History and Genetics: Conclusion

Human genome, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Human_genome.png

Part IX

This paper has attempted to construct a migration history of the Jewish people based on both historical and genetic evidence. We can be certain that both the historians and the geneticists will continue to uncover new information from this sources, whether archaeological, written or biological. The evidence gathered so far, we have tried to argue, shows that when taken together the sources available to us show that the broad outlines of the history of the Jews are confirmed by the genetic evidence that scientists have been gathering.

We began with a very specific question: Can the history of the Jews actually be observed in their genomes? From our point of view, the question needs to be somewhat redefined: to what extent can we synthesize historical data derived from the classical forms of historical research with those of modern genetic research? The answer is certainly clear. We are at the beginning point of new methods and can only imagine the great insights that they will be able to provide. For now, our historical sources need to serve as controls, demonstrating the overall accuracy of the methodologies used by geneticists. As we move ahead, our emphasis will turn toward uncovering the history of communities and populations that have not left us ample literary sources. As we fill in the Jewish HapMap, our history will become both more refined and more personal, and genetic science, Jewish history, and world history will gain tremendously from this new research.