NEW three papers with ancient Levant genomes

[Smeagol]

They are native to the Levant by uninterrupted continuity of culture and tradition, and in a large part (even if not half) by genetics too.

No they aren't. Traditional Ashkenazi culture is very different from anything genuinely ancient Levantine. And even then, most Jews in the west are pretty much assimilated into their local culture nowadays. In America and I think Britain, most even marry gentiles. Genetically they're about as Hebrew as Obama is European.

[Peterski]

And even then, most Jews in the west are pretty much assimilated into their local culture nowadays.

As are most Christian Lebanese or most Baháʼí Iranians in the west, for example...

Traditional Ashkenazi culture is very different from anything genuinely ancient Levantine.

Partially because ancient Levant is ancient (of the past), and not modern, Levant.

I mean are there ANY cultures in modern Levant that resemble ancient Levant?

[Konstantinos]

Very exciting papers! Here's some of my thoughts:

Levantines don't seem to have much distinction between coastal and inland areas. Slightly more Mesopotamian influence in inland areas that's expected according to geography.

There has been a rebound effect. There was a wave of Aegean-Anatolian ancestry that shifted Levantines towards Europe, then in the Hellenistic Period there was a wave of admixture coming from South-Central Asia. This moved Levantines plot closer to Canaanites but their overall ancestry was not exactly the same.

An Ottoman-era influence brought more Caucasus genes to Near East. Has anyone checked what kind of peoples moved there? Georgians, NW Caucasians, NE Caucasians, Armenians? Maybe they were Muslim Caucasians that were moved to the region in order to reinforce the Islamic element there and reduce the percentage of Christians?

[Peterski]

Genetically they're about as Hebrew as Obama is European.

Isn't Obama 50% European?

[Smeagol]

As are most Christian Lebanese or most Baháʼí Iranians in the west, for example...

There's no real continuity of tradition or culture in either case, but Ashkenazi Jews aren't even native to the Levant genetically.

[Smeagol]

And Obama is 50% European.

And nobody would say he's native to Europe. Despite being raised in an entirely white culture by his white grandparents.

[Peterski]

but Ashkenazi Jews aren't even native to the Levant genetically.

If you made a PCA with gentile populations and assign each population's position to the piece of land where they live, and then add Jews to this PCA but let the algorithm choose their position (relative to all others' DNA), most of Jews will probably end up plotting in the Mediterranean Sea.

So Jews are genetically native to the Mediterranean Sea?

[Smeagol]

If you made a PCA with gentile populations and assign each population's DNA to the place where they live, and then add Jews to this PCA but let the algorithm choose their position (relative to all others), most of them will probably end up plotting in the Mediterranean Sea.

So Jews are genetically Native to the Mediterranean Sea?

They plot closest with Mediterranean Islanders like Sicilians and Greek Islanders.

Also I just thought about it and the majority of Jews from the times of the Maccabees would despise pretty much all Jews living today. They'd consider them much worse than the Hellenized Jews of their time, because the ancient Jews of Judaea were intolerant, narrow minded, religious fanatics who contributed nothing positive to civilization.

[J. Ketch]

If you made a PCA with gentile populations and assign each population's position to the piece of land where they live, and then add Jews to this PCA but let the algorithm choose their position (relative to all others' DNA), most of Jews will probably end up plotting in the Mediterranean Sea.

So Jews are genetically native to the Mediterranean Sea?

Well they're not called Sea mites for nothing.

[Pine]

And nobody would say he's native to Europe. Despite being raised in an entirely white culture by his white grandparents.

Your Jewish blood is trying to make you sneaky, but your IQ can't catch up. Obama is also half black and many would see him as a native African. You only chose his white side because of his phenotype.