Resurrected biblical ‘balm of Gilead’ seed begins to grow

Originally published in Premier Christian News

A 1000-year-old seed, believed to be one which produced a balm resin mentioned in the Bible, has shown signs of growth.

In the late 1980s, the “Sheba” seed was discovered in a natural cave in Wadi el-Makkuk, a series of dried ravines near ancient Jericho.

Weighing 0.565g and only 1.8cm long, it was discovered by archaeologists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It hails from the Commiphora species, belonging to the same family as Frankincense and Myrrh. Commiphora was previously believed to be extinct.

Carbon dating suggests the seed originates from between 993 AD and 1202 AD.

In 2010, Sarah Sallon, a member of the Middle East Medicinal Plant Project, planted the seed. She told The Jerusalem Post it is a “strong contestant for the source of the enigmatic Tsori (Balm of Gilead)”, a perfumed resin described in the Old Testament.

The resin was possibly used for embalming, incense and even medicinal purposes. According to the team, the Sheba is a great candidate for the biblical balm, mentioned in numerous biblical sources and noted for its healing properties. The balm extracted from these trees would have been incredibly valuable during the biblical period and afterward. However, like other plants mentioned in the Bible, it has either gone extinct in the region or been largely forgotten.

In Genesis 37:25, it is translated as “balm:: “As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.” 

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