Establishing a Seed Bank and Working Collection of Rare Biblical and Medicinal Plants.

The medicinal plants of the Bible, most notably perennial plants and trees, are especially interesting today as many modern medicines, overwhelmed by resistant and resurgent disease organisms, have begun to fail. New templates for the medicines of tomorrow and new molecules to fight disease must be discovered and investigated immediately.

Judean wormwood (Artemisia judaica), for example, mentioned many times in the Bible as being bitter, contains over one hundred disease fighting compounds including anti-malarials.

Fragrant achillea (Achillea fragrantissima), a small straggling bush that grows by roadsides, is a powerful anti-infective that could replace failing antibiotics.

The white sage of the high Negev (Artemisia sieberi) may be the source of the next treatment for diabetes.

Among the very rare tree species that will be useful for medicinal purposes are Boswellia (Frankincense), Commiphora opobasalm (Balm of Gilead ), Ficus pseudosycamorus (Sycamore-like fig), and Myrrh (Commiphora abyssinica all of which are proven anti-inflmmatories

These trees have become very rare in Israel and should be protected and replanted in a safe area. In all, twenty-four species of Biblical plants and trees from Israel have become scarce and are in the need of collection, propagation, protection, and research into their possible uses.

Also in need of protection and renewal are the 350 medicinal species of plants of the former Rare Trees Trust now taken over by the Rare Trees Association. These plants are native to Israel. Trees, bushes, annual and perennial herbs that all have demonstrated zones of inhibition in testing, strong anti-microbial activity and anti-cancer properties.