Opening details

The ancient seed was planted in 2010, more than 20 years after it was discovered in the late 1980s. The mysterious specimen that got its name SebaIt now stands at around 3 metres tall, meaning scientists have finally been able to describe all of its features. They were able to carry out chemical and radiocarbon analyses as well as DNA analysis, which has revealed new clues about the tree’s origins. The results have been published in the journal Communications Biology.

It took researchers almost 14 years to grow the new plant. Analysis showed that the seed it sprouted from dates back to between 993 and 1202 AD. It likely came from an extinct population of the tree that existed in the southern Levant, which includes modern-day Israel, Palestine and Jordan, and is the first of its kind found there.

Scientists say this is an adult specimen May be the source of the biblical word “tsori” – A resinous essence associated with healing in the books of Genesis, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.

The identity of tsori, which can be translated as “balsam” in the Bible, has long been up for debate.
– says the published article.

The substance is associated with the ancient region of Gilead, located east of the Jordan River between the Yarmouk River and the northern end of the Dead Sea. Now, the team that revived the Tree of Sheba believes they have finally solved the mystery of the biblical “tsori.”

The researchers determined that Sheba belongs to the genus Commiphora, which belongs to the myrrh and frankincense family (Burseraceae) and has nearly 200 species of living plants. Commiphora plants are mostly found in Africa, Madagascar and the Arabian Peninsula. It is not yet clear to which species Sheba belongs because the tree does not flower and therefore does not provide the reproductive material that scientists need for a more detailed analysis.

Tree of Sheba in different ages / Photo: Elaine Soloway

But it is clear that the plant is closely related to three species of Commiphora native to South Africa, C. angolensis, C. neglecta and C. tenuipetiolata. The tree also has much weaker connections to species of Commiphora that produce fragrant resins, such as C. gileadensis, which some researchers believe was a valuable source of perfume and incense for ancient peoples. It was called “Judean balsam” or “balsam of Gilead”.

However, there are doubts about the plant from which this ancient ointment was made.

Our initial hypothesis was that Sheba could be a candidate for the historical “Jewish Balsam.”
– say the researchers, but the absence of aromatic compounds in the tree forced them to refute this idea.

Instead, their analysis revealed that Sheba has numerous medicinal properties, which, along with other factors including its location in the northern Judean desert where the seeds were found, suggest the tree may be the source of the biblical zori.

• Chemical analysis of sheba leaves and resin showed that: The tree is rich in pentacyclic triterpenoids, which are biologically active compounds with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties..
• The leaves and stems have also been found to be high in squalene, a natural oily substance with antioxidant and skin-softening properties.
• The researchers note that further studies are needed to identify another compound in the tree’s tissues that has potential anticancer effects.

We believe these results support our second hypothesis that Sheba may represent an extinct or near-extinct species. [вид]The zori resin, which once grew in the region and was mentioned in biblical texts, was valuable and associated with healing but was not described as aromatic.
– summarize the scientists.

Thus, the search for the source of the historical ointment continues.