[masadaman]

"Junk study" is a bit harsh as it was a study to find markers for inherited disease traits. But to the extent the study results are used politically instead of for science then it is worse than junk.

Columbus, based on several biographies, was from Genoa. And an often used shorthand, Genevoese, referring to Jewish Italians is common, yet I believe that there isn't any evidence that he was Jewish. Will Durant in his "Story of Philosophy" speculated on this as well suggesting that 1492's Voyage to the New World was not a search for riches but for a refuge for the Jews as the date coincided with the beginning of the Inquisition in Spain. Would appreciate references for Columbus and DaVinci as well.

[drpix]

The most recent evidence published in two books ("Was Leonardo's Mother a Slave?" and "Leonardo's Family Tree," both edited by da Vinci scholars Agnese Sabato and Alessandro Vezzosi) concerning Da Vinci's mother is that 1) She was a slave (not a local peasant). 2) Most of the slaves in Florence at that time were from the Middle East and the Balkans. 3) The slaves from those areas also included Muslims.

Here's a LINK to one of many online articles based on those 2 books.

As for Jawabac's swipe against America - "residents of Iroquois territory" - the Iroquois nation was itself built on warfare against other tribes, enslavement of the conquered and occupation of their lands. Many other Native American tribes were wiped out by the Iroquois. They make a poor choice for poster children against the morality of colonial European Americans.

[drpix]

CORRECTION:

The slaves from those areas also included Muslims. = The slaves from those areas also included Muslims & Christians.

[Jewbacca]

Columbus is ambiguious

http://www.closetotorah.com/archives/1328

DaVinci is pretty much common knowledge that his mother (essentially a house maid) was the Jewish “girl friend” of his fahter.

http://www.closetotorah.com/archives/1328