section_path: Successful de-extinctions/Judean date palm
section_name: Judean date palm
paragraph_text: Judean date palm
  
  The Judean date palm is a species of date palm native to Judea that is estimated to have originally become extinct around the 15th century due to climate change and human activity in the region. In 2005, preserved seeds found in the 1960s excavations of Herod the Great's palace were given to Sarah Sallon by Bar-Ilan University after she came up with the initiative to germinate some ancient seeds. Sallon later challenged her friend, Elaine Solowey of the Center for Sustainable Agriculture at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies with the task of germinating the seeds. Solowey managed to revive several of the provided seeds after hydrating them with a common household baby bottle warmer along with average fertiliser and growth hormones. The first plant grown was named after Lamech's father, Methuselah, the oldest living man in the Bible. In 2012, there were plans to crossbreed the male palm with what was considered its closest living relative, the Hayani date of Egypt to generate fruit by 2022. However, two female Judean date palms have been sprouted since then. By 2015 Methuselah had produced pollen that has been used successfully to pollinate female date palms. In June 2021, one of the female plants, Hannah, produced dates. The harvested fruits are currently being studied to determine their properties and nutritional values. The de-extinct Judean date palms are currently at a Kibbutz located in Ketura, Israel.