What could be seen as something akin to the phoenix rising from the ashes, an ancient Judean date palm seed has been brought to life by scientists who are astonished themselves. One of the rarest cases, the 2000 years old seed was germinated and now it has grown into a lush sapling. The seed which probably was consumed by a Jewish person before he/she committed suicide in the ancient town Masada, has been named Methuselah, the oldest person in the Bible. Dr Sarah Sallon, a British doctor who runs the Hadassah Medical Organisation in Jerusalem, has been nurturing the sapling.
The seed is of historical significance firstly because it dates to the time of Jesus Christâs living years, and secondly, it was excavated from the site of Masada. Masada was the place where about a 1000 Jews committed suicide refusing to turn into slaves. The tree itself is extinct now and ancient records inform us that the Judean dates were the tastiest of all dates and grew wildly along the Jordan river. If the tree is a female, the extinct tree could be brought back to life. It was also known to be a cure for a plethora of ailments.
Via: Dailymail, NewScientist