Ashkenazi Jews have major European heritage

[Hoffstra]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/09/s...ean-women-study-finds.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

Turns out the four women who started the Ashkenazi Jewish mitochondrial DNA, lived in Europe 15,000 years ago.

And 30% to 60% of Ashkenazi Jewish DNA is European, and the rest is Mediteranean.

So much for the silly idea that Ashkenazi Jews are 100% or even 80% Levantine.

I mean honestly, just look at hundreds of Askenazi Jews and they look more Euopean than Mediteranean.

Do we have Levantine genetics? Of course, no doubt. The studies prove it.

But we also have a good amount of European genes. We are a partially European people.

 

[MHunterB]

"we"???? That's amusing........

 

[Hoffstra]

"we"???? That's amusing........

what are your thoughts on this new data?

kinda puts to rest the silly idea that the Ashkenazi Jews are mostly Levantine genetics huh?

 

[MHunterB]

The silly thing that needs to be put to rest, Hoffy, is the idea that it's mainly the genetics which determine 'peoplehood'.

People need to read the entire article to put this new fact into perspective. One thing the genetic studies show is that there were large numbers of converts TO Judaism in the Roman Empire, including within Rome itself (based on estimates of production of the ancestor of 'Worcestershire' sauce, which is made from fermented seafood and was as popular with Romans as ketchup is with Americans......the factories accounting for about 10% of production had NO shells on the premises. Ergo, no shellfish in the sauce -therefore kosher.)

The mitochondrial (female) DNA analysis confirms that many of the maternal ancestresses of modern Ashkenazim were from outside of the levant, yes. Which is another interesting finding, as it means most wives of the first Jewish men to settle in Europe were converts as well......there are any number of speculations which one could make about that.

Unfortunately, I doubt there's much in the way of primary written sources for the period: after the Bar Kochba revolt there were numerous persecutions of Jews (and Christians) throughout the Empire. And of course with all the tumult of the 'Dark Ages', what few records that existed were often destroyed......