In 1492, Columbus was (indeed?) a Jew

[Harel13]

I'm sure at least some of you are aware of the ages-old debate on whether Christopher Columbus was a Jew.
Well, a decades-long study of his and his son (Hernando Colón)'s DNA has revealed that

"both in the Y chromosome (male) and in the mitochondrial DNA (transmitted by the mother) of Hernando there are traits compatible with Jewish origin."

https://www.reuters.com/science/columbus-was-sephardic-jew-western-europe-study-finds-2024-10-13/

Which apparently greatly ups the chances of both having been Jewish.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Well, a decades-long study of his and his son (Hernando Colón)'s DNA has revealed that ...

... maybe.

NBC News notes:

Several countries have argued over the origins and the final burial place of the divisive figure who led Spanish-funded expeditions from the 1490s onward, opening the way for the European conquest of the Americas.​

​

Many historians have questioned the traditional theory that Columbus came from Genoa, Italy. Other theories range from him being a Spanish Jew or a Greek, to Basque, Portuguese or British.​

and

“We have DNA from Christopher Columbus, very partial, but sufficient. We have DNA from Hernando Colón, his son,” Lorente said in the programme.​

​

“And both in the Y chromosome (male) and in the mitochondrial DNA (transmitted by the mother) of Hernando there are traits compatible with Jewish origin.”​

and

Research on Columbus’ nationality was complicated by a number of factors including the large amount of data. But “the outcome is almost absolutely reliable,” Lorente said.​

So "almost absolutely reliable" data that assures us that "in the mitochondrial DNA (transmitted by the mother) of Hernando there are traits compatible with Jewish origin.” And we learn this via a TV documentary. OK.

 

[Harel13]

... maybe.

NBC News notes:

Several countries have argued over the origins and the final burial place of the divisive figure who led Spanish-funded expeditions from the 1490s onward, opening the way for the European conquest of the Americas.​

​

Many historians have questioned the traditional theory that Columbus came from Genoa, Italy. Other theories range from him being a Spanish Jew or a Greek, to Basque, Portuguese or British.​

and

“We have DNA from Christopher Columbus, very partial, but sufficient. We have DNA from Hernando Colón, his son,” Lorente said in the programme.​

​

“And both in the Y chromosome (male) and in the mitochondrial DNA (transmitted by the mother) of Hernando there are traits compatible with Jewish origin.”​

and

Research on Columbus’ nationality was complicated by a number of factors including the large amount of data. But “the outcome is almost absolutely reliable,” Lorente said.​

So "almost absolutely reliable" data that assures us that "in the mitochondrial DNA (transmitted by the mother) of Hernando there are traits compatible with Jewish origin.” And we learn this via a TV documentary. OK.

To be honest I'm not sure what substance your post added to mine (including the thread title).

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

To be honest I'm not sure what substance your post added to mine (including the thread title).

The intent was to add a large dose of caution. I may have fallen short.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

I'm sure at least some of you are aware of the ages-old debate on whether Christopher Columbus was a Jew.
Well, a decades-long study of his and his son (Hernando Colón)'s DNA has revealed that

https://www.reuters.com/science/columbus-was-sephardic-jew-western-europe-study-finds-2024-10-13/

Which apparently greatly ups the chances of both having been Jewish.

I'm not sure what "traits compatible with Jewish origin" means. While there are certain alleles that indicate Ashkenazi heritage, Columbus (if he were Jewish) would have been Sephardi, not Ashkenazi. And while Jews worldwide do have middle eastern markers, this is general to many from the middle east, not just Jews. Do you know specifically what this study is referring to?

 

[Flankerl]

They just try to turn him into a Jew because he was the originator of all the death and destruction that befell the Americas from the Europeans as well as starting European slavery there.
They want to rid himself of him, so any hint at any positive, however so small, interaction with Jews by him is blown out of proportion.

Any way

 

[IndigoChild5559]

They just try to turn him into a Jew because he was the originator of all the death and destruction that befell the Americas from the Europeans as well as starting European slavery there.

Yeah, LOL, that is what I was thinking as well. The last thing in the world I want is for Columbus to turn out to be a fellow Jew. LOL

FWIW, I have my doubts about this study. I'm not a geneticist, so it's possible I'm way off base. But I have questions that so far no one has been able to answer.

It is true that among the Ashkenazim, there are indeed certain genetic markers, because this bunch of Jews are all descended from an extremely small group. But were Columbus to be a Jew, he would not have been Ashkenazi, he would have been Sephardi. I'm not aware of any genetic markers for the Sephardim.

It is also true that Jews all around the world share middle eastern genetic markers. But these are very general markers and not limited to Jews. For example, people of Arabic ancestry have the same markers.

So, exactly what is it that this study looked for and found?

They want to rid himself of him, so any hint at any positive, however so small, interaction with Jews by him is blown out of proportion.

We do know that the voyage to the New World contained Jews fleeing Spain after the Edict of Milan. The only question is whether Columbus was one of them.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I'm not aware of any genetic markers for the Sephardim.

See: Sephardic Jews leave gene legacy in Spain

And: Echos from Sepharad: signatures on the maternal gene pool of crypto-Jewish descendants

And: Study finds widespread traces of Sephardic genes in Latin America

I don't claim to understand all of the above. Like you, I'm not aware of any genetic markers for the Sephardim, but I suspect that this is more a reflection of my awareness.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

See: Sephardic Jews leave gene legacy in Spain

And: Echos from Sepharad: signatures on the maternal gene pool of crypto-Jewish descendants

And: Study finds widespread traces of Sephardic genes in Latin America

I don't claim to understand all of the above. Like you, I'm not aware of any genetic markers for the Sephardim, but I suspect that this is more a reflection of my awareness.

Thank you. I have saved this page and will review your links over the next few days.