BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

DNA Suggests Early Jewish Links with Africa

Bible and archaeology news

A DNA study that compared the genetic makeup of Jewish populations from around the world with African populations has found that modern Jews can attribute about 3 to 5 percent of their ancestry to sub-Saharan Africans. Researchers from the Harvard Medical School estimate that the exchange of genes occurred approximately 72 generations ago (or about 2,000 years). Lawrence Schiffman, professor of Hebrew and Judaic studies at Yeshiva University, believes the intermixing may have occurred during the Hellenistic period (c. 320–30 B.C.E.), when Jewish communities were resident in many North African coastal cities, or during the First Temple period (c. 950–600 B.C.E.), when the Israelite kings, including Solomon, had trade relationships with Africa.

DNA Suggests Early Jewish Links with Africa

A DNA study that compared the genetic makeup of Jewish populations from around the world with African populations has found that modern Jews can attribute about 3 to 5 percent of their ancestry to sub-Saharan Africans.


A recent study on mitochondrial DNA revealed that the female line of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry closely resembles that of Southern and Western Europe, rather than the ancient Near East, as many scholars proposed in the past. Read more.


3 Responses

  1. Indigenous Knowledge says:

    OK they need to stop trying to justify their presence in the state of Israel when clearly Solomon describes himself as being BLACK, as were the majority of biblical kings, and of course they have markers in their DNA that link them to Africa as do all human beings, so good bye with this crap, and I’m black but I have love for everyone but I hate lies.

    1. Dave B. says:

      Considering the entire human race, except for some rare finds in Indonesia, our remote ancestors all came out of Africa. Those who left Africa had to pass through the Levantine in their dispersion across the globe. Personally, I think the true Garden of Eden refers to East Africa. We can safely assume that Adam and Eve were the true first people of color.

  2. Gary Harper says:

    An explanation for Bathsheba, and Solomon’s prominence in the Bible?

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3 Responses

  1. Indigenous Knowledge says:

    OK they need to stop trying to justify their presence in the state of Israel when clearly Solomon describes himself as being BLACK, as were the majority of biblical kings, and of course they have markers in their DNA that link them to Africa as do all human beings, so good bye with this crap, and I’m black but I have love for everyone but I hate lies.

    1. Dave B. says:

      Considering the entire human race, except for some rare finds in Indonesia, our remote ancestors all came out of Africa. Those who left Africa had to pass through the Levantine in their dispersion across the globe. Personally, I think the true Garden of Eden refers to East Africa. We can safely assume that Adam and Eve were the true first people of color.

  2. Gary Harper says:

    An explanation for Bathsheba, and Solomon’s prominence in the Bible?

Write a Reply or Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


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