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"!
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.