Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Bearpecs AT aol.com]

In a message dated 7/20/2005 6:34:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time,  
leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il writes:

There  are many thousands of Jews who's family traditions claims that they 
are  descended from priests or levites.


Edward Rothstein. "DNA Teaches History a Few Lessons of Its Own." The New  
York Times "Week in Review" (May 24, 1998). Excerpt:  
"Last year, for example, Michael Hammer, a geneticist at the University  of 
Arizona, showed that a genetic analysis of the Y chromosomes of Jewish men  
who 
ritualistically identified themselves as descendants of the Biblical High  
Priest Aaron and are known as Cohanim showed a high transmission of markers  
that were less prevalent among Jews who did not identify as Cohanim. This was 
 
evidence, Hammer said, of the accuracy of the oral tradition." 

Evidently, something called YAP+ DYS19 Haplotypes occur in over half of  
kohanim and less than 5% of the general Jewish population.  
The full article, originally published in the journal _Nature_  (Vo. 385, 2 
Jan 1997) can be found at:  _http://www.familytreedna.com/nature97385.html_ 
(http://www.familytreedna.com/nature97385.html)