--- Andrew Crystall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Richard Baker wrote: > > Andy said: > > > > > You do not chose to be Jewish if your mother is. > You are Jewish. > > > > Isn't that argument roughly the same as if I set > up the "Slaves of > > Rich" and said anyone with brown eyes was > automatically a Slave of > > Rich and when people with brown eyes said they > weren't my slaves I > > replied "Yes you are - everyone with brown eyes > is!"? Or is Judaism > > linked to a mitochondrial gene or something? > > There are certain genetic traits which are typically > only found in > Jews (such as Tay-Sachs disease), but it as is much > cultural as > religious. Would you try to deny your skin colour?
I remembered hearing about an African tribe who claimed to be Jewish, of the Cohen lineage; there is are certain genes carried on the Y chromosome which *are* linked to the "priestly caste" Cohen: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10677325&dopt=Abstract "The Lemba are a traditionally endogamous group speaking a variety of Bantu languages who live in a number of locations in southern Africa. They claim descent from Jews who came to Africa from "Sena." "Sena" is variously identified by them as Sanaa in Yemen, Judea, Egypt, or Ethiopia. A previous study using Y-chromosome markers suggested both a Bantu and a Semitic contribution to the Lemba gene pool, a suggestion that is not inconsistent with Lemba oral tradition. To provide a more detailed picture of the Lemba paternal genetic heritage, we analyzed 399 Y chromosomes for six microsatellites and six biallelic markers in six populations (Lemba, Bantu, Yemeni-Hadramaut, Yemeni-Sena, Sephardic Jews, and Ashkenazic Jews). The high resolution afforded by the markers shows that Lemba Y chromosomes are clearly divided into Semitic and Bantu clades. Interestingly, one of the Lemba clans carries, at a very high frequency, a particular Y-chromosome type termed the "Cohen modal haplotype," which is known to be characteristic of the paternally inherited Jewish priesthood and is thought, more generally, to be a potential signature haplotype of Judaic origin..." >From http://www.cohen-levi.org/dna.htm "...Jewishness is not defined genetically. Other Y-chromosomes can enter the Jewish gene pool through conversion or through a non-Jewish father. Jewish status is determined by the mother. Tribe membership follows the father�s line..." This is an interesting article that uses DNA research to provide some evidence for what is basically a religious belief...which appears to have a degree of 'reality.' ;) Debbi It's All In The Genes? Maru __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
