Genetic Study Offers Clues to History of North Africa's Jews

Reuters ^ | 8/7/12 | Sharon Begley

[marshmallow]

(Reuters) - A new genetic analysis has reconstructed the history of North Africa's Jews, showing that these populations date to biblical-era Israel and are not largely the descendants of natives who converted to Judaism, scientists reported on Monday.

The study also shows that these Jews form two distinct groups, one of which is more closely related than the other to their European counterparts, reflecting historical migrations.

The findings are the latest in series of genetic studies, which began in the 1990s, indicating that the world's Jews share biological roots, not just cultural and religious ties. In many cases the analyses have confirmed what scholars had gleaned from archaeological finds and historical accounts.

"This work demonstrates a shared genetic history among the Jews of North Africa and strengthens the case for a biological basis for Jewishness," said medical geneticist Harry Ostrer of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, who led the study.

For the new analysis, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Ostrer and his colleagues examined the genomes of 509 Jews and 11 non-Jews from North Africa, which is home to the second-largest Jewish diaspora. Only the European diaspora, which includes American Jews, is larger.

The scientists found that the Jewish populations of North Africa became genetically distinct over time, with those of each country carrying their own DNA signatures. That suggests they mostly married within their own religious and cultural group, said Ostrer. "They lived in ghettos," he said, "so their mobility was quite restricted, and by marrying each other they became as closely related as first cousins once removed."

The analysis showed that all North African Jews are descended from forebears in the Middle East, supporting the hypothesis that biblical-era Israelites among Phoenician traders established colonies along the North African coast.

[jjotto]

Abraham’s Chromosomes
http://www.aish.com/ci/sam/48944786.html

Jewish Genes
http://www.aish.com/ci/sam/48937817.html

The Cohanim - DNA Connection
http://www.aish.com/ci/sam/48936742.html

[randita]

ping

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks randita. The Roots of Jewishness [8/9/2012] Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[cricket]

This genetic archeology is fascinating.

[Chainmail]

I had a big surprise when I had my DNA read - like many others with German last names, I was sure that my lineage was central European - but my haplotype came back as J2a1; in other words, middle eastern. As I told Jewish friend of mine, “ I went to bed last night a Kraut and woke up chosen”. Shalom, y’all!

[Wuli]

Two factors worked together to help create the modern outcome of the consistency of “Jewish genes” among modern Jews around the world.

The first was a dominant antipathy of Jewish religious leaders to conversion of non-Jews.

The influence of the first source may have become diminished over the past 2,012 years were it not for the second - the rejection of the Jew as “other”, under law and socially, which helped to segregate the Jew as much a possible. This was seldom relaxed in the Muslim world, with the exception of a few talented and exceptional Jews who were granted privileges, and it did not start to become relaxed in Europe until the age of Napoleon. By the late 1800s, the present genetic patterns had already become established.

[cricket]

like many others with German last names, I was sure that my lineage was central European - but my haplotype came back as J2a1; in other words, middle eastern. As I told Jewish friend of mine, “ I went to bed last night a Kraut and woke up chosen”. Shalom, y’all!

Wish I could go to bed; and wake up 'smarter'/lol. . .

[blam]

Millions Of Jews Traced To Four Women

80% of the Jewish immigrants to this country are the Ashkenazi Jews.

The book 'Bell Curve' claims that the Ashkenazi Jews have the highest IQ of any other group in the world.

[kabumpo]

I went to high school with soooo many really, really stupid ones. And the “smart” ones were from Communist families.