In an effort to discover the origin of the Yiddish language, researchers say that they have found evidence that proves that Ashkenazi Jews are descended predominately from four villages in northeastern Turkey.
The study, titled “Localizing Ashkenazic Jews to primeval villages in the ancient Iranian lands of Ashkenaz” was conducted by researchers from three universities in the U.K., U.S., and Israel. It was published in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution.
Using a Geographic Population Structure device, Dr Eran Elhaik, a geneticist from the University of Sheffield who led the study, was able to convert the DNA of Ashkenazi Jews into geographic coordinates.
The data showed that 90 percent of Ashkenazi Jews have links to the ancient villages of Iskenaz, Eskenaz, Ashanaz, and Ashkuz that sit near ancient Silk Road trade routes.
From the study:
“North east Turkey is the only place in the world where these place names exist – which strongly implies that Yiddish was established around the first millennium at a time when Jewish traders who were plying the Silk Road moved goods from Asia to Europe wanted to keep their monopoly on trade.
“They did this by inventing Yiddish – a secret language that very few can speak or understand other than Jews. Our findings are in agreement with an alternative theory that suggests Yiddish has Iranian, Turkish, and Slavic origins and explains why Yiddish contains 251 words for the terms ‘buy’ and ‘sell’. This is what we can expect from a language of experienced merchants.”
Yiddish, which incorporates German, Slavic and Hebrew, and is written in Aramaic letters, is commonly thought to be an old German dialect.
However, an alternative theory proposed by Professor Paul Wexler from the University of Tel Aviv and also an author on the study, suggests that Yiddish is a Slavic language that used to have both Slavic grammar and words but in time shed its Slavic lexicon and replaced it with common and unfamiliar German words.
Fair enough, but this undermines the whole Khazar hypothethis, as the theory implies that it was a mass conversion of Turks with minimal to no Jewish ancestry!
I don't care about 'the theory' so much as the reality. Why would 90% have a connection to the four villages if that is not where they originated from? The four villages in the study were in NE Anatolia (Turkey) which was not in Khazaria on maps. They would have migrated to Khazaria.
AI Overview
A 2016 study traced the origins of Ashkenazi Jews and the Yiddish language to four villages in northeastern Turkey, near ancient trade routes, whose names may be derived from "Ashkenaz". These villages are located in the region of ancient Ashkenaz, which aligns with the area of the Greek Kingdom of Pontus. The study used Geographical Population Structure (GPS) analysis to localize the genomes of Ashkenazi Jews and found a strong connection to these specific villages.
The Villages:
The four villages in question are Iskenaz (or Eskenaz), Eskenez (or Eskens), Ashanas, and Aschuz.
GPS Analysis:
The study used GPS to analyze the genomes of Ashkenazi Jews, finding that a significant portion of their ancestry could be traced back to these villages.
Location:
These villages are situated in northeastern Turkey, along major ancient trade routes, particularly the Silk Road.
Ancient Ashkenaz:
The region where these villages are located is believed to be the ancient land of Ashkenaz, which is also mentioned in historical texts.
Implications:
This research suggests a different origin story for Ashkenazi Jews than the previously held belief of a Germanic origin. The study proposes that the ancestors of Ashkenazi Jews likely included populations from Greco-Roman and Irano-Turko-Slavic backgrounds who lived in this region.
Debate and Controversy:
While the study provides strong evidence, it has also sparked debate and some scholarly criticism, particularly regarding the implications for the Khazar hypothesis of Ashkenazi ancestry.
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/ashkenazi-jews-as-well-as-the-yiddish-language-came-from-four-villages-in-northeastern-turkey-study
In an effort to discover the origin of the Yiddish language, researchers say that they have found evidence that proves that Ashkenazi Jews are descended predominately from four villages in northeastern Turkey.
The study, titled “Localizing Ashkenazic Jews to primeval villages in the ancient Iranian lands of Ashkenaz” was conducted by researchers from three universities in the U.K., U.S., and Israel. It was published in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution.
Using a Geographic Population Structure device, Dr Eran Elhaik, a geneticist from the University of Sheffield who led the study, was able to convert the DNA of Ashkenazi Jews into geographic coordinates.
The data showed that 90 percent of Ashkenazi Jews have links to the ancient villages of Iskenaz, Eskenaz, Ashanaz, and Ashkuz that sit near ancient Silk Road trade routes.
From the study:
“North east Turkey is the only place in the world where these place names exist – which strongly implies that Yiddish was established around the first millennium at a time when Jewish traders who were plying the Silk Road moved goods from Asia to Europe wanted to keep their monopoly on trade.
“They did this by inventing Yiddish – a secret language that very few can speak or understand other than Jews. Our findings are in agreement with an alternative theory that suggests Yiddish has Iranian, Turkish, and Slavic origins and explains why Yiddish contains 251 words for the terms ‘buy’ and ‘sell’. This is what we can expect from a language of experienced merchants.”
Yiddish, which incorporates German, Slavic and Hebrew, and is written in Aramaic letters, is commonly thought to be an old German dialect.
However, an alternative theory proposed by Professor Paul Wexler from the University of Tel Aviv and also an author on the study, suggests that Yiddish is a Slavic language that used to have both Slavic grammar and words but in time shed its Slavic lexicon and replaced it with common and unfamiliar German words.
you are giving the same study again and it lacks the genetic markers to make the claim - only genetic similarity.
Again, how would 30-60% of DNA of Ashkenaz have ties to Levant population if they were mass converted Turks?
I don't know. Maybe they did the nasty with the traders on the Silk Road where they lived.
Fair enough, but this undermines the whole Khazar hypothethis, as the theory implies that it was a mass conversion of Turks with minimal to no Jewish ancestry!
I don't care about 'the theory' so much as the reality. Why would 90% have a connection to the four villages if that is not where they originated from? The four villages in the study were in NE Anatolia (Turkey) which was not in Khazaria on maps. They would have migrated to Khazaria.
AI Overview A 2016 study traced the origins of Ashkenazi Jews and the Yiddish language to four villages in northeastern Turkey, near ancient trade routes, whose names may be derived from "Ashkenaz". These villages are located in the region of ancient Ashkenaz, which aligns with the area of the Greek Kingdom of Pontus. The study used Geographical Population Structure (GPS) analysis to localize the genomes of Ashkenazi Jews and found a strong connection to these specific villages.
The Villages: The four villages in question are Iskenaz (or Eskenaz), Eskenez (or Eskens), Ashanas, and Aschuz.
GPS Analysis: The study used GPS to analyze the genomes of Ashkenazi Jews, finding that a significant portion of their ancestry could be traced back to these villages. Location: These villages are situated in northeastern Turkey, along major ancient trade routes, particularly the Silk Road. Ancient Ashkenaz: The region where these villages are located is believed to be the ancient land of Ashkenaz, which is also mentioned in historical texts. Implications: This research suggests a different origin story for Ashkenazi Jews than the previously held belief of a Germanic origin. The study proposes that the ancestors of Ashkenazi Jews likely included populations from Greco-Roman and Irano-Turko-Slavic backgrounds who lived in this region. Debate and Controversy: While the study provides strong evidence, it has also sparked debate and some scholarly criticism, particularly regarding the implications for the Khazar hypothesis of Ashkenazi ancestry.