The seed, dubbed "Sheba," could be the long-lost tree that produced a resin with healing properties mentioned in the Bible.
A mystery seed dating from 993 C.E.-1202 C.E. that was uncovered four decades ago by archaeologists in a cave in the Judean Desert has been revived.
Nicknamed “Sheba” (according to Josephus, Queen Sheba brought the balsam root from Arabia to King Solomon as a gift), the tree grown from the seed, now 14 years old, is three meters (~10 feet) tall and has reached the point where most of its characteristics can be fully described.
It had already been identified through DNA sequencing as belonging to the genus Commiphora Jacq, a genus of myrrh. Myrrh is a gum-resin used in medicine, incense and perfume (frankincense being the best-known used in the latter two).