Studies Show Jews’ Genetic Similarity

Many, many thanks for your post and references. I knew nothing about that person except that he authored the “Jews of Khazaria.” Words fail me now...

It is amazing how many people jumped on that book as a justification for their treatment of Jews. It gave them cover - they like to say, “Well, you are not really Jews anyway, you’re Khazars. I like ‘real Jews’ but they don’t live in Israel.”

The shocking part to me has always been the total contempt given to those who convert to Judaism. Christianity and Islam both seek converts and both have a history of forced conversions. Islam is still actively seeking to take over the world and force Islam upon us all.

Yet both (many) Christians and Muslims treat Jewishness as if it is a bloodline matter only. You see, if it becomes widely known that Judaism accepts converts - then many of their “Illuminati by Satanic Bloodline” conspiracy accusations fall apart.

If it is proved that either the Ashkenazi bloodlines are in fact “Jewish” OR the bloodlines don’t matter at all - then they are out of business. Then perhaps people will start asking who is REALLY doing these things.

Hmmmm - the “evil” Rothschilds who started that terrible “Star of David” stuff - I’m sorry, Magen Davids have been found that were more than a thousand years old. Lie broken.

Plot to start the Illuminati - I’m sorry, I haven’t been able to find any evidence whatsoever that Adam Weishaupt ever met any of the Rothschilds.

The Rothchilds are “Devil worshippers” - still no evidence. There is some evidence that after all these accusations were floating around that some of them MAY have become involved in occult activities - but that came after, not before the “stories”.

There is a lot of evidence that Freemasonry pre-dated the Rothschilds by hundreds if not thousands of years.

So many accusations have been made over time, seemingly fixated on Jewish wealth. It has to do with a fundamental difference of belief between Christians and Jews. There is a Christian belief that Satan has been given authority over the physical world. In Judaism, there is the belief that nothing exists that G-d did not create. That G-d is ruler of everything. That there is no reason to fear a creation more than you would fear the Creator. That all the gold and silver in the world belongs to G-d and He gives it to who He wants to have it.

Many people ask the question, “How can so many evil people become wealthy? It must be because they sold their soul to the Devil.” No. G-d put many rules in place, rules that apply no matter who you are. If you follow those rules, you will be rewarded, period. Rain falls on the wicked and the righteous alike, and all of the rules that G-d made apply to both the righteous and the wicked alike.

This is no secret, if you want to be rich - it tells you in the Torah - pay your tithes. It is just that simple. It aggravates me to no end that George Soros is a billionaire, but he pays his tithes - so he is rich.

The greatest occult secret in the history of mankind is this - “There is no secret.” G-d rules this world, we may not always understand the purpose behind His actions and that is okay.

People like to perform secret rituals, use special words, wear special clothes, do all kinds of things that make them feel like they have a measure of control over the future - but that is only an illusion. There are things that are done because they are required by G-d, but anything else - is a waste of time. Jews don’t do the things we do because we are afraid of hell, we don’t believe in hell (most of us anyway). We do the things we do for one reason and one reason only: because G-d told us to do them.

This is the key behind the greatest disservice that the Roman Paul ever did to Christians - and I’ll let you ask yourself if you had to follow the teachings of Jesus OR the teachings of Paul - what would you do? And don’t say that they are the same - they are not.

I'll ponder on the many great insights in your post.

Your observation on how the notion of Jewishness is interpreted (and often deliberately manipulated) reminded me of Marwin Lowenthal's "Jews of Germany: A Story of Sixteen Centuries," a remarkable book in so many respects. It has explained to me and put in perspective this and great many other related questions. I think you would enjoy reading it. (I bought it blindly because it was published in 1936, hence a rare history not colored by the Holocaust. It has exceeded my expectations: thorough and full of deep insights, it is not dry at all and reads easily despite the rather sad subject matter. I think you would enjoy it.)

Best regards, TQ

Thanks, I’ll see if I can find a copy.

Genetic testing raises an age-old question -- are the Jews a people, or a religion? -- The first study, by researchers at New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, found that Jews across the globe share distinct genetic traits that are different from other groups and that trace back to the ancient Middle East. Researchers say the study, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, puts to rest age-old questions about whether Jews are a group of unrelated people who share a religious ideology or a distinct ethnicity with common ancestry. "The debate is over," said Dr. Edward R. Burns, one of the lead authors of the study. "The Jewish people are one people with a common genetic thread that evolved in the second or third century BC."
Events of Jewish Diaspora Seen in the Genomes
("large-scale southern European conversion")
Genes set Jews apart, study finds
(European Jews Descended from Ancient Roman Converts?)
Study finds genetic links among Jewish people
Penn Researchers Add Genetic Data to Archaeology and Linguistics
to Get Picture of African Population History
Articles Highlight Different Views on Genetic Basis of Race

Conversely, these studies also reveal the Mormon claim that the Indians were a lost Hebrew tribe are greatly unfounded.

"Conversely, these studies also reveal the Mormon claim that the Indians were a lost Hebrew tribe are greatly unfounded."

The Mormons believe the American Indians were a lost Hebrew Tribe? I had no idea. I know so little about the Mormon faith, I probably should be embarrassed by it.

Abraham's Children in the Genome Era: Major Jewish Diaspora Populations Comprise Distinct Genetic Clusters with Shared Middle Eastern Ancestry

The genome-wide structure of the Jewish people

Genetic testing raises an age-old question — are the Jews a people, or a religion? thread of NY Post article

Koestler's Thirteenth Tribe is a political piece. Hungarian Jews took up the Khazars are Jews line for political ends. The Hungarians (lit On-Ogur, 10 tribes) were a tribal confederation led by the Magyars. Among these tribes were 3 tribes of the Kavars/Kabars, a group of Khazars. This occured during a Khazar civil war and the migration occured when the Pechenegs kicked them out of their homeland. Contrary to Koestler's interpretation, this suggests that the Kabars were not Jewish. One of the theories for the civil war was an end to the Dual Monarchy, where royal (and semi-divine) Ashina Khagan (Emperor) lost power, to (persumably) the Jewish Khagan Bek (first governor). Some of the other Turkic tribes, whose loyalty was to the Ashina clan would not have looked upon this well. The Pechinegs were one of these.

At any rate, most Khazars never converted to Judaism as the soruce material available to Koestler showed. The Arab accounts were quite clear. Genetics has now shown this correct. Koestlers ode to 1930's Hungarian Jewish assimilation and communist anti-Zionism is fiction. I do, however, suggest "Darkness at Noon".

TopQuark confused me with Arthur Koestler and confused my book “The Jews of Khazaria” with “The Thirteenth Tribe”.

Most of the Arab and Socialist propagandists cite Koestler, not me. The Arabs were already doing this propaganda way back in 1947, too, so even Koestler did not start it as Koestler’s book came out in 1976.

I disproved some of Koestler’s contentions regarding the Khazars in the second edition of my book, published by Rowman and Littlefield in 2006. I showed that the majority of Jewish ancestry comes from outside of Khazaria, and largely from the Middle East. In the first edition (1999) I speculated that no more than 25% of Ashkenazic ancestry comes from the Khazars. It now seems to be smaller than that, probably between 1% and 13% on the paternal side depending on which East European and Central Asian genetic haplogroup(s) may or may not come from the Khazars - no more than 19% at any rate.

Kevin Brook

"TopQuark confused... my book “The Jews of Khazaria” with “The Thirteenth Tribe”.

You are absolutely correct: all the while participating on this thread, I was thinking of "The Thirteenth Tribe” but have written, incorrectly, “The Jews of Khazaria.”

Please accept my apology. Thank you for your correction.

P.S. I do own a copy of your book. :)