2000 year-old seed germinated

Three years ago, a team of researchers took an ancient date seed collected from one of King Herod's palaces and planted it in a small pot. It sprouted, and Methuselah, as they dubbed the sapling, is now 5 feet high.

Radiocarbon dating shows the seed was 2,000 years old, by far the oldest ever to have germinated, as reported in the journal Science. The researchers say they hope the plant will help resurrect a long-extinct species known in biblical times for the sweetness of its fruit.

It is also special because of where it was found: Masada, a mountaintop fortress overlooking the Dead Sea, is where Jewish forces made their last stand against Roman troops after the fall of Jerusalem in the year 70.

A number of seeds were collected in the early 1960s by archaeologists excavating the fortress. They stored the seeds at room temperature for nearly four decades. They didn't just plop the seeds into a pot. Instead, they bathed three seeds in fertilizer and enzyme-rich solutions before they were planted. Two of them came up. The plant appears normal, although some of its early leaves had white patches on them. It won't be known whether it will bear fruit until about 2010.

The date palm was domesticated more than 5,000 years ago, and the Judean Dead Sea region was famous for its high-quality fruit. Ancient texts describe how the dates were used to treat tuberculosis, heart problems, worms and infections.