Horticulturists are celebrating the growth of a 1,000 year old “Tsori” seed, discovered nearly 30 years ago, which is believed to produce a balm resin mentioned several times in the Bible.

The famous balm, or tsori in Hebrew, was cultivated in oases by the Dead Sea for at least 1,000 years. It was a valuable export and frequently mentioned by ancient writers describing the region.

For 14 years, scientists have been growing a tree akin to the Judean balsam — the source of the balm of Gilead — but with no modern counterpart. Science | A 1,000-Year-Old Seed Grows in Israel ...

A long-lost tree species has new life after scientists planted a 1,000-year-old seed found in a cave in the Judean Desert in the 1980s during an archaeological dig.

But the Balm of Judea was also known for its aromatic properties, ... Noted for its healing properties, as in Jeremiah 8:22’s “Is there no balm in Gilead; ...

Scientists have grown an ancient seed from a cave in the Judaean Desert into a tree — and it could belong to a locally-extinct species with medicinal properties mentioned several times in the Bible.