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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. The experiment seeks to rediscover the origins of the historic date palm population and confirm the date seeds long-term durability, while shedding light on ancient cultivation techniques that nurtured this unique fruit and exploring its potential relevance for modern date agronomy. Later this fall, the Arava Institute plans to offer a limited number of dates for sale at the Kibbutz Ketura guesthouse. 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. ( The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ) So valued was the tree that it became recognized as a symbol of good fortune in Judea. Available at: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Seed-of-extinct-date-palm-sprouts-after-2-000-2628668.php, Sallon, S. et al. Wed have to take his word for it if it werent for the hard work of two women scientists. Because several seedlings are female, it is hoped that it will be possible to pollinate one or more of the female Judean date palms with the pollen from Methuselah. Scientists Revive Ancient Trees From 2,000-Year-Old Seeds, Aided by Modern Ingenuity, a Taste of Ancient Judean Dates, Scientists pick and taste ancient dates for first time since the Second Temple, Dates from time of Maccabees & Jesus are revived, bring Jewish, Arab unity, Date Seeds Unearthed From the Time of Jesus Are Revived, Adding Fruit to Jewish, Arab Unity, Scientists grow fresh dates from a 6th BCE seed, What do 2,000-year-old Ancient Judean Dates taste like? 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 this age of global warming and species loss, I thought its important to try and bring back to life these ancient varieties. The seeds of Judean date palms turn out to have remarkable longevity. In Egypt and the Land of Israel, the two species come together. 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. The Judean date palm is a date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera) grown in Judea. Thats why we view every news story through the lens of faith. Stay informed with the latest from CBN News delivered to your inbox. Hundreds of seeds were collected between 1963 and 1991. 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. (Guy Eisner) Scientists have cultivated plants from date palm seeds that languished in ancient ruins and caves for 2,000 years. As a result, the tithing ceremony was held on Friday. Ms. Solowey chose Methuselah to be the father, and she moved pollen from him onto Hannahs flowers. In Scripture, Hannah prayed and prayed for a child, promising that if God would answer that prayer, she would dedicate her child to a life of serving the Lord. Nature has this immense power to renovate itself, to rejuvenate itself. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. "I assumed the food in the seed would be no good after all that time. Methuselah was chosen to father the fruit and pollen from his plant was placed onto Hannah's flowers. You can help bring hope today! And Solowey and Salone are hoping eventually to add the revived Judean dates to the harvest. [17][20] By 2015 Methuselah had produced pollen that has been used successfully to pollinate female date palms. 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. Call (800) 700-7000 or request prayer. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. Nefer Say Nefer - Was Nefertiti Buried in the Valley of the Queens? I think thats why weve got such a tremendous response to bringing these dates back from extinction, she says. [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. 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. Five years ago. 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 seeds were germinated by warming and hydrating them slowly and gradually. An ancient date seed (Phoenix dactylifera L.) excavated from Masada and radiocarbon-dated to the first century Common Era was germinated. Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword? The findings suggest that it might be a good option for examining the lifetime of plant seeds. 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. Radiocarbon dating at the University of Zurich confirmed the seeds dated from between 155 BC to 64 AD. Theres a resurrection story you probably havent heard coming out of Judea. The researchers discovered that the seeds were up to 30 percent larger than date seeds today, which probably meant the fruit was larger, too. Then, two things happened: either Chaos or Gaia created the universe as we know it, or Ouranos and Tethys gave birth to the first beings. These semi-dry dates with a reddish blonde color were recently harvested. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.. And though shes just nine-years-old, she carries an ancient heritage. The dates flavor is similar to medjool, semi-dry with honey tones. cultivation of dates in the region began to decline. [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]. But as time progressed, the leaves began to look healthier. But these werent ordinary dates. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. trees were revealed by DNA testing as females, and one of them, Hannah, has borne one bunch with 111 dates, which were harvested in early September. God is everywhereeven in the news. There are two groups of date species eastern and western. A Blazing Weapon: Unraveling the Mystery of Greek Fire. Because they were famous. The date palms are named for Biblical figures. They dont read science journals, she tells NoCamels, noting that her friend, Jane Goodall, wrote the introduction to her unpublished childrens book. 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 . We know from the Talmud that the Jews exiled to Babylonia [in Mesopotamia] cultivated date groves. Call us at 1 315 4971058. 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. 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. Until Sallon initiated a project aimed at germinating ancient seeds to reintroduce extinct plants previously grown in the region and learn about their qualities. Really? Hannah wassprouted from a 2,000 year-old seed, and pollinated by another Ancient Judean date tree. The seeds were held in storage for 40 years at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan.[10][11]. Read more: Date palm grown from 2,000-year-old seed is a dad . sarahmariewells.com, Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Sallon has a hypothesis regarding Hannahs ancestors. 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. Holy Land Uncovered on location special from Kibbutz Ketura, where 2 female scientists created a Miracle!! [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. Studies indicate. 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. Genesis 5:25-27 says that Methuselah lived 969 years! (Guy Eisner / Sciencemag). Watch the video below to learn more about the resurrection of this formerly extinct Judean date palm tree. www.vivaspress.com. Now I need to buy some and try them! ( Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ). 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. Both seeds have been dated to between the 4th and 2nd centuries B.C.E. Why? We hope that one day these trees that came from 2,000 years ago will be the hope of peace in our region, Abu Hamed said. 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. Its mentioned in the Bible as one of the seven species found in the ancient Land of Israel. Palm trees in the ruins of Babylon. 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. The seeds were held in storage for 40 years at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan.. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? After 2,000 years, the formerly extinct Judean date palm was brought back to life by two women scientists in 2005. The fruit of the tree symbolised life and prosperity and was praised in ancient . The remaining 32 seeds were planted in a quarantined site at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel. Dr. Elaine Solowey, director of the Center for Sustainable Agriculture of the Arava Institute, and Dr. Sarah Sallon, director of the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center of Hadassah Hospital, harvested these ancient dates in the culmination of an ambitious, decades-long experiment to raise the biblical-era Phoenix dactylifera date palm from the dead. Methuselah, Adam, and Hannah date back to the first to fourth centuries BCE. Recently, Hannahs fruit was harvested for the first time. 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. Medieval Sea Monster Was Likely a Whale, New Research Reveals, What is Shambhala? But they're not the original date tree that grew here, Sallon said. [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. Two of . Though it was disputed for many years, there is conclusive evidence that Neanderthals bred with modern humans (Homo sapiens). 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. And here we are actually planting history at the Arava Institute. 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. But the plant went extinct due to waves of conquest and intentional destruction. 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. An ancient Israeli coin depicted a palm tree with two baskets of fruit beneath. Available at: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/6/eaax0384, Whelan, E. (2020) Fabled Palm Trees Reborn From Ancient Seeds In Israel. Ancient Origins. 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. Date palm cultivation is thought to be up to . The tree and its fruit are mentioned in the Song of Songs and Psalms and featured on coins throughout the region. Researchers hold a date tree grown by a 2,000-year-old seed retrieved from archaeological sites in the Judean Desert, in Ketura, Israel, September 2, 2020. Throughout the history of civilization, the concept of the apocalypse has been ever present, in one way or another. 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. BEST OF 2021: Forests of Judean date palm trees once covered ancient Israel, from Lake Galilee to the Dead Sea. A 15-year effort to germinate 2,000-year-old seeds from an ancient date palm is finally bearing fruit. 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. 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. It is chronicled in the Bible, Quran, and ancient literature for its diverse powers. One that disappeared centuries ago was the Judean date. They all sat in storage for over 40 years. Like Methuselah, they have all been given Biblical names. But now, after 2,000 years, the Judean date palm is back and the sweet ancient fruit has been harvested once again. [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. An ancient coin design depicting a date palm and two baskets full of dates has been reused for the front side of the modern Israeli ten-shekel coin. Solowey soaked the seeds in enzymatic water and fertilizer and planted them in sterile potting soil in pots in a greenhouse. CBN Partners provide hope to those who are suffering! ( Marcos Schonholz ). She was planted in 2019. They selected 34 seeds they thought were the most viable. 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. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. It played a significant role in the Judean economy for about two millenniaat the least from the fifth century B.C.E. Microsatellite genotyping of germinated seeds indicates that exchanges of genetic material occurred between the Middle East . Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing. Ezekiel 47:12. Ancient Judean date palm trees resurrected from ancient seeds. Dubbed Methuselah it was the oldest seed ever grown attracting wide international attention. Antibiotics didnt help. CBN News got its first look ten years ago when Methuselah was still in the lab. Plants have been produced from date palm seeds that have been buried for 2,000 years in old ruins and caves. 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. A land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey. said Solowey. Sallon says the dates seem to offer hope in todays world of uncertainty. 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. By the age of 10, most children in the United States have been taught all 50 states that make up the country. The harvested dates are undergoing study regarding their properties and nutritional values. Methuselah and Hannah, which are the oldest, have more eastern DNA, while the other trees DNA is more western.. The palm tree can appear on the coin either in combination with the mourning woman, or without her. Dr. For more information and/or interview requests, please contact Institute Deputy Director Eliza Mayo. Growing in a greenhouse for the last nine years,Judith was recently transplanted in what Kibbutz Ketura calls the Ancient Judean Date Orchard. 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? Sarah M. Wells is the author ofThe Family Bible Devotionaland two collections of poems,Between the Heron and the MossandPruningBurning Bushes. ***Please sign up forCBN Newslettersand download theCBN News appto ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***. I think the biggest problem is hydrating them because if you hydrate them too quickly, you kill them and you only get one crack at each seed, Solowey told CBN News. However, despite this, extensive cultivation persisted in Jericho and Zoara, until the agrarian economy collapsed during Mamluk rule around the 14th century, which he attributes to a change in the climate. 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. Herod the Great was renowned for his ambitious projects and extravagant tastes. Exodus 15:27. The tree and its fruit are mentioned in the Song of Songs and Psalms and featured on coins throughout the region. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. 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. This is something that came from the past and is still alive.. 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). To read about Dr. Soloweys work to protect other endangered plant species click here. Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! A team led by Sarah Sallon, which planted these six trees, first tried in 2005 to germinate a 2,000-year-old seed from the . The eastern ones are all the species from Arabia and Iraq, and the western ones are from North Africa, Sallon explained. Sallon, who lives in Jerusalem, offered one to a friend, but because she is an observant Jew, she couldnt accept it because it wasnt properly tithed, as Jewish religious law requires. Architecture of the Floating (Or Sinking) City: How Was Venice Built? 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. Out of the changes from natural weather shifts, new life can grow again. And we knew what there was, because it's mentioned in the Bible. Modern day studies have shown dates benefit digestion, lower cholesterol, improve memory, increase blood production, have aphrodisiac properties, and strengthen the nervous system. As of February 2020, Adam was 1.5 meters high (1.6 yards). More than 850,000 date trees grow in Israel. According to historical sources, the taste of them was something splendid. The remaining 33 were carefully soaked in water and fertilizer to encourage germination. 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. Interesting Engineering reports that Recently, Hannah's fruit was harvested for the first time.. Luckily two of the subsequent. 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. The date palms are named for Biblical figures. In ancient times, the classical writers described in detail, the dates of ancient Judea. Researchers celebrate and sample the first fruit of palm trees germinated from ancient seeds from the Judean desert. [17] By November 2011 it was 2.5 metres (8ft 2in) high, having been transplanted from pot to earth. 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. On August 23rd, 2021, Arava Institute staff harvested three bunches of dates from our world-famous ancient date palms. [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. In 2005, a team of scientists sprouted a preserved 2,000-year-old seed, the oldest seed germinated with human-assistance (with the claim in 2012 of a 32,000-year-old arctic flower involving fruit tissue rather than a seed). her team just so happens to have one other Judean date palm on hand in . These unique dates are currently being kept cool in storage. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? How Credible Are the Superstitions Surrounding the Mystical Irish Fairy Trees? 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? 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. 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. Especially now, I think that people need that. 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 . SEE ALSO: Bottoms Up: Israeli Scientists Brew Beer With Resurrected Yeast From 5,000 Years Ago. NoCamels.com is the leading news website covering breakthrough innovation from Israel for a global audience. A little, young-looking palm tree named Judith was planted on Kibbutz Ketura recently. 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. ( The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ). 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. 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. After the successful germination of the first seed, Dr. Solowey and Dr. Sallon took to replicating the experiment. The Pindo Palm Tree is cold tolerant to USDA Zone 7. Scientists determined that Methuselah was of the Hayany breed originally from Egypt. 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. [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. 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. 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. The species has earned the new name Judean date palm, along with the scientific name Phoenix dactylifera. In the Kingdom of Judea it was a source of food, shelter, medicine, and shade.