‘Biblical’ Tree Resurrected From 1,000-Year-Old Mystery Seed Found in Judean Cave

Researchers have successfully brought back to life a mysterious seed discovered in a cave in the Judean Desert during the 1980s, radiocarbon dated to more than 1,000 years old! To add to the intrigue, DNA analysis links it to a genus of tree that, although now extinct, is mentioned in the Bible. Named ‘Sheba’, scientists believe it to be a remnant of a now-extinct population of trees that once thrived in the Southern Levant, a region that includes present-day Israel, Palestine, and Jordan.

The sapling grown from the seed, planted around 14 years ago. (Guy Eisner)

Sheba: A Distinct Smell, A Distinct Species

Sheba has been classified as part of the Commiphora genus, which belongs to the Frankincense and Myrrh family (Burseraceae). Over the past 14 years, Sheba has grown into a tree nearly 3 meters (10 feet) tall, allowing scientists to finally analyze its features. Today, this family includes about 200 known species.

Commiphora trees are primarily found in Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula, where they have long been valued for their aromatic gum resins and other ethnobotanical uses, reveals the study published in Communications Biology.

The seed that produced Sheba was dated to between 993 and 1202 AD. While DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Sheba is closely related to other trees in the Commiphora genus, it stands apart as a distinct species. Its closest relatives are Commiphora angolensis, C. neglecta, and C. tenuipetiolata.

Left) ancient seed prior to planting, Right) developing seed at 5 weeks showing epicotyl and developing cotyledons covered by seed coat. (Guy Eisner/Communications Biology)

Initially, researchers speculated that Sheba might be an example of the historical “Judean Balsam” or “Balm of Judea,” a tree prized in ancient times for its fragrance. This plant was often mentioned by Greek, Roman-Byzantine, and Post-Classical writers from the fourth century BC to the eighth century AD, reports Live Science. However, after further analysis, the researchers determined that Sheba lacks the aromatic compounds typical of Judean Balsam, making this theory unlikely.

“Based on these findings, we refuted our initial hypothesis that Sheba is the historical Judean Balsam cultivated in this region during antiquity and considered a second hypothesis to explain the identity of the ancient germinated Commiphora seedling,” the researchers explained in their study.

Instead, they propose that Sheba could be the source of “tsori,” a resin mentioned in the Bible with healing properties, as noted in the books of Genesis, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. They further elaborate that “Biblical ‘tsori’, likely the product of a local species, was historically associated with Gilead, a richly forested area in the Dead Sea-Jordan Rift Valley.” The fertile valleys of Gilead were extensively cultivated throughout history, making it a plausible origin for this resin.

The fact that Sheba’s seed was found in a cave in the Dead Sea-Jordan Rift Valley lends further support to the idea that it could be a living example of this ancient, lost tree. Chemical analysis of Sheba’s leaves and resin revealed high concentrations of pentacyclic triterpenoids, compounds known for their wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-cancer properties. Researchers also found that 30% of Sheba’s leaves contain squalene, an organic compound widely used in skincare products, reports IFL Science.

Another intriguing question the team sought to answer was how the seed ended up in the cave where it was discovered. They hypothesize that an animal might have deposited it there or that it was deliberately stored by humans.

The idea that an animal or bird may have carried the seed into the cave is supported by evidence showing that small rodents often store Commiphora seeds, while birds, such as pigeons and doves, are known to eat the fruits. These animals have been found in archaeological digs in the Judean Desert and are still present in the area today. The relatively small number of seeds found in the cave suggests that an animal was responsible for depositing them.

However, the possibility remains that the seed was stored there by humans. At the time of its deposit, Judean Balsam had already disappeared from the region, and the area was experiencing significant political and social upheaval, leading to economic instability. Other excavations in the region have shown that caves were often used to hide valuable goods during such times.

“As the seed from a surviving member of a native species possibly associated with commerce, Sheba may have been considered valuable enough to deliberately sequester in a cave,” the researchers noted. “If human intervention was involved, it may also have been brought from outside the region, perhaps with the goal of reintroducing a once-valuable Commiphora species.”

Despite this possibility, the animal deposit theory seems more likely, as there were no other human artifacts found in the cave alongside the seed.

Further research is needed to identify additional compounds in the tree’s tissue. The team concluded that “the germination of an ancient Commiphora seed from the Judean Desert provides evidence, for the first time, of its presence in the region approximately 1,000 years ago, and potentially identifies it as a native tree or shrub whose valuable resin, ‘tsori,’ was associated with medicinal use in the Bible, though its identity has been long debated.”

Top image: Left; 3-meter-tall tree ‘Sheba’; Right; Close up of the leaves.              Source: Guy Eisner/Communications Biology

By Sahir Pandey