Scientists Resurrect Biblical Tree from Thousand-Year-Old Seed, Sparking Global Fascination

The tree, which the study authors believe may have a biblical connection, is seen at 12 years old.Photo byGuy Eisner

In incredible news, scientists have grown a tree from a 1,000-year-old seed found in a cave. This tree, believed to be a lost medicinal plant from the Bible, could potentially hold significant health benefits. Forty years ago, a seed was discovered in pristine condition during an archeological dig in a desert area just north of Jerusalem. Botanists and researchers at the time couldn’t determine the species from the seed itself, knowing only that it seemed extinct, so they decided to try planting it. 

Botanists attempted to grow the seed using a technique for 2,000-year-old date palm fruit plants. The seed was soaked in hormones, liquid fertilizer, and water and then plated. Amazingly, the seed sprouted in just five weeks despite all of the environmental stressors it was exposed to for 1,000 years. The shoot of the plant that grew allowed the scientific team to radiocarbon date the plant, a process that involves measuring the amount of a radioactive isotope of carbon in the plant to determine its age. This method revealed that the seed dated from 993 to 1,202 CE.

The study team measured the seed prior to planting it in 2010. At that point, its age was unclear.Photo byGuy Eisner

Now, fourteen years later, the seed has blossomed into a 10-foot-tall tree. Experts believe the tree may belong to the genus Commiphora, which is found across the Arabian Peninsula and parts of Africa. While a perfect match was not found, a genetic analysis revealed a strong connection. The discovery of a group of phytochemicals known as guggulterols, observed in a related species called Commiphora, known to possess certain cancer-fighting properties in its resin, has sparked hope. Could this be the long-lost Judean Baslam, mentioned in historical texts, including the Bible, as ‘tsori’?

Dr. Sarah Sallon, founder of the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center in Jerusalem, is seen with the tree.Photo byGuy Eisner

Now, the world is on the edge of its seat, waiting for the tree to produce flowers or fruit. This could be the moment of truth, revealing whether this is an extinct species and how to ensure the tree's survival. Dr. Louise Colville, senior seed and stress biology research leader at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London, expressed her astonishment, telling CNN, “It was a major accomplishment to grow a seed that old and possibly lead to a resurrection of this Biblical botanical… What’s surprising in this story is it was just a single seed, and to be able to have one chance for that to germinate is extremely lucky,” she said.