The origins of the Ashkenazi, genetics and demography

15

JULY

2012

Genetics

The author’s historical and demographic investigation into the controversy about the origin of Ashkenazi Jewry shows that crucial information concerning Khazars is lacking. Therefore, it is not possible to determine that East European Jews are descendants of Khazars. Furthermore, there is no historical evidence that East European Jews are descendants of German Jews, and numerically, it is virtually impossible. Finally, Jewish population increases in Eastern Europe mentioned in the literature, to explain the size of the Jewish population in Eastern Europe in 1900, are implausible. These and other findings led the author to the following conclusions about DNA research and Ashkenazi Jews.

1. Correct historical and demographic data are essential for the determination of admixture.
2. East European Jews are an autochthonous East European Jewish population.
3. Population geneticists are not familiar with the Jewish attitude toward conversion to Judaism during the first millennium CE.
4. Information provided by test persons about grandparents is not necessarily useful for DNA research concerning events which took place much earlier.
5. The European chromosome type (haplotype) in Ashkenazi Levites is probably not originating from Sorbs.
6. West European Ashkenazim differ genetically from East European Ashkenazim.

CGV