A Hadassah researcher has discovered what could be the source of a medicinal balm –– tsori –– referenced in the Bible, The Times of Israel reports.
Dr. Sarah Sallon, a pediatric gastroenterologist and director of the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, was able to germinate a now-extinct tree from a 1,000-year-old seed found in a Judean Desert cave.
After DNA sequencing, phylogenetic and phytochemical analyses were carried out by experts worldwide, the tree was identified as a species of Commiphora, part of the frankincense and myrrh family.
“It’s been hugely exciting,” Dr. Sallon told The Times of Israel. “It’s bringing something back to life from 1,000 years ago.”
Read the full story in The Times of Israel.
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