Posted on 06/11/2005 7:29:53 PM PDT by TheOtherOne
JERUSALEM, June 11 - Israeli doctors and scientists have succeeded in germinating a date seed nearly 2,000 years old.
The seed, nicknamed Methuselah, was taken from an excavation at Masada, the cliff fortress where, in A.D. 73, 960 Jewish zealots died by their own hand, rather than surrender to a Roman assault. The point is to find out what was so exceptional about the original date palm of Judea, much praised in the Bible and the Koran for its shade, food, beauty and medicinal qualities, but long ago destroyed by the crusaders.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Closer to home, there were also centuries old beans found in the Southwest at an Anasazi dig. They were sucessfully sprouted and propagated. The seed is even available commercially now.
However, the PC Times just couldn't leave well enough alone:
The point is to find out what was so exceptional about the original date palm of Judea, much praised in the Bible and the Koran for its shade, food, beauty and medicinal qualities, but long ago destroyed by the crusaders.
I don't suppose the Muslim's and the 'tree tax' had anything to do with it at all; that it was ALL due to the eeeevil
Crusaders?
Maybe so...it's a labor-intensive crop, brown in color. I'd like to get a mess and cook 'em up! Collards and some pork...
In one of the walls, we found the remains of somebody's lunch from 1925. I sampled some of the bread; it was stale, and a strange saffron-yellow color but otherwise edible. I replaced it with a note describing the contents and condition as of 2005, and wishing Bon Appétit to the next gastronomic archaeologist.
I thought an 80-year-old lunch was special, but a 2,000-year-old date tops it. (Insert Clinton mummy joke here.)
The prophesied Davidic Seed of Peace?
Precisely my question. How and why? I should think that the Crusaders were too busy with other endeavors to take the time to be destroying trees.
Another thought -- the meat of this date could have been nibbled by Christ (34 AD). That thought just gives me shivers!
Yes it does. I just hope the tree is self fruiting.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.