"During An Archaeological Dig In A Desert Area North Of Jerusalem 40 Years Ago, A Seed Was Discovered

Good News Network

Scientists Grow Tree from 1,000-year-old Seed Found in Cave–May Be Lost Medicinal Plant in the Bible

Dr. Sallon and her team thought it was an extinct species known from history as Judean Balsam, but it turned out to be something called Tsor

"During an archaeological dig in a desert area north of Jerusalem 40 years ago, a seed was discovered which was determined to be in pristine condition but had obviously seen many a year.

Now, despite falling from its parent 1,000 years ago, it has grown into a mature tree, and botanists examining it believe it may be an extinct species that was used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years—even receiving a nod in the Bible.

Neither Israeli botanists, nor Dr. Sarah Sallon, a physician who founded the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem, could determine what species it was from simply from the seed covering. So they did what nature intended—they planted it.

Using a well-documented technique that saw 2,000-year-old date palm fruit pits germinate, Dr. Sallon soaked the seed in hormones, liquid fertilizer, and water, and then planted it in a pot of sterile seed; then waited.

Despite its genetic code being exposed to environmental stressors for over 1,000 years, the seed sprouted after 5 weeks. The shoot was protected by a caplike feature called an operculum. As the shoot grew, the operculum was shed—leaving something for the team to radiocarbon date. It narrowed down the age of the almost 10-centuries-old seed to between the years 993 an 1202.

Fast forward 14 years and the plant has become a 10-foot-tall tree. Dr. Sallon shared images of the tree, its bark, and its leaves with botanists around the world. One expert suggested it belonged to the genus Commiphora, found across the Arabian Peninsula and parts of Africa. A genetic analysis subsequently revealed this was the case, but a perfect match was lacking.

A photo of the tree at 14 years old. It has small, oval-shaped green leaves and straight, spiny branches that shoot off in many directions.

Pictured: The tree, now 14 years old.

Dr. Sallon and her team thought it was an extinct species known from history as Judean Balsam, but the best way to confirm that suspicion would be to have some aromatic traces similar to the resins of the myrrh tree to which it is related. However, no such fragrant compounds were detected.

Instead, the chemical analysis of the leaves identified a group of phytochemicals known as guggulterols which have been observed in a related species called Commiphora wightii that’s known to possess certain cancer-fighting properties in its resin.

A medicinal balm, the origin of which is not known, is mentioned in multiple historical texts including the Bible as ‘tsori,’ and rather than the fragrant Judean Balsam, it’s this tsori that Dr. Sallon and her team believe they have found.

They must wait until the tree, now 14 years old, produces flower or fruit to know for sure if it’s an extinct species, and if so, how to perhaps keep it alive.

Dr. Louise Colville, senior research leader in seed and stress biology at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London who wasn’t involved in the research, told CNN that it was a major accomplishment to grow a seed that old and possibly lead to a resurrection of this Biblical botanical.

“What’s surprising in this story is it was just a single seed and to be able to have one chance for that to germinate is extremely lucky,” she said.

“Working in a seed bank, seeing the potential for that extreme longevity gives us hope that banking and storing seeds that some at least will survive for very long periods of time.”"

-via Good News Network, October 8, 2024

Note: This is such a good demonstration of why seed banks are so important!! They give us such real and massive hope for deextinction and the revival of endangered species.

Hirobel 90 Day Fiance Part 2

Good morning, afternoon, or evening! Thank you for taking the time out of your day or night to read my post.

About an hour ago, I posted a short summary about how Mirabel and Hiro would make a perfect 90 Day Fiance couple. As such, I wrote a timeline for their time on TLC.

Here it is:

In December of 2016, Mirabel and Hiro, both 21 years old, meet in downtown San Francisco, while Mirabel is on a college field trip.

Mirabel and Hiro, 22 years old, star in season 2 of 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days, filmed in 2017 and aired in 2018.

Mirabel and Hiro, 23 years old, star in season 1 of 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way, filmed in 2018, and aired in 2019.

Mirabel and Hiro, both 23 going on 24 years old, marry on January 26, 2019.

Mirabel and Hiro, 24 years old, star in season 2 of 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way, filmed in 2019 and aired in 2020.

Mirabel and Hiro, 25 years old, welcome their triplets on November 27, 2020.

Mirabel and Hiro, 25 years old, star in season 3 of 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way, filmed in 2020 and aired in 2021.

Mirabel and Hiro, 26 years old, star in season 3 of 90 Day Diaries, filmed in 2021 and aired in 2022.

Mirabel and Hiro, 27 years old, star on 90 Day Fiance: The Last Resort, filmed in January of 2023, aired from August to October of 2023.

Mirabel and Hiro, 28 years old, star on season 8 of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?. The show was filmed in 2023 and aired in 2024.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day or night to ready my post. Have a good day or night!

self care for when you hit rock bottom

i fucking hate self care posts made by neurotypicals so here’s one from someone who Actually Gets It

-can’t shower or take a bath? me either. dry shampoo can make your hair look and feel cleaner, and baby wipes or makeup wipes work great to get the top layer of grime off your skin.

-can’t wash your sheets and make your bed? i feel you. push your blankets out of the way and shake the crumbs off your sheet. it will at least be a bit more comfortable.

-can’t even change out of your dirty pajamas? been there. hit yourself with some febreeze and a lint roller. if you can, brush your hair. if you can’t, hair ties and bobby pins are fantastic.

-can’t make anything to eat? same. if you can, there’s no shame in ordering food. in fact, it’s probably better you eat something rather than go hungry. if you can’t, try and find something that comes pre-made or takes minimal effort to make. at the very least, drink some water.

can’t respond to messages or reach out for help? yeah, i get that. set an alarm for a few hours from now and respond to any messages you need to once you’ve given yourself time to prepare. if they’re Important Messages that need Professional Responses, you can find fill-in-the-blank format rough drafts on google. as far as personal messages go, don’t feel bad for sending a mass “I’m sorry, I’m in a personal emergency right now. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.” response to everyone.

-can’t even sleep because it’s so bad? asmr videos always knock me out, personally, but i also watch a lot of bob ross. just try to find something quiet and soothing to use as background noise and take your mind off it, or at least give you a more peaceful environment to think about it.

-can’t go for a walk/drive? try opening the blinds or curtains. you’re still exposing yourself to the outside world. baby steps. (i also play animal crossing or sims; it may be virtual but fuck it. i went on a walk.)

-can’t go into work/school? let people know. let your coworkers or classmates know it’s an emergency and you can’t make it. give yourself up to two days, but then you have to go back. ask to have your work emailed to you so you know what you missed.

-can’t brush your teeth and wash your face? makeup or baby wipes and gum or mouthwash. don’t let yourself physically rot bc you’re rotting emotionally.

-remember that you’ve been here before. if you survived then you can survive now. that’s what this is about- survival. you don’t have to be living your Best Life. right now, it’s more than enough that you’re alive.

211K notes View Post

sammyam12345678

6 months ago

🌿 Help Us Find Peace Amid the Chaos 🌿

Hello, friends.

My name is Mohammed, and I'm reaching out from a place of unimaginable hardship. My family, like so many others in Gaza, is struggling to survive each day. The conflict has taken a heavy toll on our lives, leaving us to face a grim reality, our home has been destroyed, and we are left with nowhere safe to go. 😔

I am the father of three beautiful children, and as a parent, nothing is more painful than watching your kids grow up, surrounded by fear and destruction. Mirn, Bark, and Mariar are the light of my life, but they've never known the joy of running through a park without fear, or playing freely like children should. ❤️

We've reached a point where staying here is no longer an option. The walls that once sheltered us now stand in ruins, and hope for a safe future is fading fast. We dream of rebuilding, not just our home, but our lives, somewhere free from the daily fear of war, where my children can sleep peacefully and smile again. 🕊️

But we need your help to make this dream a reality. Your support means more than just money, it's a lifeline. It's a chance for us to begin again.

Every Act of Kindness Brings Us Closer to Safety. Your compassion can help us escape this nightmare. We are asking for your support, no matter how small, to help us start fresh, away from the violence, away from the rubble, and toward a place where my family can heal and grow. Every dollar you contribute is a step toward hope. 🙏

Thank you for standing with us in these difficult times. Your kindness can help us rebuild our lives and find peace again. ❤️‍🩹

With sincere gratitude,

Mohammed and Family

gofundme.com

Donate to Help Mohammed's Family From Gaza Rebuild Their Lives, organized by Mohammed Abu Swierh

My name is Mohammad Salem Abu Swierh, a husband and father of… Mohammed Abu Swierh needs your support for Help Mohammed's Family From Gaza R

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sammyam12345678

1 year ago

History will call them friends

176 notes View Post

sammyam12345678

8 months ago

I don’t usually make posts like this, but I’ve been seeing a lot of anti-intellectual junk lately, and I really think we need to put the word “pretentious” up on a shelf until people learn what it actually means.

It doesn’t describe someone who likes artsy-fartsy deep meaning media. People who are pretentious are fake. They’re posers trying to be sophisticated and unique, not like other girls. They pretend to only like stuff they think will make them sound cool when they talk about it. They want to act like they know something you don’t, and they want attention for it.

By definition, if you genuinely enjoy something, you can’t be pretentious. If it resonates with you, and you analyze it, and you don’t care what people think, that’s the polar opposite, actually. If you love obscure experimental prog music, if you watch underground high concept indie films through English teacher eyes, if you spend hours in a modern art museum reading each piece as a vessel for storytelling, if your backpack’s full of poetry books that inspire you, if you play underrated games that were someone’s passion project, if you have an interest in studying the classics or the masters, you are not pretentious.

Of course, some people just don’t like some stuff, and that’s fine, but that’s not what this is about. Don’t let anti-intellectuals shame you for enjoying things just because your interests are inaccessible to them, because they refuse to be brave and put effort into critical thinking. You’re not stuck up for refusing to overlook the craft of artists.

162 notes View Post

sammyam12345678

8 months ago

“But I knew no one. I was alone. No one cared. You might as well have left me to die.”

“You didn’t, did you?”

“Die? No, I didn’t. No thanks to you. Now I know I can only depend on myself.”

“Exactly.” Natasha shrugged. “You’re welcome.”

Ava Orlova

(Sometimes you just gotta cosplay obscure marvel characters that only @42wallaby-way-sydney and @yelenarooskaya know about. Also, will I ever be able to cosplay a character without doing something angsty? Apparently the answer is no)

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sammyam12345678

2 months ago

This is a quick post since this subject caught me by surprise and I don't know how to react now, but I need to talk about it since it is extremely important. The person responsible for creating Disa from "Frozen Podcast: Forces of Nature" went to ElsaMaren's reddit in a post about the podcast and decided to talk openly about a lot of things about the production, the insinuation of romance between Elsa and Disa, the origin of the flood in Sankerhus, an idea of a probable sequel and one of the most important parts: about the way the Northuldras were treated in the podcast and the plans for the insinuation of a love triangle between Elsa with Disa and Honeymaren.

@greatqueenanna If you like analyzing things, this is a good topic.

reddit.com

Reddit - Dive into anything

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sammyam12345678

2 months ago

Happy (late) Women's Day! I actually started working on this one last night around 1 a.m. When I realised it was women's day so it counts, right? Well it turns out if I set my mind up and manage to focus I can finish something in a day. I’m gonna grab a snack I spent the last 4 hour finishing this and my table is gonna die if I continue going on and on