2,000-Year-Old Date Palm Seed Grows

Israeli researchers have germinated a sapling date palm from seeds 2,000 years old, hoping its ancient DNA could reveal medicinal qualities to benefit future generations. Found in archaeological excavations at Masada, they are the oldest seeds ever brought back to life. Nicknamed Methusaleh, the plant is now about 12 inches tall, and researchers hope it may reveal medicinal qualities that have disappeared from modern cultivated varieties.

?EUR??,,????'??Dates were highly medicinal,?EUR??,,????'?? said Sarah Sallon of the Louis Borick Natural Medicine Research Center in Jerusalem. ?EUR??,,????'??They had an enormous amount of use in ancient times for infections, for tumors.?EUR??,,????'?? If the plant is female and survives, it will take 30 years to bear fruit. It?EUR??,,????'???s thought that the tree (Phoenix Dactylifera) was named after the Phoenix because of its incredible powers of rejuvenation.