Also available on most smart TVs and streaming services. The seeds were held in storage for 40 years at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan.[10][11]. [19] As of February 2020, Methuselah had reached 3.5 metres (11ft). The Judean Date Palm symbolized ancient Judah and was mentioned in the Bible but when the nation it symbolized was conquered and sent into exile in 70 CE, cultivation of dates in the region began to decline. Later this fall, the Arava Institute plans to offer a limited number of dates for sale at the Kibbutz Ketura guesthouse. Now I need to buy some and try them! They called him Methuselah after the oldest person in the Bible. [10] The plant was nicknamed "Methuselah" after the longest-lived person listed in the Bible. Solowey soaked the seeds in enzymatic water and fertilizer and planted them in sterile potting soil in pots in a greenhouse. Between 2011 and 2014 Ms. Solowey planted the seeds and six more have sprouted over the years. Palm trees in the ruins of Babylon. The other date palms to have sprouted from these ancient seeds are known as Adam, Hannah, Judith, Jonah, Boaz and Uriel. Judean date palms were wiped . Great piece I had no idea about such amazing botanical work going on. The researchers conducted a series of tests to verify the age of the seeds, and it was confirmed through carbon 14 dating that they were more than 2,000 years old. (Guy Eisner / Sciencemag). The tree and its fruit caused Jericho to become a major population center and are praised in the Hebrew Bible possibly several times indirectly, such as in Psalms (Psalms 92:1215), "The righteous himself will blossom forth as a palm tree does", and date clusters (Hebrew: .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans}) are mentioned in the Song of Songs (Song of Songs 7:8). 3 min read. The ancient fruit made tonics for longevity, laxatives, and aphrodisiacs; lore claims they could cure infections. But all was not lost, because in 1963, the late archeologist Yigael Yadin began excavating Masada, a mountaintop fortress built over 2,000 years ago on the shore of the Dead Sea, where King Herod built a spectacular palace. trees were revealed by DNA testing as females, and one of them, Hannah, has borne one bunch with 111 dates, which were harvested in early September. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing. Ezekiel 47:12. Its possible that they brought the seeds with them on their return to Zion, she said. Growth and development of the seedling over 26 months was compatible with normal date . The tree and its fruit are mentioned in the Song of Songs and Psalms and featured on coins throughout the region. People are disturbed. After all, it took 15 years of patience, hope, anticipation, and ground-breaking agriculture techniques to make the seemingly botanically impossible feat possible. Judean date palm in 2012. During Yigal Yadins excavations of Masada in the mid 1960s, ancient date seeds were discovered beneath rubble at the Northern Palace approach. If you dont look back to the history you will not see the future. [citation needed] The tree so defined the local economy that the Roman emperor Vespasian celebrated the reconquest after the First Jewish Revolt (6670 AD) by minting Judaea Capta coinage, a series of coins sometimes depicting Judaea as a mourning woman beneath a date palm. She lives in Ashland, Ohio, with her husband, Brandon, and their four children, Lydia, Elvis, Henry, and Izzy (their Westie). It is interesting to note that the Ezekiel prophesied that in the Messianic era, a river would flow from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, revitalizing the saline water, transforming it into a thriving ecosystem. The species of palm was thought to be extinct for 800 years but hundreds of seeds of Phoenix dactylifera were collected from Judean desert archaeological sites such as an ancient palace-fortress built by King Herod and caves located in southern Israel at Masada, Qumran, Wadi Makukh, and Wadi Kelt, located in the Judean desert between the Judean Hills and the Dead Sea. The fruits from these seven species were the only acceptable plant offerings in the Temple and their first fruits were brought to be eaten in Jerusalem. Not as sweet as the Medjooldate, not sticky at all, and with a pleasant honey aftertaste is how Dr. Sarah Sallon describes the taste of a date sprouted from a 2,000-year-old seed. Most people know of the great construction achievements of the dynastic Egyptians such as the pyramids and temples of the Giza Plateau area as well as the Sphinx. But they're not the original date tree that grew here, Sallon said. But 800 years ago, crusaders destroyed the last Judean palm and rendered the plant extinct. The remaining 32 seeds were planted in a quarantined site at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel. They had experienced a very dry and sheltered environment for millennia. DF_JST1058_2000_Year_Old_Date_Palms_HD1080_0_273, Date palms from 2000-Year-Old Date Seeds. In ancient times the Judean date palm was a staple source of food, shelter, and shade. And it is blossoming on Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava region, 40 minutes north of Eilat. The remaining 33 were carefully soaked in water and fertilizer to encourage germination. The two researchers pollinated the flowers from Hannah with those of Methuselah to reconstruct the taste of ancient date palms to the maximum extent possible. Phoenix dactylifera and over 1000 other quality seeds for sale. Hannah was the first female tree. Of these, six of the seeds successfully sprouted. Some of the fruit were tasted, and some were sent for further research. In the mid-1900s, archaeologists discovered date palm seeds stored in an ancient jar in the ruins of the palace of Herod the Great in Masada, Israel. According to the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, Radiocarbon dating at the University of Zurich confirmed the seeds dated from between 155 BC to 64 AD. Now you say well, but we see dates all the way along here, palm trees and all the kibbutzim are growing plants. Growing in a greenhouse for the last nine years,Judith was recently transplanted in what Kibbutz Ketura calls the Ancient Judean Date Orchard. One that disappeared centuries ago was the Judean date. Back in the 1960s, famed Israeli archeologist Professor Yigal Yadin discovered thousands of date seeds buried under rubble during his excavations of Masada. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. The first of the ancient date seedlings, Methusaleh, is named for the oldest person mentioned in the Bible. But now, after 2,000 years, the Judean date palm is back and the sweet ancient fruit has been harvested once again. The Judean Date Palm symbolized ancient Judah and was mentioned in the Bible but when the nation it symbolized was conquered and sent into exile in 70 CE, cultivation of dates in the region began to decline. During the Byzantine and Arab periods (4th to 11th century AD) the Judean date palms were barely holding on and the continued waves of conquest and destruction meant that by the 19th century, no traces of these historic plantations remained, according to a study conducted about the trees in 2020. We know from the Talmud that the Jews exiled to Babylonia [in Mesopotamia] cultivated date groves. Because several seedlings are female, it is hoped that it will be possible to pollinate one or more of the female Judean date palms with the pollen from Methuselah. Methuselah, Adam, and Hannah date back to the first to fourth centuries BCE. And though shes just nine-years-old, she carries an ancient heritage., Its possible to divide the world in two: the part that venerates the humble-seeming fruit known as the date, and the part that does not. I wanted to see how medicinal the flora of Israel was and what it had been used for and so on. [5], Climatological research has proven that immediately after 1000, the climate became colder and more humid, reaching a peak around 1600, followed by a century of severe heat and drought, and then again by colder times with more rainfall. We are planting our second, female date tree, who was sprouted from an ancient seed. Many books and videos show depictions of vast work forces hewing blocks of stone in the hot desert sun and carefully setting them into place. Nefer Say Nefer - Was Nefertiti Buried in the Valley of the Queens? The age of the seeds range from some of the oldest germinated seeds in the world - Methuselah, Hannah, and Adam with a carbon date to the first to fourth centuries BC, to the mid-second century BC to mid-first century AD plants known as Judith and Boaz, to the youngest of the Judean date palms - Uriel and Jonah are the youngest (first to second centuries AD). Norimitsu Odachi: Who Could Have Possibly Wielded This Enormous 15th Century Japanese Sword? Judith and Boaz date back to approximately mid-second century BCE. This study, which confirms the long-term survival of date palm seeds, provides a unique opportunity to rediscover the origins of a historic date palm population that existed in Judea 2,000 years ago. She was planted in 2019. Herod the Great was renowned for his ambitious projects and extravagant tastes. Goor only detects a decline in date cultivation through the period of Early Arab rule and especially during the Crusades, when he notes that the devastation of the region was particularly hard on the palm plantations. Sallon is hopeful that Hannah, a female date tree, will flower this year and the plant could be pollinated by Methuselah - a tree the team grew from a 1,900-year-old Judean date palm seed in 2008. Solowey planted some three thousand of them on Kibbutz Ketura, where each tree produces around 350 pounds of dates a year. Ancient sources have suggested that the Judean date palm tree had many unique medicinal properties no longer found in todays palm varieties. To read the full paper on Origins and insights into the historic Judean date palm based on genetic analysis of germinated ancient seeds and morphometric studies by Sarah Sallon et al., please refer to Science Advances. Thick forests of the ancient date palms towering up to 80 feet (24.38 meters) and spreading for 7 miles (11.27) covered the Jordan River valley from the Sea of Galilee in the north to the shores of the Dead Sea in the south. Thank God for the faithfulness of his people though the ages - to leave these seeds, and to find and nurture one to grow. She was soon proven wrong. The seedlings would later be moved to Kibbutz Ketura. The conditions were dry and arid enough to preserve the seeds for 2,000 years. symbolized ancient Judah and was mentioned in the Bible but when the nation it symbolized was conquered and sent into exile in 70 CE. I think thats why weve got such a tremendous response to bringing these dates back from extinction, she says. A little, young-looking palm tree named Judith was planted on Kibbutz Ketura recently. [6] Andrea Moresino-Zipper contests that in the former case, it is the woman who symbolises the defeated Judaea and the towering, dominating palm stands for victorious Rome, while in the latter case the palm tree does represent Judaea.[6]. Dubbed Methuselah it was the oldest seed ever grown attracting wide international attention. Dr. Elaine Solowey, director of the Center for Sustainable Agriculture of the Arava Institute, and Dr. Sarah Sallon, director of the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center of Hadassah Hospital, harvested these ancient dates in the culmination of an ambitious, decades-long experiment to raise the biblical-era Phoenix dactylifera date palm from the dead. Available at: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/extinct-tree-resurrected-ancient-seeds-now-dad-002838, Hassan, N. (2020) Israeli Researchers Mate 2,000-year-old Date Seeds, Hope for Fruit. Haaretz. They dont read science journals, she tells NoCamels, noting that her friend, Jane Goodall, wrote the introduction to her unpublished childrens book. But centuries ago, the land that is now the United States was a very different place As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed, Director of the Arava Institute at Kibbutz Ketura, sees this as. Methusaleh and all the ancient date trees can be visited by contacting Keren Kolot. But as time progressed, the leaves began to look healthier. Methuselah and Hannah, which are the oldest, have more eastern DNA, while the other trees DNA is more western.. The date palm is one of the oldest cultivated fruit trees in the world and is highly symbolic in parts of the Middle East, as well as the Muslim, Christian and Jewish faiths. Scientists Resurrect Mysterious Judean Date Palms From Biblical Era Methuselah the tree was grown from a 2,000-year-old seed found at Masada. We are going to be testing those dates in the future to see actually what they do and whether they differ from other commercial varieties of modern dates. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.. As of February 2020, Adam was 1.5 meters high (1.6 yards). And though shes just nine-years-old, she carries an ancient heritage. How could it be?" In Scripture, Hannah prayed and prayed for a child, promising that if God would answer that prayer, she would dedicate her child to a life of serving the Lord. This is the second year of harvesting fruit from this previously extinct tree, brought back to life by Dr. Elaine Solowey. And I look at the plantations on Ketura. The largest and most famous so far has been dubbed Methuselah, but the plant turned out to be a male, meaning it will never bear fruit. The seven ancient Judean date palm accessions originate from the germination of date palm seeds collected during archaeological excavations of three sites in the Judean desert (21, 22). The Bible says that it is not good for man to be alone. And we knew what there was, because it's mentioned in the Bible. You can help bring hope today! Cultivation of dates in the region almost disappeared after the fourteenth century CE from a combination of climate change and infrastructure decay but has been revived in modern times. In 2005, a team of scientists sprouted a preserved 2,000-year-old seed, the oldest seed germinated with human-assistance (with the claim in 2012 of a 32,000-year-old arctic flower involving fruit tissue rather than a seed). It takes time for seedlings to become seed-bearing trees, but eventually, that time came. By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. The Judean dates from the time of Christ had long been considered extinct. Photo: CBN News, Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. The first dates to ripen came from a palm tree named Hannah, which was grown from a seed about 10 years ago. An ancient coin design depicting a date palm and two baskets full of dates has been reused for the front side of the modern Israeli ten-shekel coin. YWAM Founder Loren Cunningham Diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer. Over the past 15 years, a project has been underway in Israels southern Arava region to revive ancient species of date palms germinated from seeds found at archaeological digs in the Judean Desert. Fancy Sipping a Pint in a 1700-Year-Old Tree? Germinated ancient Judean date seedlings. After the successful germination of the first seed, Dr. Solowey and Dr. Sallon took to replicating the experiment. In biblical times, the Judean date palm was revered throughout the region for its medicinal qualities. As soon as the ancient Judean date palm had grown into a tree, Ms. Solowey used genetic testing on it to confirm if it was indeed male and thus incapable of producing fruit. You can view our live recording of the harvesthere. The plant was nicknamed "Methuselah," after the longest-lived person in the Bible. ( Arava Institute for Environmental Studies ). The Iliad can provide new insights on the role of motherhood among the ancient Greek gods, and by extension, amongst ancient mortal Greek women themselves. The seeds were held in storage for 40 years at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan.. Yes, the New York Times justbroke the storyof the children of Methuselah and Hannah, biblical date trees (that didnt meet on JDate) with some impressive history and something to teach at this perilous time as a lead up to the Jewish New Year., Just 30 miles north of the Red Sea, in the Negev Desert, scientists from the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies travelled back in time two millennia, becoming the first people to pick and sample dates from trees with roots stretching back to the days of Jesus and the Maccabees., Dr. Why? The Judean date palm is a date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) grown in Judea. These semi-dry dates with a reddish blonde color were recently harvested. Researchers hold a date tree grown by a 2,000-year-old seed retrieved from archaeological sites in the Judean Desert, in Ketura, Israel, September 2, 2020. The species of palm was thought to be extinct for 800 . This is something that came from the past and is still alive.. Germination of 2000-year-old seeds of Phoenix dactylifera from Judean desert archaeological sites provides a unique opportunity to study the Judean date palm, described in antiquity for the quality, size, and medicinal properties of its fruit, but lost for centuries. (2015) Extinct Tree Resurrected from Ancient Seeds is now a Dad. Ancient Origins. I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds, about Herod the Greats Alabaster Bathtubs, about Seleucid Sling Stone Sheds New Light on Jewish Hannukah Story, about Rogue Priest Second Temple Silver Coin Found By Girl in Jerusalem, about Evidence of Hannukah Story Found in Razed Hellenistic Fortress, about New Study Reveals How Legendary Assyrian Siege Ramp Overcame Lachish, about Mesopotamian Superpowers Laying Waste To The Ancient Near East, For Sale In Britain: A Small Ancient Man With A Colossal Penis, Sacred Marvels: 17 Cathedrals That Will Take Your Breath Away, In Pictures, Egyptologists Reveal a Lost Chamber in the Great Pyramid With Cosmic Rays, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Unleashing the End of the World. Sarah Sallon, director of the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center in Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, led a team that included Elaine Solowey, and Nathalie Chabrillange. The site of the ceremony was not happenstance. [17] By November 2011 it was 2.5 metres (8ft 2in) high, having been transplanted from pot to earth. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? ***Please sign up forCBN Newslettersand download theCBN News appto ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***. Methuselah happens to be a male Judean date palm, so the team of scientists planted a few more seeds from the cache of ancient seeds unearthed in Herods palace excavation to see if they could propagate a bride for Methuselah. She was also interested in how plants can be used for medicine. Stay informed with the latest from CBN News delivered to your inbox. Thegoal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. On August 23rd, 2021, Arava Institute staff harvested three bunches of dates from our world-famous ancient date palms. A land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey. An ancient date seed (Phoenix dactylifera L.) excavated from Masada and radiocarbon-dated to the first century Common Era was germinated. Most of the haul is being kept for science purposes. . Prophecy from the Bible is revealing itself as we speak. So, in 2005, Sallon turned to Solowey, an expert on arid agriculture, for help. Wed have to take his word for it if it werent for the hard work of two women scientists. Interesting Engineering reports that Recently, Hannah's fruit was harvested for the first time.. In ancient times, the classical writers described in detail, the dates of ancient Judea. Scientists determined that Methuselah was of the Hayany breed originally from Egypt. I think the biggest problem is hydrating them because if you hydrate them too quickly, you kill them and you only get one crack at each seed, Solowey told CBN News. It became the Jews symbol of grace and elegance and was often bestowed by them to women. For example, Davids beautiful daughter was named Tamar. Available at: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Seed-of-extinct-date-palm-sprouts-after-2-000-2628668.php, Sallon, S. et al. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. A previous experiment with the seeds produced a single male plant that sprouted in 2005 which the researchers named Methuselah. In early 2019, three of the six trees named by Dr. Solowey Adam, Jonah and Hannah were moved out of their greenhouse home to be planted outdoors at the Arava Institutes Daniel Fischel & Sylvia Neil Research & Visitors Park. Home Judean Date Palm Grown From 2,000 Year Old Seed Bears Fruit. For more information and/or interview requests, please contact Institute Deputy Director Eliza Mayo. The experiment worked. Really? Both Adam and Jonah have produced flowers. And here we are actually planting history at the Arava Institute. The Judean date palm was once common in ancient Judea. Methuselah the Judean Date Palm is still going strong even after sprouting from a 2,000-year-old seed. Sarah M. Wells is the author ofThe Family Bible Devotionaland two collections of poems,Between the Heron and the MossandPruningBurning Bushes. An ancient Israeli coin depicted a palm tree with two baskets of fruit beneath. Especially now, I think that people need that. However, its value was also the source of its demise and eventual extinction. In daily prayers, we note how the righteous (tzadik) will grow. I clicked on the link from Facebook because I remember date palms being grown and harvested in the San Diego area in the early 60's. Hundreds of seeds were collected between 1963 and 1991. Shes the fifth such tree to be planted there after Methuselah, Adam, Jonah and Hannah. After 2,000 years, the formerly extinct Judean date palm was brought back to life by two women scientists in 2005. Studies indicate. [8] Asaph Goor, in his 21-page article History of the Date through the Ages in the Holy Land, never mentions any such Roman devastation of the date palms, but rather cites numerous contemporary accounts attesting to the continuing extent of date cultivation through the Roman period. Who would have thought seeds thousands of years old would germinate?!? Pollinated by Methuselah, Hannah had around 100 dates last year and this year she had more than 600 dates. (2020) Origins and insights into the historic Judean date palm based on genetic analysis of germinated ancient seeds and morphometric studies. Science Advances Vol 6. Modern day studies have shown dates benefit digestion, lower cholesterol, improve memory, increase blood production, have aphrodisiac properties, and strengthen the nervous system. [17][20] By 2015 Methuselah had produced pollen that has been used successfully to pollinate female date palms. A 15-year effort to germinate 2,000-year-old seeds from an ancient date palm is finally bearing fruit. Learn more here. Judith and Hannah were female, but only Hannah flowered. Judean Date Palm Revived from Extinction by Emily Frances - i24, Sept. 14th, 2020 "Dr. Elaine Solowey, Desert Plant Pioneer, successfully grew an extinct Judean Date Palm tree from a 2000 year old seed. Already in the fifth century BC, Herodotus noted that the greatest importance of the Judean dates was that they were drier and less perishable than those from Egypt and thus suitable for storage and export, which is still an important distinction today. What cured here, she thinks, were some traditional herbal remedies., The date palm has a historical distribution stretching from Mauritania in the west to the Indus Valley in the east. A previous experiment with the seeds produced a single male plant that sprouted in 2005 which the researchers named Methuselah. Dr. Solowey successfully germinated one of these seeds, which sprouted into a young date palm today, Methuselah has a permanent home in the Arava Institute research park on Kibbutz Ketura. So valued was the tree that it became recognized as a symbol of good fortune in Judea. While the scientific and agricultural communities celebrated this landmark harvest, only Sallon, Solowey, a handful of the other scientists involved in the revival project and a few kibbutz members got to sample bits of this long-lost variety of dates, last tasted back in the times of Jesus and the Maccabees. [9] A 1974 study blames the 15th-century disappearance of date palms from the Jericho-Ein Gedi region on human activity, but Goor raises the possibility that the climate change led to the springs in the area delivering less water, which harmed the water-intensive cultivation of date palms.[9]. The Pindo Palm produces an edible date fruit used to make jelly, and is also known as the Jelly Palm. sarahmariewells.com, Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. Throughout the history of civilization, the concept of the apocalypse has been ever present, in one way or another. . [13][15] Three of the seeds were subsequently planted at Ketura, Israel, in the Arabah in southern Israel. The Pindo Palm Tree is cold tolerant to USDA Zone 7. Elaine Solowey, Desert Plant Pioneer, successfully grew an extinct Judean Date Palm tree from a 2000 year old seed. After eight weeks, a small green shoot emerged from one seed, producing a sapling no one had seen in centuries and becoming the oldest known tree seed to germinate. Call us at 1 315 4971058. They nicknamed the tree Methuselah after Noahs grandfather, the oldest person who ever lived. Dates were one of the seven species listed as special to the land of Israel, described in the bible as honey., A land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey; Deuteronomy 8:8. Genesis 5:25-27 says that Methuselah lived 969 years! Years ago at Masada, archaeologists found a jar of those ancient date seeds. Recently, Hannahs fruit was harvested for the first time. Dr. Solowey - and that at least one is a female! Mother and Child Reunion Of Thetis And Achilles, Seductive Sirens of Greek Mythology and How Heroes Resisted Them, Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon, Pegasus of Greek Mythology: Majestic Winged Horse of Mount Olympus, Dreams of Human-Powered Flight: Daedalus and the Story of Icarus, The Warriors Who Shaped African History: The Horsemen of Oyo, Royal Mistress Jane Shore Walked Streets of London in her Underwear, Leonardo Da Vincis Notes Show He Understood Gravity Long Before Newton, Talks Begin on Repatriating Remains of Patrick Sarsfield, Irish War Hero, The Ramessid Dynasty: A Golden Era in Ancient Egypt, Unraveling the Mystery of the Carnac Stones: An Ancient Puzzle of Epic Proportions, Unraveling the Enigma of Aramu Muru, The Mysterious Gate of the Gods. In June of 2020, Hannah became the first Judean date palm tree, resurrected from the dust of ancient seeds, to bear fruit. References to it are made in the Bible, the Koran, and other ancient literature. reported that Methuselah was over ten-feet tall and had been used to pollinate a wild modern female date palm. To read about Dr. Soloweys work to protect other endangered plant species click here. How Credible Are the Superstitions Surrounding the Mystical Irish Fairy Trees? As the researchers hoped would be the case with their revived date palms, plants irrigated from the Jerusalem waters would be uniquely vibrant and grant special medicinal qualities. Collect date seeds. Sallon says the dates seem to offer hope in todays world of uncertainty. To donate to Dr. Soloweys ancient dates research project, click here. The fruit of the tree symbolised life and prosperity and was praised in ancient . (DtoF) Boaz (54 months), Judith (47 months), and Hannah (88 months). They were given the names Jonah, Uriel, Boaz, Judith, Hannah, and Adam. 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