Genetic evidence links Jews to their ancient tribe

Jerusalem Post (originally) ^ | November 20, 2002 | Judy Siegel

[Asher]

Genetic evidence links Jews to their ancient tribe

By Judy Siegel

JERUSALEM (November 20) - Genetic evidence continues to provide additional proof to the claims that the Jewish people are descended from a common ancient Israelite father: Despite being separated for over 1,000 years, Sephardi Jews of North African origin are genetically indistinguishable from their brethren from Iraq, according to The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

They also proved that Sephardi Jews are very close genetically to the Jews of Kurdistan, and only slight differences exist between these two groups and Ashkenazi Jews from Europe.

These conclusions are reached in an article published recently in the American Journal of Human Genetics and written by Prof. Ariella Oppenheim of the Hebrew University (HU) and Hadassah-University Hospital in Ein Kerem.

Others involved are German doctoral student Almut Nebel, Dr. Marina Faerman of HU, Dr. Dvora Filon of Hadassah-University Hospital, and other colleagues from Germany and India.

The researchers conducted blood tests of Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Kurdish Jews and examined their Y chromosomes, which are carried only by males. They then compared them with those of various Arab groups - Palestinians, Beduins, Jordanians, Syrians and Lebanese - as well as to non-Arab populations from Transcaucasia - Turks, Armenians and Moslem Kurds.

The study is based on 526 Y chromosomes typed by the Israeli team and additional data on 1,321 individuals from 12 populations. The typing of the Jewish groups was performed at the National Genome Center at HU's Silberman Institute of Life Sciences.

The Fertile Crescent of the Middle East was one of the few centers in which the transition from hunting-gathering to permanent settlement and agriculture took place. Genetic studies suggest that migrating Neolithic farmers dispersed their technological innovations and domesticated animals from the Middle East towards Europe, North Africa and Southwest Asia.

Studies of Y chromosomes have become powerful tools for the investigation of the genetic history of males, since these chromosomes are transmitted from fathers to sons.

Surprisingly, the study shows a closer genetic affinity by Jews to the non-Jewish, non-Arab populations in the northern part of the Middle East than to Arabs. These findings are consistent with known cultural links that existed among populations in the Fertile Crescent in early history, and indicate that the Jews are direct descendants of the early Middle Eastern core populations, which later divided into distinct ethnic groups speaking different languages.

Previous investigations by the HU researchers suggested a common origin for Jewish and non-Jewish populations living in the Middle East. The current study refines and delineates that connection.

It is believed that the majority of today's Jews - not including converts and non-Jews with whom Jews intermarried - descended from the ancient Israelis that lived in the historic Land of Israel until the destruction of the Second Temple and their dispersal into the Diaspora.

The researchers say that a genetic analysis of the chromosomes of Jews from various countries show that there was practically no genetic intermixing between them and the host populations among which they were scattered during their dispersion - whether in Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal or North Africa.

A particularly intriguing case illustrating this is that of the Kurdish Jews, said to be the descendants of the Ten Tribes of Israel who were exiled in 723 BCE. to the area known today as Kurdistan, located in Northern Iraq, Iran and Eastern Turkey. They continued to live there as a separate entity until their immigration to Israel in the 1950s. The Kurdish Jews of today show a much greater affinity to their fellow Jews elsewhere than to the Kurdish Moslems.

(Source: The Jerusalem Post Newspaper)

[Destro]

Or is it that Jews are really Hebrews after all? Or does Jew mean from the tribe of Judah?

[Destro]

ZERO!

[Quix]

Yuk.

We human critters sure know how to screw things up!

What a bunch of male bovine pies.

[Quix]

Not sure what context you are putting your comment in.

I believe and it appears the evidence confirms, MOST Jewish (by religion and cultural practices) groups wherever in the world have LARGELY NOT intermarried THAT much and their genes ARE relatively uncontaminated--quite surprisingly to most secular researchers.

[Eva]

I don't think that it is irrelevant at all. I have a friend whose daughter is going into kidney failure due to a hereditary condition that is found only in certain types of Jews from Germany, Africa and Japan. It turns out that the paternal grandmother who emigrated from Germany must have been Jewish, but raised Catholic. One of the grandchildren also has the condition which is related to salt regulation in the body. I am very interested in Jewish heredity for this reason.

[Just mythoughts]

Unless and until Jacob's DNA is rightfully identified, there is no way for anyone to legally claim who anyone came whom. However, the Word, their footsteps and history give many clues.

So will we next be told that Jacob's body has been found? What proof would be required that it is in fact the body of Jacob, no prophecy Written that this would happen.

I have seen no proof who the Kurdish Jews are. However, from recorded history and the Written Word they are not from the 10 Tribes.

When one reads what was promised to each of the tribes and takes a look at history and evidence of today, one would find that what is purported to be facts in this article is nothing more than conjecture.

This is a limited study to prove what is wanted to be proven. One must have a base and thus far Jacob's DNA, would be required to say one is from Judah, or from any of the other 11 tribes to legally call oneself of that tribe.

Abraham had many children, but it was through Isaac and Jacob that the 12 tribes came from.

Where did Judah and Benjamin (Benjamin the tribe from which Paul came from) end up? Our Heavenly Father scattered his children, He never lost them, but as part of their punishment they lost who they were.

Do you know who modern day Esau is? He sold his birthright and then lost the blessing, do you think that family has ever forgotten that? Look around the world today and note which people do what, compare it to what was Written would be.

Paul tells us I Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come.

[twigs]

I thought the Cohen studies had already kind of decisively nailed down this unsurprising fact.

I think it nailed that down for the Cohen group--or is it Kohane? I'm not sure that the results were generalized for all Jews as this article seems to be doing. Interesting stuff.

[Destro]

ARE relatively uncontaminated..as if mixing them would contaminate them? Poor choice of words.

[dennisw]

Hav a nagila. Have a beer.

[Asher]

"certain types of Jews from Germany, Africa and Japan."

Germany, of course, but the great majority of African Jews, and we're talking mainly South Africa, were mostly immigrants from Eastern and Central Europe, with a particular emphasis on Lithuania. There are not and never has been a Jewish community in Japan, not one worthy of the name anyhow. This makes a very interesting comparison with China with its ancient Jewish community. See links below:

The Jews of China

http://www.kashrus.org/asian/china.html

http://www.haruth.com/JewsChina.html

THE JEWS OF JAPAN

http://www.kashrus.org/asian/japan.html

[Just mythoughts]

No was not claiming Armstrong was right, he might have had a glimmer of truth, but that very truth got in his way.

The Word is what is right. Man somehow likes to make it about himself.

Promises were given to Abraham. That is Written. The promises followed through Isaac and Jacob and the 12 tribes.

The Old Testment Prophets tells what happend to the 10 tribes, the House of Israel, but as their punishment they were to loose who they were. However, Christ himself set the path for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear as to where the "lost sheep" were.

In Matthew 10:5 Christ says "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Smaritans enter ye not:

v.6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

This being the commandment of Christ, obviously He knew where the lost sheep were.

Where did the apostles go?

[Just mythoughts]

Christ own words to his apostles:

Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

6. But go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Christ gave a commandment, so where did the apostles go?

[Just mythoughts]

correction "from whom"

[mdmathis6]

Sounds like this genetic research would ultimately prove or disprove the Anglo Isrealism "surrealism". Who ever has these genes in the world, why then you are a true descendent of Abraham thru Isaac and Jacob. What a real night mare would ensue if some Hitleresque regime could test the genetic structure of its population for the "undesirable" Jewish trait. If I were Jewish genetic researchers, I would stop this research post-haste and leave it up to God to know "where the real Jews are". Some nefarious leader is going to get the wrong idea as to how to use this info!

[Asher]

"What a real night mare would ensue if some Hitleresque regime could test the genetic structure of its population for the "undesirable" Jewish trait"

Nah, there has been so much intermarriage that they'd be frightened what they'd discover.

[fishtank]

Which group do you belong to, if any, that teaches BritishIsraelism?

Thanks.

[Sabertooth]

I asked for linguistic or genetic evidence, not your spin on a single line of Scripture. Do you have any?

[DensaMensa]

}the Kurdish Jews, said to be the descendants of the Ten Tribes of Israel who were exiled in 723 BCE.

These agenda driven "scientific gene studies" pop up every several years. Their single unifying characteristic is the lack of science (some insist outright fraud) which permeates them, and the zeal of their sponsors.

The quote above shows the authors inherent bias. Everyone know that Jews did not descent from the Ten (Lost) Tribes of Israel. The rest of the article is also breathless fiction.

[fishtank]

The 12 tribes were represented at Pentecost, plus if you would read the articles I cited, you'll see that the identity of the 12 tribes was NOT LOST by the time of the New Testament.

British Israelism is a cultic doctrine.

[fishtank]

No joke.

Zechariah teaches that the man or perdition will kill two thirds of Israel, and I have no doubt that the teaching of British Israelism will partially instigate that future Holocaust.