After 2,000 Years, These Seeds Have Finally Sprouted", "2000-Year-Old Date Pit Sprouts In Israel", "2,000-Year-Old Seed Sprouts, Sapling Is Thriving", "Extinct Judean Date Palm Grows After 1500 Years", "1.4.8 The Crusader period and Little Ice Age, 1.0 ka to 0.4 ka BP, and 1.4.9 The Moslem-Ottoman period, 0.4 ka to 0.1 ka BP", "From Extinction to Resurrection: The Judean Date Palm Tree", "Origins and insights into the historic Judean date palm based on genetic analysis of germinated ancient seeds and morphometric studies", "Researchers confirm age of "Methuselah" tree", "2000-Year-Old Date Pit Sprouts in Israel", "Medicinal date palm from oldest known seed planted", "Date palm grown from 2,000-year-old seed is a dad", "Israeli researchers grow new date plants from 2,000-year-old seeds", "The genomes of ancient date palms germinated from 2,000 y old seeds", "Scientists Resurrect Mysterious Judean Date Palms From Biblical Era", "Extinct tree from the time of Jesus rises from the dead", How King Solomon and the Romans Shaped the Judean Date Palm, "Germination, Genetics, and Growth of an Ancient Date Seed", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Judean_date_palm&oldid=1142182782, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2018, Articles with disputed statements from July 2018, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from December 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 23:58. The findings suggest that it might be a good option for examining the lifetime of plant seeds. Judith and Boaz date back to approximately mid-second century BCE. 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 determined that Methuselah was of the Hayany breed originally from Egypt. [17][20] By 2015 Methuselah had produced pollen that has been used successfully to pollinate female date palms. The species of palm was thought to be extinct for 800 years but hundreds of seeds of. Joanna Gillan is a Co-Owner, Editor and Writer of Ancient Origins. Holy Land Uncovered on location special from Kibbutz Ketura, where 2 female scientists created a Miracle!! [13][15] Three of the seeds were subsequently planted at Ketura, Israel, in the Arabah in southern Israel. Available at: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/science/.premium-israeli-researchers-mate-2-000-year-old-date-seeds-hope-for-fruit-1.8503447, Kalman, M. (2005) Seed of extinct date palm sprouts after 2,000 years. SFGATE. Need prayer? Government Bouncers on Your Church's Front Door? 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? 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. (2015) Extinct Tree Resurrected from Ancient Seeds is now a Dad. Ancient Origins. The first dates to ripen came from a palm tree named Hannah, which was grown from a seed about 10 years ago. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing. Ezekiel 47:12. If this is indeed a specific species, the author should make that clear and name the species. The Bible says that it is not good for man to be alone. Morphology of six germinated ancient Judean date seeds before planting. Growing in a greenhouse for the last nine years,Judith was recently transplanted in what Kibbutz Ketura calls the Ancient Judean Date Orchard. 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. Credit: Sarah Sallon Ruth Schuster May 6, 2021 This remarkable feat confirms the long-term viability of the kernels once ensconced in succulent Judean dates, a fruit cultivar lost for centuries. Submitted by escamp on August 31, 2015 - 3:04pm. References to it are made in the Bible, the Koran, and other ancient literature. I wanted to see how medicinal the flora of Israel was and what it had been used for and so on. Because they were famous. There are two groups of date species eastern and western. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. [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. 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. Call (800) 700-7000 or request prayer. The first tree, Methuselah, was discovered to be male. Dr. Solowey - and that at least one is a female! [20] The genomes of these Judean date palms germinated from ancient seeds were sequenced and analyzed. The date palm was even used as a symbol for Israel. Although its place of origin is unknown because of long cultivation, it probably originated from lands around Iraq. Seeds found in Judean desert are male and female, leading to hopes of producing dates. Its mentioned in the Bible as one of the seven species found in the ancient Land of Israel. This seed, among others, was found during the excavations of Masada in the mid 1960s. 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. Thats why we view every news story through the lens of faith. 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. 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. More than 850,000 date trees grow in Israel. 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. 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. The Pindo Palm produces an edible date fruit used to make jelly, and is also known as the Jelly Palm. Until Sallon initiated a project aimed at germinating ancient seeds to reintroduce extinct plants previously grown in the region and learn about their qualities. Its a childrens story about the science and what it represents., Viva Sarah Press is a journalist and speaker. Methuselah, Adam, and Hannah date back to the first to fourth centuries BCE. It included the Jewish Sheheheyanu prayer recited on momentous occasions, as well as the traditional offering and tithing ceremony. In experiments praised by the Dalai Lama, for example, Dr. Sarah Sallon has shown that ancient Tibetan cures for cardiovascular disease really do work. Source: Haaretz, Holloway, A. Six new ancient date trees - Arava Institute for Environmental Studies Later this fall, the Arava Institute plans to offer a limited number of dates for sale at the Kibbutz Ketura guesthouse. 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. Top Image: Methuselah is a Judean date palm grown from a 2,000-year-old seed found at Masada. By Benjitheijneb (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons Get out the cigarsMethuselah, a. 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 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). All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream. But then, in 2005, botanical researcher Elaine Solowey decided to plant one and see what, if anything, would sprout. The Judean dates from the time of Christ had long been considered extinct. Hundreds of seeds were collected between 1963 and 1991. After the successful germination of the first seed, Dr. Solowey and Dr. Sallon took to replicating the experiment. Groves of Judean dates once flourished in Israel, as described by Pliny and Josephus, and were famous across the Roman Empire. The date was so important to the region that it featured on ancient coinage, and even on Israel's 10-shekel coin today. Exodus 15:27. reported that Methuselah was over ten-feet tall and had been used to pollinate a wild modern female date palm. ( Marcos Schonholz ). Five years ago, National Geographic reported that Methuselah was over ten-feet tall and had been used to pollinate a wild modern female date palm. 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. After six years of growth Hannah flowered and researchers got excited at the possibility of resurrecting the Judean date after 2,000 years. This opens the door to thousands of potential experiments. were collected from Judean desert archaeological sites such as an ancient palace-fortress built by King Herod and caves located in southern Israel at Masada, Qumran, Wadi Makukh, and Wadi Kelt, located in the Judean desert between the Judean Hills and the Dead Sea. Recently, Hannahs fruit was harvested for the first time. 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. Its fruit was a staple of the Judean Desert and grew in thick forests along the Dead Sea and Jordan River valley. 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. 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). The Date Trees Grown From 2,000-Year-Old Seeds - The Atlantic And here we are actually planting history at the Arava Institute. Date palms generally thrive in hot arid regions and in Biblical times, were cultivated in the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea region. The tree and its fruit are mentioned in the Song of Songs and Psalms and featured on coins throughout the region. Judean Date Palm 'Bears Fruit" and Comes Out of Extinction Interesting Engineering reports that Recently, Hannah's fruit was harvested for the first time.. [3] Modern studies have been done in an attempt to confirm their medicinal value. ( The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ) So valued was the tree that it became recognized as a symbol of good fortune in Judea. 2,000-year-old dates: Yummy! - The Jerusalem Post I think thats why weve got such a tremendous response to bringing these dates back from extinction, she says. The other date palms to have sprouted from these ancient seeds are known as Adam, Hannah, Judith, Jonah, Boaz and Uriel. After this process, one seed was found to be damaged and was subsequently discarded. 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. BEST OF 2021: Forests of Judean date palm trees once covered ancient Israel, from Lake Galilee to the Dead Sea. 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. Judith and Hannah were female, but only Hannah flowered. 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. SEE ALSO: Israeli DNA Study Unveils Reconstructed Face Of Mysterious, Long-Lost Human Relative. 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. 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. 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. And lo, it came to pass that out of the earth Hannah and Judith sprouted. Nature has this immense power to renovate itself, to rejuvenate itself. These semi-dry dates with a reddish blonde color were recently harvested. In ancient times, the classical writers described in detail, the dates of ancient Judea. Joanna completed a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) degree in Australia and published research in the field of Educational Psychology. . They selected 34 seeds they thought were the most viable. The Judean date palm is a date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera) grown in Judea. 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. Dates tree grown by a 2,000-year-old seed retrieved from archaeological sites in the Judean Desert, in Ketura, Israel, September 2, 2020. Between 2011 and 2014 Ms. Solowey planted the seeds and six more have sprouted over the years. An ancient date seed (Phoenix dactylifera L.) excavated from Masada and radiocarbon-dated to the first century Common Era was germinated. In the Kingdom of Judea it was a source of food, shelter, medicine, and shade. The harvested fruit is currently being analyzed for its nutritional value. 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. We know from the Talmud that the Jews exiled to Babylonia [in Mesopotamia] cultivated date groves. The genome sequences of the ancient Judean date palms were compared to those of 110 contemporary Phoenix dactylifera varieties and other wild Phoenix species . She was also interested in how plants can be used for medicine. 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. [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. The Chilling Mystery of the Octavius Ghost Ship, Film Footage Provides Intimate View of HMS Gloucester Shipwreck, Top 8 Legendary Parties - Iconic Celebrations in Ancient History, The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth Behind the Black Legend (Part II), The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth behind the Dark Legend (Part I), Bloodthirsty Buddhists: The Sohei Warrior Monks of Feudal Japan, Dizzying Inca Rope Bridges Were Grass-Made Marvels of Engineering, Two Centuries Of Naval Espionage In Europe, Research Confirms That 20% of the Neanderthal Genome Can Be Found In Modern Humans, The Curious Apparitions of Pagan Goddesses to the German Knights Templar, The Truth Behind the Christ Myth: Ancient Origins of the Often Used Legend Part I, The origins of human beings according to ancient Sumerian texts, Evidence that Noahs Ark Landed on a Mountain 17 Miles South of Ararat, Library in Stone: The Ica Stones of Professor Cabrera Part I, Two Sides to Every Story: The North American Martyrs Shrines and Indigenous/ Roman Catholic Relations, The Origins of the Faeries: Encoded in our Cultures Part I, Curse of the Buried Pearl: The Hunt for Ancient Treasures Part I, The Enigma of the Shugborough Inscription, Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. 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. Scientists Resurrect Judean Date Palms From Biblical Era - Science The species has earned the new name Judean date palm, along with the scientific name Phoenix dactylifera. A previous experiment with the seeds produced a single male plant that sprouted in 2005 which the researchers named Methuselah. Now I need to buy some and try them! sarahmariewells.com, Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. 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.