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Jewish DNA or Jewish Ancestry? What is the difference?
Many people are asking these types of questions, especially today with the Hebraic Roots and Two-House movement exploding throughout many western and even eastern countries. One of the best answers I've come across was by Bennett Greenspan himself, the President & CEO of FamilyTreeDNA. Quoted below:
People often ask, "Can DNA tell me if I am Jewish?" The answer, of course, is "no," since DNA shows genetic history while religion refers to one's current belief system. If, however, the question is reframed as, "Can DNA reveal if someone has Jewish Ancestry?" then the answer is "yes"-under some circumstances, each involving the analysis outlined below.
To demonstrate Jewish ancestry, two elements are necessary:
1. A robust comparative database of known Jews complete enough to be considered representative of all members of that Jewish group, that is, Ashkenazi, Sephardi or Mizrachi
2. A test taker whose DNA matches a lineage that is only or nearly completely Jewish.
A large number of individuals with no knowledge of Jewish ancestry (though perhaps a hint like such as a "Jewish-sounding name" or "being Hispanic" have found matches because the FamilyTreeDNA database of Ashkenazic Jews (and, to a lesser extent, Sephardic Jews) is so complete.
People often ask, "Can DNA tell me if I am Jewish?" The answer, of course, is "no," since DNA shows genetic history while religion refers to one's current belief system. If, however, the question is reframed as, "Can DNA reveal if someone has Jewish Ancestry?" then the answer is "yes"-under some circumstances, each involving the analysis outlined below.
To demonstrate Jewish ancestry, two elements are necessary:
1. A robust comparative database of known Jews complete enough to be considered representative of all members of that Jewish group, that is, Ashkenazi, Sephardi or Mizrachi
2. A test taker whose DNA matches a lineage that is only or nearly completely Jewish.
A large number of individuals with no knowledge of Jewish ancestry (though perhaps a hint like such as a "Jewish-sounding name" or "being Hispanic" have found matches because the FamilyTreeDNA database of Ashkenazic Jews (and, to a lesser extent, Sephardic Jews) is so complete.
Family Tree DNA - DNA Testing For Genealogy
by Bennett Greenspan
How do I get tested for Jewish Ancestry?
Go to the following link to be directed to the main Jewish Ancestry page at FamilyTreeDNA: Discover Your Jewish Ancestry.
After you order your test kit, you'll receive it within a few days. It will include a few cheek scrapper swabs and detailed but simple instructions on how to complete the test and return to the FamilyTreeDNA lab. If you're like me, not having to give blood is a major PLUS!
Once the kit is checked in at their lab, results typically take 3-5 weeks. Once the results are in you will receive an email with online access to your results page.
After you order your test kit, you'll receive it within a few days. It will include a few cheek scrapper swabs and detailed but simple instructions on how to complete the test and return to the FamilyTreeDNA lab. If you're like me, not having to give blood is a major PLUS!
Once the kit is checked in at their lab, results typically take 3-5 weeks. Once the results are in you will receive an email with online access to your results page.
Jewish DNA Haplogroups and the 10-Israel Question
The Y-Chromosome Haplogroups most common in the male Jewish population are subgroups of J (including the Cohen Modal Haplotype), E, I, Q, and R, but there are smaller representations as well, such as F, G, K and others. See the paper: Contrasting patterns of Y chromosome variation in Ashkenazi Jewish and host non-Jewish European populations
Many attribute the myriad of apparently non-Hebrew or non-Semitic haplogroups inside the Jewish male population as an indicator of historical non-Jewish conversions into Judaism, such as that found in the Khazar period, but there are others who simply attribute at least some of the presence of these groups as an indicator of 10-Israel populations re-merging with the Jewish population at various times, haplogroups R and Q being the most obvious because of the Central Asian migration paths. See article: Israelite and Noahic Haplogroup Hypotheses.
Also obscuring and confusing the interpretation of the data is the use of various dating methods being employed, such as Radiocarbon dating of pertinent archaeological sites. See the article: Are Radiometric Dating Methods Reliable?.
Many attribute the myriad of apparently non-Hebrew or non-Semitic haplogroups inside the Jewish male population as an indicator of historical non-Jewish conversions into Judaism, such as that found in the Khazar period, but there are others who simply attribute at least some of the presence of these groups as an indicator of 10-Israel populations re-merging with the Jewish population at various times, haplogroups R and Q being the most obvious because of the Central Asian migration paths. See article: Israelite and Noahic Haplogroup Hypotheses.
Also obscuring and confusing the interpretation of the data is the use of various dating methods being employed, such as Radiocarbon dating of pertinent archaeological sites. See the article: Are Radiometric Dating Methods Reliable?.
Books on DNA and Jewish Ancestry
Informational
- The Lost 10 Tribes of Israel
- Great history and description of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel with a non-Minimalist perspective in regards to Genesis 48:19.
by joefish
My greatest passion is studying End Time prophecy and teaching Torah and the 2House (10-Israel) Reality to those who are generally unaware of their He... (more)
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