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IV. Searching for the Y chromosome of Aaron
Chinese molecular anthropologist, Wang Chuan Chao’s article entitled, “Surnames and the Y chromosome”, introduces the search for the Y Chromosome of Aaron. He wrote,
“It is recorded in the Bible that all Jewish priests descent from the biblical Aaron, the first priest in Judaism from whom the priesthood was passed from generation to generation. Dr. Karl Skorecki found that he and the priest from Spain, the Ashkenazi Jewish priest, greatly differ in many physical characteristics. This fact caused him to lose his appetite with many sleepless nights.
Therefore, Skorecki and Y chromosome specialist, Professor Dr. Michael Hammer, collaborated using YAP (Y chromosome genetic marker just below M168, also known as M1) and DYS19 (STR locus) to analyze the haplogroups of Jewish priests. Results showed that Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jewish priests have a closer hereditary relationship as compared to the Jews who are not priests. What this means is that all the priests have a common paternal ancestor who could be traced back 3,300 years ago. It is indeed amazing that the Y chromosome analyses and biblical stories fit perfectly well.”
When one sees this kind of commentary about the Bible, one might think that the author belongs to either Judaism or Christianity. However, if you search the web you will find that Dr. Wang Chuan Chao does not belong to either religion, but instead is a communist who holds atheistic beliefs. He arrived at the aforementioned conclusions purely based on scientific considerations. These conclusions had nothing to do with religion. Let’s look at this 3,300 story, then, from a scientific perspective.
Who was Aaron? If you have read the Bible, you know that Moses, born in 1526 BC, wrote the first five books in the Bible. The first books if Genesis and the second Exodus. Aaron was Moses brother. In Exodus, chapter 28, God (or Jehovah) appointed Aaron as the first high priest and told him that his children and grandchildren will inherit this task forever.
Having said all this, readers will recognize that similar to the search for Cao Cao, one can find Aaron if one can find the descendants of Aaron. This is because only Aaron's descendants are qualified to do the priesthood task, especially the high priest's job.This constitutes the essence of the priesthood job. The special relationship between Aaron and his descendants is the key for finding the Y chromosome of Aaron.
1. The origin of the priest's family name: "Cohen"
In the aforementioned searching for the Y chromosome of Cao Cao, the researchers relied on the documents from Cao Cao's family tree. Using the same approach was met with great difficulties since all the Jewish people consider themselves children of Abraham. Therefore, they all have names but no surnames. In order to differentiate themselves, they must say they are the children or grandchildren of a certain individual. For this reason, the Jews paid special attention to written genealogy.
According to the Bible, in Exodus, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. After the tribes living in Canaan under the leadership of Joshua around 1000 BC, the kingdom of Israel was established. In 62 BC, the Roman legions conquered Jerusalem. All the Jews were expelled from Jerusalem around 135 BC. Thus, the Jews started their history of 1,800 years of wandering leading to an interrupted genealogy..
According to Professor Xiangqun Xu, a Jewish Scholar, Jews were later forced to take up a surname. Xu wrote in his book, “Desert Cactus-A Jewish Sketch, In the 18th century, during the rule of Habsburg in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Jews were ordered to have a certain surname. Subsequently, this practice quickly spread throughout Europe.”
Administratve officials across Europe utilized this opportunity to blackmail the Jews and made a fortune in the process. If the Jews could pay a large sum of money when they went to register in the administrative offices, the responsible officials would give them names that signify fragrant flowers or auspicious festivals. If they could not afford the large sum of money, these officials would give them derogatory names such as “Affenkraut”, which means a monkey weed and other such derogatory names.
It was during this process of acquiring last names that the priests during the time chose to use “Priest” as their surname. In Hebrew, “priest” sounds like the English word “kohen” and similar pronunciation in other languages. That is why they now have surnames such as Cohen, Cohn, Kahn, Kohan. In subsequent DNA-surname research, it is indicated that those with the “Cohen” surname were part of the special family.
2. Searching for the Y chromosome of Aaron
Dr. Karl Skorecki was a medical specialist born into a family of Jewish priests. His parents lived in Europe and were the few lucky Jews who survived World War II. Dr. Skorecki was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, but was familiar with the “Cohen family” story. European Jews are divided into two groups, namely German-speaking and Spanish-speaking groups as a result of the different countries they settled in. Dr. Skorecki belonged to the German-speaking group. One day he met a person from the Spanish-speaking group whose parents were Jews who settled in Morocco. Moreover, this Spanish-speaking Jew told Dr. Skorecki that he came from a priesthood family. However, their body size, skin color, hair and eye color were clearly different. A question immediately arose in Dr. Skorecki’s mind: “Is the story behind the Cohen family really true?” This question led him to embark on the road for 15 years to trace the roots of the Cohen family.
If the Cohen family story is in fact true, then the Cohen family root is the same root as the priesthood family. According to the recording in the Bible, the root should lead to Aaron since Aaron was the first high priest. The road to trace one’s root is lengthy and thus we can only give a brief introduction here.
Similar to the aforementioned two stories about tracing roots, the process starts with a reverse search from the leaves on the paternal tree. Dr. Skorecki and his research team collected blood samples from males who were clearly part of the Cohen family. They began the first analysis in 1997 in the city of Haifa in Israel. The result of this analysis showed that there were 48% German-speaking and 58% Spanish-speaking blood samples belonging to the J1c (also known as J-P58*) haplogroup, thus the name “Cohen mode haplogroup”. Their preliminary results appeared in two articles published in “Nature” between 1997 and 1998 entitled: “Y chromosomes of Jewish Priests” (Reference 7) and “Origins of Old Testament Priests” (Reference 8).
Subsequently, Dr. Skorecki and his team collected many more blood samples and found a more noteworthy Y chromosome, haplogroup J2a. By calculating the time span these for two Y chromosomes, researchers found both were covered the period when Aaron lived (3,300 years ago). Obviously, there is just one Y chromosome belonging to Aaron. In a meeting held in 2007 (The Conference for Kohanim in Jerusalem, 2007) and an article published in an academic journal (Human Genetics, 2009, 126:707-717—Hun Genet, 2009, 126:707-717), Dr. Skorecki believed that the J2a haplogroup belonged to Aaron.
Through careful reading of the Bible, it is not hard to see that it is quite possible that there could exist in the priesthood family two different Y chromosome haplogroups. In 1 Samuel from the Old Testament, it is clear that Samuel was not a descendant of Aaron according to Samuel’s genealogy record. Yet, Samuel was an exception and appointed as the high priest, a position inherited by his descendants. If the formation of J1c or J2a mutational changes occurred in Aaron’s father or other descendants, their children or grandchildren will obviously not include Samuel. For this reason, one finds two very different lineages based on these markers: one from Aaron (or those descendants from Amram) and the other from Samuel (or descendants from his great grandfather Zuph) Indeed, how amazing are these biblical records!
In comparison, the Y chromosome genetic markers of the Jews who are not part of the priesthood family are decentralized and not much different from those who had lived in the Middle East. Yet, the Y chromosome genetic markers are quite centralized with a clear-cut trend. This further verifies the result of Dr. Skorecki’s research team.
V. Every person is a leaf on the patrilineal and matrilineal trees
DNA decoding allows molecular anthropologists link each one of us to the "Y chromosome Adam" patrilineal tree and the Mitochondrial Eve matrilineal tree. Regardless of the time period in human history, these two trees complement one another and are closely interwined. Without this intimate Interleaving, we will not exist. Those are alive today and those who once lived are but leaves on these trees.
The first map of the human phylogenetic (genealogical) tree was published in the November 2000 issue of Nature Genetics. This publication was the results years of research from an international team at phylogeneticThe first map of the human Stanford University. In the last decade, Genome Research, a journal from the world-renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory will revise this map using the research results from all over the world. Moreover, released this information was released on their website (www. Genome.org). But the overall structure has not changed. The following figure of the "Y-Chromosome phylogenetic Tree" represents selected and most relevant information from the most recently released information.
 Figure 3-7 The "Y-Chromosome phylogenetic Tree" of the Descendants of Y Chromosome Adam
(Reference 5)
From the aforementioned DNA histories of the four families, we can see that there are two versions documenting our family history, one written on paper and the other written in our blood. If the family genealogy is accurate, these two versions should complement each another. Not every one has a written document of their ancestors. However, we all should have a copy of the family history written in our blood which not only complete and long-lasting but analyzable. They are an absolutely accurate family history.
Reference:
1. Gill P, et. al., Identification of the remains of the Romanov family by DNA analysis. Nat Genet. 1994 Feb;6(2):130-5.
2. Michael D. Coble1. et al., Mystery Solved: The Identification of the Two Missing Romanov Children Using DNA Analysis, PLoS ONE, March 2009 , Volume 4
3. Eugene A. Foster1, et. al., Jefferson fathered slave's last child, Nature 396, 5 November 1998
4. Slavery at Jefferson's Monticello: The Paradox of Liberty, 27 January 2012-14 October 2012, Smithsonian Institution, accessed 23 March 2012. Quote: "The [DNA test results show a genetic link between the Jefferson and Hemings descendants: A man with the Jefferson Y chromosome fathered Eston Hemings (born 1808). While there were other adult males with the Jefferson Y chromosome living in Virginia at that time, most historians now believe that the documentary and genetic evidence, considered together, strongly support the conclusion that Jefferson was the father of Sally Hemings's children.
5. Genome Research, "Y-Chromosome phylogenetic Tree", Copyright 2009 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
6. Chuan-Chao Wang1,et. al., Ancient DNA of Emperor CAO Cao's granduncle matches those of his present descendants:
a commentary on present Y chromosomes reveal the ancestry of Emperor CAO Cao of 1800 years ago ,Nature (www. Nature.com/jhg) May 2013.
7. Michael F. Hammer, Karl Skorecki, et. al., Y Chromosomes of Jewish Priests, Nature 2 January 1997
8.Thomas MG, Skorecki K, et. al., Origins of Old Testament priests.Nature. 1998 Jul 9;394(6689):138-40
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