Introduction: The Date Palm Legacy

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The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the oldest cultivated fruit crops. It may have originated as a species from a primitive Phoenix ancestor and shows genes shared with or derived from other Phoenix species. Most probably, the date palm originated in the arid subtropical deserts of the Middle East near current Iraq and Iran. It was probably first domesticated and cultivated in that area approximately 5000 years bp, its cultivation later expanding into Egypt around 3500 years bp (before present era), and into India, western North Africa, and Southern Europe by 2000 years bp. The date palm may be considered “intermediately” domesticated as it maintains some characteristics of undomesticated crops but also has some characteristics of intermediate and fully domesticated crops. In addition to archeological evidence of its cultivation, various artistic representations of date cultivation show both cultivation and simple forms of most cultural practices used in modern date production, particularly artificial pollination. The latter led to an association of the date palm with ancient fertility goddesses, and it was later integrated into the three great monotheistic religions. Date cultivation later expanded outside the traditional area of date cultivation and is today cultivated in over 40 countries around the world, although the ancient center of date culture remains the most import region producing dates.