Date palm

Tamar (תמר) — the date palm — is one of the seven species of the Land of Israel and one of the most ancient and revered trees in the Middle East. The Psalmist declares 'The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree' (Psalm 92:13), and the lulav (palm branch) is one of the four species waved on Sukkot. The date palm was so associated with ancient Judea that it appeared on Roman coins minted after the destruction of the Temple, bearing the inscription 'Judaea Capta' with a weeping woman beneath a palm tree. Centuries later, Israel chose the date palm for its own currency, reclaiming the symbol. Tamar is also a significant biblical name — Tamar appears as the daughter-in-law of Judah (Genesis 38), the daughter of King David (2 Samuel 13), and a city near the Dead Sea. The name remains one of the most popular girls' names in Israel today, evoking beauty, strength, and uprightness. In the modern Dead Sea and Arava regions, date palm agriculture has been revived on a massive scale. Israeli scientists even successfully germinated a 2,000-year-old date seed found at Masada — nicknamed 'Methuselah' — reconnecting modern Israel with the exact date palms described in ancient texts. Israeli Medjool dates are now exported worldwide, continuing a tradition that stretches back to biblical times.