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The Judean date palm at Ketura, Israel, nicknamed Methuselah. The Judean date palm is a date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) grown in Judea.It is not clear whether there was ever a single distinct Judean cultivar, but dates grown in the region have had distinctive reputations for thousands of years, and the date palm was anciently regarded as a symbol of the region and its fertility.
The first surviving example of the Judean date palm, artificially germinated from a 2,000-year-old seed discovered during archaeological excavations in Masada, was planted in Ketura and continues to survive there. It was nicknamed 'Methuselah'.
Carbon-dated. The oldest viable seed that has grown into a full plant was an about 2,000 years old Judean date palm seed, recovered from excavations at Herod the Great 's palace on Masada in Israel. It had been preserved in a cool, dry place, not by freezing. It was germinated in 2005. [3][4][5][6]
A 2,000-year-old Judean date palm seed discovered during archaeological excavations in the early 1960s was successfully germinated into a date plant, popularly known as "Methuselah" after the longest-living figure in the Hebrew Bible. At the time, it was the oldest known germination, [39] remaining so until a new record was set in 2012. [40]
One cultivar, the Judean date palm, is renowned for its long-lived orthodox seed, which successfully sprouted after accidental storage for 2,000 years. [26] In total seven seeds about 2000 years old have sprouted and turned into trees named Methuselah, Hannah, Adam, Judith, Boaz, Jonah and Uriel. [ 27 ]
The first plant grown was named after Lamech's father, Methuselah, the oldest living man in the Bible. In 2012, there were plans to crossbreed the male palm with what was considered its closest living relative, the Hayani date of Egypt to generate fruit by 2022. However, two female Judean date palms have been sprouted since then. [100]
Wad Khatib is the most common variety of date trees in Dar al-Manasir and the neighbouring Rubatab Country. The quality of Wad Khatib dates is generally inferior to Wad Laqai dates. Wad Khatib trees are recommended to be pollinated ahead of the Wad Laqai type. Part of their harvest is traditionally used for local alcohol production.
A large number of date cultivars and varieties emerged through history of its cultivation, but the exact number is difficult to assess. Hussain and El-Zeid [1] (1975) have reported 400 varieties, while Nixon [2] (1954) named around 250. Most of those are limited to a particular region, and only a few dozen have attained broader commercial ...