The Seeds of Truth

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Truth crushed to the ground is truth still, and like a seed will rise again.
—President Jefferson Davis, C.S.A

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For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout forth again, and the tender branch thereof will not cease. —Job14:7, KJV

​Author's note: A version of this editorial was first published in the November/December 2025 edition of the Confederate Veteran Magazine. 


For millennia, the date palm was a staple crop in Judea. (1) It served not only as food, but also medicine, shelter, and shade (it was even rumoured to be an aphrodisiac!). These massive palms, some growing to over 80 feet in height, were cultivated from the Jordan River valley, from the Sea of Galilee in the north, to the Dead Sea in the south. It was one of the main economic drivers of the region, highly prised and valuable, making it a target of the Romans in their invasion and occupation of the region. In 70 AD, when they had secured their dominance over Judea and the surrounding regions, the date tree was purposefully destroyed by the invaders to cripple the Jewish economy. By the year 500 AD the once thriving crop was almost completely decimated. Following the Roman conquest and into the Byzantine and Arab period (4th through the 14th century AD), the remnants of the great palm continued to diminish. Some trees remained here, there, and yonder, but were determined by the experts to have become completely extinct by the 19th century. The once great agricultural staple and major export crop that once dominated the region was gone—crushed to the ground, as it were, never to return; indeed, a very real lost cause.


But was it really lost? There was no reason to think otherwise at the time.


Every indicator pointed to the complete extinction of the once great palm, but then something unexpected happened. In fact, several unexpected things happened, which forever changed the seemingly tragic story of the lost Judean Date Palm.


Our story picks up at Masada—the mountain-top fortress where the final confrontation between Jewish “rebels” and the Roman empire transpired. Archaeologist Yigael Yadin, while excavating the Masada ruins in 1963 came across a cache of seeds in a clay jar that had laid dormant and undisturbed for almost 2000 years. Among the seeds were those of the Judean Date Palm. These seeds eventually made their way to a drawer at Bar-llan University in Tel Aviv where they sat untouched for another 40+ years until botanist Elaine Solowey had a crazy idea. She’d plant one and see what, if anything, would happen, especially given the age of these recovered seeds. Then it happened. After eight weeks in the soil, a small shoot sprang forth from the seed and a sapling of the date palm—a sight that had not been seen, or even thought possible to see for centuries appeared; yet there it was, a plant long lost, now found. Despite all odds and expectations, the plant was back from the “dead.”


Seeds are a potent symbol and even used by our Lord on at least two occasions—the parable of the sower and faith the size of a mustard seed. While we are not directly involved as an organisation in the spread of the gospel, I do not think it a bad thing to follow the example of the Master when seeking to fulfil our mission: to vindicate the cause of our Confederate fathers and see that the true history of the South is presented to future generations.


The Jew(s) that gathered the seeds at Masada never intended for them to be discovered by the archaeologist, they were to be planted. This intention never came to fruition because the Romans eventually breached the fortress and that remnant of the Jewish people—those resisting the occupier—decided to commit mass suicide rather than become Roman slaves. Although apparently lost, the seeds were good and remained good even after a very long period of time. Like truth, those seeds held the power to regenerate the long-lost Date Palm. The cause of self-government and the rule of law, as in the case of our Fathers, may at times appear lost and the truth inaccessible or at least so greatly suppressed by those who claim authority over us that it might as well be, yet sooner or later, when the conditions are right, like the “extinct” Judean Palm Tree, will sprout forth again.


What lessons can we derive from this most interesting account of lost and found? Like the Jewish rebels we need seed to sow. This might manifest itself in many ways. It may include learning and being able to effectively recount and (if necessary) defend our people’s history and counter any slanderous or false accusations levelled against them. You never know who might be listening or if someone other than the confronted will have the seeds of truth planted in their minds. For this reason, we should be well versed and capable of expressing ourselves eloquently, calmly, and with honour. We are representing a people whose name has been continuously trashed for over 160 years and we should be good representatives and not hot heads. It may include camp activities that take place in the public sphere, such as a booth at a gun show or flea market or participation in a parade or other community events. It may include writing letters or sending out email communications to influencers in the community or those in positions of authority. It may posting or reposting on social media so that our message is spread far and wide—giving those seeds of truth a much bigger field where they have a better chance to find fertile minds where they can take hold—maybe to sprout quickly, maybe to lay dormant for a season. The more seeds we sow, the closer we will come to changing the hearts and minds of the Southern remanent and others who value truth over empire and slavery.


The outcome is never up to us. It never is. Our duty lies in sowing as many seeds as we can as far and wide as we can. Nothing more, nothing less.


We can expect no harvest if we are unwilling to do the work. We have no idea when one finds a fertile spot at a fortuitous time. It’s a miracle that so many events aligned to resurrect the Judean Date Palm. We all know that our history and inheritance is and has been sought out and marked for destruction by our friend, the enemy, but there is always hope that a seed somewhere at sometime will make the difference between revival and extinction.


We have everything to gain and nothing to lose by our efforts. Let us make sure we cover the field of battle with the seeds of truth and trust that the invisible hand that rules the universe will help us find good soil and prepare us for the coming harvest. With His help and our commitment to the cause, all things are possible—even the impossible. Just ask the people that wrote off the “long extinct” Judean Date Palm.
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(1) The information regarding the Judean Date Palm used in this article was extracted from Joanna Gillian’s “The Judean Palm Tree: Extinct Tree Resurrected from Ancient Seeds,” ancient-origins.net, 17 September 2020.