Israeli researchers grow new date plants from 2,000-year-old seeds: Six saplings sprout from ancient kernels gathered at Judean archaeological sites; scientists hope to pollinate female plants and produce fruit

Times of Israel ^ | February 6, 2020 | Stuart Winer and Sue Surkes

[SunkenCiv]

Israeli researchers revealed Wednesday that they successfully grew extinct date plants from ancient seeds found at archaeological sites in the Judean Desert.

Dozens of seeds were gleaned from archaeology collections gathered at locations in the dry Dead Sea area, including the Masada hilltop fortress built by King Herod the Great in the first century BCE and the ancient site of Qumran, famous for the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1940s.

Six saplings grew from 32 seeds sown and the plants have been dubbed Adam, Jonah, Uriel, Boaz, Judith, and Hannah...

Radiocarbon dating revealed the seeds used for the project came from a period spanning the fourth century BCE to the second century CE.

Further analysis found the seeds had a genetic makeup from various locations spreading eastward across the region stretching into modern day Iraq...

"A date variety 'Taali' cultivated in both Judea and Babylon is mentioned in the Talmud," they wrote...

"It won't be the typical Judean date, because dates that were grown at that time – just like dates that are grown today – are not grown from seeds that somebody puts in the earth," Sallon said. "They are grown from clones from very high-producing females."

[SunkenCiv]

Israelis growing ancient date palm for medical research

[SunkenCiv]

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Ping

[VRW Conspirator]

A late date?

[wardaddy]

Fascinating

I love dates

[Varsity Flight]

When the fig tree blossoms, know that the time is near.

[pepsi_junkie]

[volunbeer]

Very cool story! Thanks for posting it.

[Varsity Flight]

“That which has been, is that which shall be..”
Ecclesiastes 1:9

[bgill]

Neat-o.

They need to put a ban on Monsanto ever getting their stinking hands on it.

[Eleutheria5]

I heard that, you two! I'd say you should date more, except that's how you got schiffalus in the first place. Well, time to utterly destroy you! Hold still. This won't take long.

[SunkenCiv]

My pleasure.

[antidisestablishment]

Thanks for the interesting article. It’s amazing that something can be revivified from prehistory without tampering. I hope they’ll be able to get some fruit.

[Redcitizen]

History and science I can sink my teeth into.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Very interesting--- thanks for posting.

I've been kinda following this. I read that the Judean date was such a delicacy, so prized, and so important to the area's export market, that when the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 AD and, by slaughter or forced exile, depopulated all of Judea, they also methodically destroyed all of the stored harvest and all the Judean date orchards, down to exterminating each and every plant. They hated Judean Jews that much.

It is splendid that these Israeli researchers can "resurrect" this cultivar. They should name their next successful sapling "Lazarus"!

[9YearLurker]

2000-year-old seed?

Talk about desperate for a date!

[alternatives?]

Maybe they went extinct for a reason. Perhaps they tasted bad or caused diarrhea.

[blam]

(AHEM) I will send an inquiry about the high-producing females.
Is it just the dates?(stay tuned)

[Reddy]

LOL! Clever. Post of the day!

[jjotto]

Interesting. It has been thought that the huge forests of date palms were mostly destroyed by Crusaders and Mamluk Muslims. Perhaps that was already the Iraqi date cultivar.

Judaen dates were apparently used as a sweetening agent instead of sugar. They were that sweet.