'Methuselah Tree' estimated thousands of years old

By Catholic Online
12/27/2010
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Venerable growth estimated to be in excess of 4,000 years old

In the White Mountains of East California, a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, dubbed the "Methuselah Tree" is estimated to be about 4,800 years old. Named for the Biblical figure that lived for 969 years, the Methuselah Tree grows in the Methuselah Grove, which is in Inyo National Forest's "Forest of Ancients," where it is surrounded by trees of a like lineage.

The date of 2832 BCE makes Methuselah tree older even than the Egyptian Pyramids! The Prometheus tree, another bristlecone specimen estimated to be 4,844 years old was accidentally destroyed in 1964.

Facebook Delicous MySpace

Twitter Stumble Digg

More Destinations

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The exact location of the Methuselah tree is a tightly kept secret to protect it against vandalism.

Edmund Schulman and Tom Harlan first sampled the famous tree in 1957, declaring it to be about 4,789 years old. It is estimated that the tree germinated in 2832 BCE, making Methuselah the oldest known living tree and non-clonal organism in the entire world.

The date of 2832 BCE makes Methuselah older even than the Egyptian Pyramids! The Prometheus tree, another bristlecone specimen estimated to be 4,844 years old was accidentally destroyed in 1964.

Robert Mohlenbrock, a professor of botany at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, declared upon visiting the tree "that any organism that lived longer than the norm had to have optimal conditions going for it ... that would mean moderate temperatures, shelter from extreme weather, and plenty of moisture and nutrients."

Not so. Methuselah lives in a very inhospitable place for a tree. There are just patches of soil at the tree's extreme elevation and fierce winds blow.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Tree, age, California

NEWSLETTERS »

Rate This Article

Was this helpful to you? Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful at All

Would you be interested in more articles like this? Yes, I am Interested No, I am not Interested

Rate Article

1 - 1 of 1 Comments

Paul
2 years ago
BCE ???? On a Catholic site ?????
Pax et bonum .

Comments submitted must be civil, remain on-topic and not violate any laws including copyright. We reserve the right to delete any comments which are abusive, inappropriate or not constructive to the discussion.

Though we invite robust discussion, we reserve the right to not publish any comment which denigrates the human person, undermines marriage and the family, or advocates for positions which openly oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.

This is a supervised forum and the Editors of Catholic Online retain the right to direct it.

We also reserve the right to block any commenter for repeated violations. Your email address is required to post, but it will not be published on the site.

We ask that you NOT post your comment more than once. Catholic Online is growing and our ability to review all comments sometimes results in a delay in their publication.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

Send me important information from Catholic Online and it's partners. See Sample

Post Comment

More Travel News

More Rome, Vatican & Italy

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church.

Videos more

St Peter's Basilica, Vatican ...

Rome and Tiber River

The Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel

Photos more

Topics more

Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square is located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave within Rome. The open space which ...

The Coliseum
The Coliseum is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one ...

Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its ...

News more

Last Judgment in the tympanum at the Abbey of st. Foy bristles with hideous imagination of the fate to befall sinners in the afterlife.

Abbey of St. Foy is longtime medieval pilgrimage route

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 1/17/2013

The Abbey of St. Foy, nestled in the hills of southern France is a beautiful Romanesque church perfectly aligned with its surroundings. The ...

Abbey founder Bernard of Clairvaux believed that light should enter the church. He shared the Eastern Christian of Byzantine emphasis that the God is the source of all light and that one way to experience God's presence is through light.

Austere Abbaye de Fonteny filled only with light

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 12/5/2012

Found in the Burgundy Valley, the Abbaye de Fontenay is a well-restored 12th-century Cistercian monastery founded by St. Bernard of Clairvaux. The ...

Graham Hughes ended his epic four-year journey by crossing into Juba, the capital of South Sudan, which did not even exist when he set off from his hometown of Liverpool on New Year's Day 2009.

British man visits all of the world's 201 nations - without flying in a plane

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM) • Catholic Online • 11/27/2012

Thirty-three-year-old Graham Hughes of Liverpool wanted to travel with his feet firmly planted on the soil. To this end, the eccentric Briton can now ...