India’s Jewish population’s ancestry mapped

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Did you know that the first migrant Jew arrived in the Indian sub-continent about 1,500 years ago in Cochin (now Kochi)?

Further, the Indian Jewish population is a unique blend of Indian and West Asian genetic ancestry, with a majority of its genes coming from South Asian ancestors. These findings have been published by an international scientific group led by Indians in Nature’s online journal Scientific Reports.

There are three main distinct Jewish groups living in India – the Jews of Cochin in Kerala, the Bene Israel in Mumbai and the Baghdadi Jews in Kolkata. Each of these communities is socially linked more to their neighbours than one another.

There are several stories about their migration to India – probably from Europe – but the lack of written records and inscriptions have ensured their origin remains shrouded in legends.

Using genetic data, an international team of scientists led by Kumarasamy Thangaraj from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology Hyderabad; and scientists from Estonian Biocentre, Tratu, Estonia; Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thrissur, University of Kolkata, India and Genome Foundation, Hyderabad have now traced the founder of the Indian Jewish populations.

Read full, original post: Indian Jews are genetically more subcontinental than West Asian

 

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