From One Ancient Seed, a Biblical Plant Has Sprung

A seed unearthed in the '80s in a cave in Israel's Judean Desert has produced a tree that scientists say hails from biblical times—and that could boast medicinal powers mentioned in the Good Book itself.

• The planting: According to research published last month in the Communications Biology journal, scientists took that lone seed, soaked it in water infused with hormones and fertilizer, then placed it in a pot of sterile soil. "About five and a half weeks later, up jumps this nice little shoot," study lead author Dr. Sarah Sallon tells CNN.

• Age: Using radiocarbon dating on the seedling they named "Sheba," the researchers were able to determine that the seed originated sometime between AD993 and AD1202.
• Further ID: Because the nearly 10-foot-tall tree, now almost 14 years old, hasn't produced any reproductive materials like fruit or flowers, it's not yet possible to definitively identify the species, other than it's part of the Commiphora genus, which belongs to the myrrh family. Commiphora trees are typically found in Africa, the island of Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula.
• The famed 'Judean Balsam'? Speculation that the tree variety may have been the source of "Judean Balsam," an aromatic resin used to make perfume in ancient times, didn't pan out, as this particular specimen doesn't give off any scent.
• Tsori ties: However, compounds were found in the tree that may contain cancer-fighting properties, suggesting the tree is "a close cousin" of the tree that contains Judean Balsam. Researchers instead believe the tree in ancient times produced a medicinal balm called tsori. Live Science notes that tsori was mentioned as a healing substance in the books of Genesis, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah.
• Rarity: It's not every day that a centuries-old seed leads to a full-fledged plant. "Seeing the potential for that extreme longevity gives us hope [in] banking and storing seeds that some at least will survive for very long periods of time," Dr. Louise Colville, who works with seeds at the UK's Royal Botanic Gardens and wasn't involved with the study, tells CNN.

(More seeds stories.)