To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Matthew Kalman / Kathy Mauer, Aimee Herd reporting : Jun 17, 2005  San Francisco Chronicle

A seed which came out of an archaeological dig on Mt. Masada was cultivated and has sprouted, yielding 5 leaves and standing 14 inches high. Since carbon dating on a tiny portion of the seed revealed its age as being 2,000-years-old, the plant was nicknamed Methuselah, after the 900-year-old biblical character.

Planted on Jan. 25th of this year, Methuselah looks like any ordinary date-palm seedling, however it is the oldest seed known to produce a living young tree. The Judean date palm tree was said to have medicinal properties in its fruit and scientists are eager to discover its make-up.

The Judean tree is significant to Christians as a symbol of peace associated with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. Because of the date palm's long, leafy branches and the protein found in its fruit, ancient Hebrews called the plant the "Tree of Life."

UCLA-trained botanist, Elaine Solowey said, "It's certainly the oldest tree seed that's ever been sprouted. Wheat seeds from pharaohs' tombs have been sprouted, but none of the plants have survived for very long. Before this, the oldest seed grown was a lotus from China, which was 1,200 years old," she said. "I'm very excited. I wasn't expecting anything to happen. I'm really interested in finding out what the DNA testing is going to show. I know that date seeds can stay alive for several decades. To find out that they can stay alive for millennia is astonishing."

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

'The Story of Everything'

'This Is a Turning Point': Iranian Christians Using time of War to Share the Gospel

Special Report: 634 Left vs. 41 Right: While Trump Fights Iran, Big Four News Apps Attack Trump

DOJ Launches Probe into Illinois Schools Over Gender Ideology Taught Without Parental Notice

Supreme Court Steps in, Pauses Federal Court Block on Abortion Pills by Mail Nationwide, Reinstates Biden Rule Temporarily

Prayer Alert: Shooting at Lake Near Oklahoma City Sends at Least 12 People to Hospitals

Pentagon to Withdraw 5,000 Troops from Germany amid Rising Tensions

'Not Leaving Right Now': Trump Says US to Guide Ships Through Hormuz Strait Despite Iran Warning

Prayer Alert: Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical, But Stable Condition

Supreme Court Rules for Pro-Life Centers: 'The Government Has No Business Harassing Pro-Life Ministries'

President Trump Signs Executive Order Expanding High-Quality Retirement Accounts for Millions of Americans (VIDEO)

Worldwide Implications of the UAE's OPEC Exit

Democrat Activist Texas Judge Rules State Agency Must Greenlight 400-Acre Islamic City Near Dallas

New Footage of Trump Assassination Attempt Released. Here's What It Shows [Video]

MAHA Victory on Capitol Hill as GOP Agrees to Drop Special Pesticide Protections

DOJ Report Reveals Biden Admin's Expansive Religious Liberty Violations and Hostility to American Christians

SPLC's Indictment Prompts Loss of Donations from Vanguard, Fidelity Charitable Programs

President Trump Signs Bill to Fund DHS, Ending the Democrat Shutdown

Evidence Young People Are Turning to Christianity Isn’t Anecdotal; It’s Real

100 Missionaries Deploy to 10/40 Window amid Increasing Reports of Visions of 'The Man in White'

Steve Shultz, Managing Editor
Founder and Owner

Aimee Herd, Editor