2,000-Year-Old Seed Sprouts, Sapling Is Thriving

National Geographic ^ | 11/22/2005 | John Roach

[Red Badger]

Send some to Michael Moore!.....

[VOA]

Hey, that even surpasses the germination of ancient lotus seeds (200-500 years old):
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=98052&page=1

[Oatka]

An ancient and very beneficial plant flourishes in the Holy Land.
And the Arabs have contributed how?

Awaiting Muslim threats to smash it and throw it into the sea...
Ah, the answer.

[zeugma]

GGG ping?

[RipSawyer]

Meanwhile, back at the oasis
The arabs were eating their dates
While those less fortunate
Were bedding down the camels

[layman]

References to it are made in the Bible, the Koran, and other ancient literature. Judean date palms were wiped out by about A.D. 500

Strange how the Koran would reference a tree that became extinct about 150 years before the Koran existed. But, come to think of it, there is much about the Koran which is strange.

[ApplegateRanch]

A very misguided tree tax led to them being slaughtered, so I understand.

IIRC, a lot of olive groves went the same old fashioned way.

[Rebelbase]

2000 year old sprouts! Very cool.

Along those lines, the thought of cloning dinosaurs from the DNA in mosquito blood trapped in Jurassic age amber might make a good movie plot. :-0

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

..................

[griffin]

if it sprouts from a seed isn't it called a seedling? Saplings come from already existing tree material, correct?

[Red Badger]

I think sapling simply means a young tree........Seedlings are plant sprouts that haven't yet been transferred from pot or tray to the outside soil.....

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[Ladysmith]

No doubt!! :o)

[aimhigh]

A sapling germinated earlier this year from a 2,000-year-old date palm

Of course, this tree won't talk, unlike the modern, more evolved trees.

[Alexander Rubin]

Coolio.

[blam]

Good one, thanks.

This still can't top the 224 million year old bacteria living in a salt crystal.

[don-o]

Check this out. Behold the power of the Creator!

[RaceBannon]

Imagine hooking up a 2000 year old Jewish date, that was interested in bearing fruit!

Even Sarah would laugh twice at THAT one!

[Valin]

Great minds think alike!

[Valin]

Tall ships and tall kings
Three times three
What brought they from the foundered land
Over the flowing sea?
Seven stars and seven stones
And one white tree.

-- J R R Tolkien