A seed smaller than a fingernail was carried by a bird or critter and deposited into a cave in Israel 1,000 years ago but germinated into a tree after modern archeologists discovered and planted it. In it lies a mystery: A Bible verse mentions a tree of its description; could it be the venerated Judean balsam tree, whose fragrant sap once served as medicine and was highly treasured?
The Three Magi brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh to baby Jesus—so the Bible says. The latter two resins, prized for their scent, have been known to ooze forth from punctured bark on trees of the Commiphora genus. While some species of Commiphora still grow, others are believed to be long extinct, gone since Biblical times. However, in the late 1980s, an archeological dig may have unearthed a lost Biblical secret: the aforementioned seed, well-preserved in a cave in a desert valley.
Archeologists from Hebrew University in Jerusalem collected this tiny seed while excavating a cliff riddled with karstic cavities in the Dead Sea-Jordan Rift Valley in the Northern Judean Desert. Many caves here were once monks’ cells and refuges during Judea’s wars with Rome. Found in this particular cave were man-made artifacts—beads, pieces of cloth, woven ropes—and 35 adult and child skeletons. Also found was a “visually intact” seed, just 1.8 centimeters long, weighing 0.565 grams, which scientists believe an animal carried inside.
After several decades in storage at Hebrew University with other artifacts, the seed was selected for testing from among gathered archaeobotanical material by Sarah Sallon, director of the Hadassah Medical Centre. A novel hypothesis alluding to the Bible arose.
Thanks to radiocarbon dating done on the seed’s woody casing, the pea-sized object was dated between the years 993 and 1,202. It may be over 1,000 years old.
In 2010, the researchers immersed it in water, planted it, and germinated it in a greenhouse at the Center for Sustainable Agriculture, in Israel. After five weeks, a seedling emerged, which they named “Sheba.”
Today, Sheba is a 14-year-old, 10-foot-tall deciduous tree with pale green bark that peels off in papery sheets. These features are typical of the Commiphora genus. Chemical and DNA analyses were done on the leaves and support several conclusions among the scientists. According to the authors, Sheba doesn’t produce myrrh—the precious resin of the Three Magi who bestowed gifts upon baby Jesus. But could it be the Judean Balsam mentioned in the Bible?
“Our initial hypothesis was that ‘Sheba’ might be a candidate for the historical ‘Judean Balsam,’” the authors wrote. However, testing found that Sheba’s resin lacks the aromatic traits of an extract called “tsori” found in Judean Balsam. They ultimately refuted the idea of a match, unfortunately.
Yet, a second hypothesis gained traction among the researchers after Sheba displayed healing properties present in taxa once native to the region. They observed the presence of triterpenoids, which are biologically active compounds with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Their presence is evidence that Sheba is an unknown Commiphora species with a “unique fingerprint.” This intriguing prospect opened the doors to tantalizing new identification possibilities.
Holding out hope for finding the coveted Judean Balsam, the venerated tree of Scripture, the authors concluded, “If Judean Balsam survives today as an extant Commiphora species there remains the possibility that scientists have not yet recognized it.”