In First, Archaeologists Extract DNA of Ancient Israelites
Ariel David
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Abstract
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A rare First Temple-period family burial discovered near Jerusalem (Kiryat Yearim / Abu Ghosh) has yielded ancient DNA for the first time from individuals identified as ancient Israelites. Archaeologists and geneticists extracted genetic material (from the petrous bone) from two individuals (one male, one female) from a tomb dated ca. 750–650 BCE. Preliminary results presented in the content include Y-chromosome data (male assigned to haplogroup J2) and mitochondrial haplogroups (T1a and H87), suggesting links to populations with ancestry components from Anatolia/Caucasus and possibly the southern Near East/Arabian regions. This partial ancient-DNA evidence aligns with prior ancient-Canaanite genetic findings and may support continuity between Bronze Age Canaanite-related ancestry and Iron Age Israelite populations. The report is a preliminary news-summary of results to be expanded in forthcoming scientific publications.
Analysis
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