2,000-year-old date seed sprouts
Photo: Date Palms from Wikipedia
A team of Swiss and Israeli scientists recently discovered a 2,000-year-old stash of desiccated date seeds near the Dead Sea and, in a fit of horticultural madness, planted them. Against all odds, one of the ancient seeds sprouted, becoming the oldest known seed to germinate.
The date pits were found among the heat-blasted ruins of the Masada Fortress in Israel. The area was once legendary for its delectable dates, but the trees of yore have long since disappeared. Scientists believe that the recently revived date palm is related to the mythical trees—it’s genetically distinct from any contemporary date species. The plant’s genes could unlock the secrets to breeding more resilient varieties of date palms.