Dr. Sarah Sallon recovered seeds from the excavation of Masada, an Israeli UNESCO World Heritage site. Along with her colleague, Dr. Elaine Soloway, Sallon germinated seeds to grow seven date palms, which they’ve given biblical names. The recently harvested tree dubbed Hannah has genetics similar to Iraqi or Babylonian varieties.
Growing hope and dates from 2,000 seeds
Harvesting dates from the date palm dubbed “Hannah,” which was germinated from 2,000-year-old seeds. Photo courtesy of Sarah Sallon