Scientists successfully grow sheba trees from 1,000 year old seeds, it’s in the Bible!

ISRAEL – Scientists have managed to grow a tree from an ancient seed found in a cave in the Judean Desert. This tree is believed to be from an extinct species and has medicinal properties that are mentioned several times in the Bible.

The 14-year wait for Sheba

This 1,000 year old seed was discovered by archaeologists in the late 1980s. After 14 years of effort, the researchers finally succeeded in growing trees from these seeds. The tree, named “Sheba”, is now about 3 meters tall, allowing scientists to fully account for its properties.

Origin and Medicinal Properties

DNA, chemical and radiocarbon analysis of the Sheba tree reveals new clues about its origins. The seeds are thought to date from 993 to 1202 AD and may have come from a now extinct population of trees in the Southern Levant, an area that includes Israel the today, Palestine and Jordan.

Even more interesting, researchers believe that Sheba could be the source of the “tsori” mentioned in the Bible. That is, a resin section that is related to healing in the books of Genesis, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

“The identity of the biblical ‘tsori’ (translated in English as ‘balm’) has long been debated,” the researchers wrote in the study.

Genus Commiphora: The Frankincense and Myrrh Tree Family

The researchers pointed out that Sheba belongs to the Commiphora genus, which is part of the frankincense and myrrh tree family (Burseraceae). Commiphora plants are found mainly in Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula.

Although it has not yet flowered, analysis shows that Sheba is closely related to three Commiphora species found in South Africa.

Not the source of the Balsam of the Jews, but Rich in Medicinal Properties

At first, researchers suspected that Sheba might be the source of “Judean Balsam”, a precious perfume and incense from ancient times. However, chemical analysis shows that Sheba does not have the aromatic compounds typical of Judean Balsam.

On the other hand, Sheba is rich in compounds with medicinal properties, such as pentacyclic triterpenoids that have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, and squalene that has antioxidant and skin smoothing properties.

“We believe these findings support our second hypothesis, that the ‘Sheba’ … may represent an extinct (or at least extinct) lineage.” which was once native to this region, whose resin is the ‘tsori’ mentioned in the precious texts of the Bible, associated with it. with healing but not described as fragrance,” they wrote.

The Investigation continues

Meanwhile, the search for the historical Judean Balsam store continues. The researchers hope to find existing Commiphora species that could be the source of the battle.

The discovery of the Sheba tree not only revived an extinct species, but also brought new insights into ancient history and culture. This also shows the great potential of the plant in medicine, opening up opportunities for further research into the benefits for human health.

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