Tree Grown From Ancient Seed Found in Jewish Fortress

Fox News ^ | Friday, June 13, 2008 | By Clara Moskowitz

[mware]

Scientists have grown a tree from what may be the oldest seed ever germinated.

The new sapling was sprouted from a 2,000-year-old date palm excavated in Masada, the site of a cliff-side fortress in Israel where ancient Jews are said to have killed themselves to avoid capture by Roman invaders.

Dubbed the "Methuselah Tree" after the oldest person in the Bible, the new plant has been growing steadily, and after 26 months, the tree was nearly four feet (1.2 meters) tall.

[mware]

How cool is this.

[mware]

Carbon dating of the seeds found at Masada revealed that they date from roughly the time of the ancient fortress' siege, in A.D. 73. The seeds were found in storage rooms, and appear to have been stockpiled for the Jews hiding out against the invading Romans.

History pings

[shineon]

[mware]

Thanks for posting the photo. Wonder how big it will grow to, and if it will bear fruit.

[Skooz]

bump

[sinanju]

Look to see the tree’s first seeds auctioned off to us bible-beaters on Jpost.com.

Notwithstanding, I thought ancient lotus seeds from Shang dynasty tombs held the title for oldest seeds successfully germinated.

[kitchen]

Per this article the lotus seeds were only 1,300 years old.

Civ - Cross ping for GGG archives.

[kitchen]

Whoops- see post 7.

[Carry_Okie]

Hopefully they germinated it last year.

This year is a Shemitta year.

Lev 25:1 And HaShem spoke unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto HaShem. 3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the produce thereof. 4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath unto HaShem; thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

[RicocheT]

This date seed was either 2000 years old or some weeks old if spit out by a tourist. Which is more likely?

[3AngelaD]

This is SOOOOO cool. Best Story of the Day nominee.

[Islander7]

Leviticus is amazing. It also contains the very first infection control policy.

Leviticus, chapter 15

1: And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying,
2: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.
3: And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his uncleanness.
4: Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.
5: And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
6: And he that sitteth on any thing whereon he sat that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
7: And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
8: And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
9: And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean.
10: And whosoever toucheth any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the even: and he that beareth any of those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.
11: And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

[shineon]

Maybe there is a special exception allowed for seeds over 2000 years old. It had plenty of time to rest.

Just teasing...

[mware]

This date seed was either 2000 years old or some weeks old if spit out by a tourist. Which is more likely?

Carbon dating of the seeds found at Masada revealed that they date from roughly the time of the ancient fortress' siege, in A.D. 73.

[USMCPOP]

As I recall, in the 50’s, some Lotus seeds (Nelumbo nucifera) were dated at 1,040 years old, plus or minus 210 years. In the late 90’s another was dated at appx. 1,300 years old by Shen-Miller.

[Bittersweetmd]

ping

[Rebelbase]

Masada seed ping.

[tiki]

Way cool. They have grown Anasazi beans from the ruins and they grow them commercially now. I love them and I’m always amazed that the original seed came from a cliff dwelling.

[blam]

Tree From 2,000-Year-Old Seed Doing Well (Methuselah)

[sinanju]

Yup. It was in an old archaeology textbook. Only I thought they were much older than a grand and change.