Chromosome for the Cohen, “priestly” line shows up in Palestinians
Israeli and Palestinian boys
By Mark Ellis
In some of the dry and dusty Palestinian and Bedouin villages they still circumcise their boys after the seventh day. Hidden away in some Palestinian homes are Jewish mezuzahs and tefillin. Some older residents can recall lighting candles on the Sabbath.
“Many of the Palestinians know it, but it’s not politically correct to acknowledge this publicly among Muslims,” says Steve Hagerman, founder of Turkish World Outreach. “There are two houses of Israel in the Holy Land: one aligned with the West and primarily secular or Jewish and the other aligned with the East and primarily Islam.”
When the northern kingdom of Israel was deported by the Assyrians in 745-702 B.C., most were sent to the east, Hagerman notes. After the Roman conquest, many Jews were carried away as slaves or fled to the west. “Many of the people in southern and central Italy are of Jewish origin, because so many slaves were carried away by the Romans to big estates in southern Italy.”
Hagerman cites a documentary that appeared on Israeli television in 2009 that established many common links. The documentary, produced by Nissim Mossek, quotes Rabbi Dov Stein, secretary of the New Sanhedrin, “It becomes clear that a significant part of the Arabs in the land of Israel are actually descendants of Jews who were forced to convert to Islam over the centuries,” he says. “There are studies which indicate that 85% of this group is of Jewish origin.”
Genetic studies have confirmed the connection. Ariella Oppenheim PhD, a researcher at Hebrew University and the Hadassah Medical School labs, did several important studies in 2000 and 2001. She was able to demonstrate common origins and a number of surprising relationships. Oppenheim established that both the Palestinians and the Jews descended from the Kurds of Babylon, homeland of the patriarch Abraham.
Perhaps more surprising, she found the Ashkenazi Jews from Europe are genetically closer to the Palestinians than Middle East Jews.
Oppenheim also isolated and traced the chromosome for the “priestly” Cohen line. “We find that Arabs also carry this chromosome,” she noted on the documentary, which means that some Palestinians are also Cohens, genetically.
The Palestinian city of Yatta, located south of Hebron in the West Bank, has a population of 50,000 to 60,000 people. The Israeli documentary states that 90 % of the town has Jewish roots.
The film crew visited one Palestinian home where the Jewish mezuzah was hidden under a shelf, and the tefillin are hidden among the socks in a dresser. The mezuzah was a parchment of Scripture placed on the doorpost by religious Jews. Tefillin, also known as phylacteries, are a set of small boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with Scripture, which are worn by observant Jews during morning prayers.
A Palestinian woman interviewed on the program says, “That is how I pray and everyone keeps the secret.”
“Will your little boy find out he is Jewish? an interviewer asks.
“He will find out eventually,” she says.
As Israelis and Palestinians prepare to battle one another over the issue of statehood in the United Nations, it may be a radical notion to inform each party that the one they consider their worst enemy is actually their brother – far removed by the tides of history.
Pingback: Genetic links between Palestinians and Jews surprise many | The Christian Messenger
I’m not surprised by these findings. Anyway, I will continue to pray for a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Makes one think differently about the “right of return”.
It is so interesting to know that these two cultures are linked in such a way. God has open a path where peace may be just the beginning. I hope and pray that the fighting stops and between the two and there can be a light at the end of the tunnel.
is the 2009 documentary by Nissim Mossek available for viewing anywhere? Would be very very interested in it. thanks
Here is a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOolCRSf74I
I will continue to pray for truth, honesty, fairness, justness, and for people to see realities. Palistinians and jews who can get along will be example to the rest but this conflict is part of the end times
You may see another documentary on the subject by Nissim Mossek, this time English speaking:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVoCILevc4s
And next week expect one with Jewish customs and signs among Palestinians.
Mr. Tsvi Misinai, shalom! Your work is very invaluable to all who loves Israel. Thank you and may God bless you.
This is not surprising at all if one believes in the veracity of biblical history. This is yet another affirmation of the authenticity of the Bible…
Get rid of the PA and they will be able to return to us!! Am Yisrael will be together once again!!
Pingback: Many surprised by genetic and cultural links between Palestinians and Jews | markellis4
It is beginning to look like it is now time for Palestinians to go back into the tent of their father Jacob, and be reunited with the rest of their brothers who are coming home from around the world. With God nothing is impossible. The L-ORD heals, and in him there is shalom.
Just wanted to comment on this ive done an dna test it showed I had middle eastern in me what a surprise but i did know abt a piticular grandmother who no one knew anything abt and other grandparentsas well. THe test results showed palestinian, bedouin, bedouin south druze, jewish my dad also showed mozabite and iran as well. Anyway its nice to know even under the circumstances:)
Beautiful story. I hope people can stop their pity ignorance and realize us jews and some arabs are just related. I hope there will be peace and these pointless wars will stop.Shabbat Shalom
Lol ! How can there possibly be any separation in any of us ? We ALL come from the same Source. The only separation exists within perception and fear. Everything is subjective. Until that is seen, there will continue to be differences. Release the “veils” of perception !!
Some older studies do suggest a genetic connection between Jews and some Bedouin tribes (and those Bedouin tribes’ palestinian descendants). But overall it’s only a small minority of palestinians who’re descended from those Bedouins. Overall Jews are much closer related to Druze and other northern Semitic people as recent autosomal studies shows. On PCA plots (genetic maps) palestinians appear somewhere between Levantines and Gulf Arabs.
Unus genus sumus… We are one tribe…
The Bible is true. The Jews are right, they are on THEIR land. But so are the Palestinians, who are also right. It is politicians who set one nation against the other that are wrong.
Politicians often pursue goals playing on people’s feelings of patriotism. However, there are values much higher than patriotism – love thy neighbour being one of them.