Hidden high in the White Mountains of eastern California, a gnarled, weathered tree quietly holds a staggering secret — it's ...

He refused to say which tree that was, and in 2013 he took that secret to his grave. As with that mystery tree, the exact location of Methuselah is kept secret by researchers, for good reason.

The 4,853-year-old Great Basin bristlecone pine tree known as Methuselah grows in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of Inyo County. (Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu Agency) ...

The world's oldest living tree is "Methuselah." The tree's exact age is unknown, but experts believe it has been alive for close to 5,000 years, the U.S. Forest Service told USA TODAY in an email.

This Great Basin bristlecone pine tree (Pinus longaeva), is named after Methuselah from the Hebrew Bible, who is said to have lived for 969 years. However, California's tree is older.

Scientists have discovered a new contender for the oldest tree in the world, potentially bumping California’s ancient bristlecone pine tree from the top spot. The state’s “Methuselah ...