[kabumpo]

All nonsense. The Jews expelled from Spain were Sephardim, the Ashkenasi lived in Russia and Eastern Europe.

[SJackson]

An inconvenient truth which shouldn’t interfere with an entertaining thread. More likely an Ashkenasi hooked a ride with the Vikings.

[GJones2]

> “The Jews expelled from Spain were Sephardim, the Ashkenasi lived in Russia and Eastern Europe.”

Yes, I was puzzled that they’d mention the Ashkenazi mutation when the Spanish Jews were Sephardic. Also the article says “likely among the hundreds of thousands of Jews expelled by Spain in 1492”, but if they were “expelled”, they were neither converts nor secret Jews pretending to be Christians, neither of which were expelled.

Certainly some secret Jews might have come to the Spanish colonies, but the article says “such so-called ‘secret Jews,’ or ‘Anusim’ in Hebrew”, seemingly assuming that persons with that genetic marker must be part of that group. There’s no way, though, that genetics can distinguish between descendants of secret Jews and descendants of actual converts.

[ladyL]

You are probably correct. In 721 BC the ten northern tribes of Israel were dispersed to all the nations as part of their judgment for breaking covenant with Yahweh. Those Israelites were scattered to the New World via the Phoenician trade. These Israelites/Phoenicians mixed with the natives and that is where the genetic line comes from. Check out the Cherokee lineage if you want an interesting story. Oh, P.S. Yahshua said He came only “for the lost sheep of the House of Israel.” I am so glad I know who I am.

[Jewbacca]

“The Jews expelled from Spain were Sephardim, the Ashkenasi lived in Russia and Eastern Europe.”

There is little or no genetic difference between the three major groups in the Diaspora, Ashkenazim, Mizrahim, or Sephardim.

Indeed, the cohenim of all the groups share a common male ancestor.