‘Methuselah Tree’ Grown from 2,000-year-old Seeds

Scientists have grown a tree from a 2,000-year-old date palm seed excavated in Masada, Israel.

The tree has been growing steadily for about 26 months, and stands nearly four feet tall. Dubbed the “Methuselah tree” after the oldest person in the Bible, the new plant may hold the key to rediscovering ancient healing techniques.

Known as the Judean date, the species of tree is now extinct in Israel. It was grown as a part of a Middle East Medicinal Plant Project in which scientists hope to study the medicinal uses of dates.

Sources including the Bible and the Koran, as well as other ancient Hebrew texts, point to the date as more than just a food source. Treatments were derived from the date for pulmonary problems, tuberculosis, dysentery and even cancer.

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