Probably will help medical studies of genetic issues in these populations. I never understood the 'Rhineland' theories because they simply can not explain (1) the large Eastern European populations and (2) and the largely Slavic folkways of Eastern European Jews.
The article refers to the Khazars as being comprised of Turkic clans, but apparently studies of their ethno-linguistic artefacts reveals a Persian-Turkic amalgam, which would also help explain rabbinical lines that do indeed trace back to the ME (although more likely what is now Baghdad rather than what is now Jerusalem). Also, there seems to have been significant movements of Jews through Italy and the Balkans from the Levant, and through Iberia from N. Africa. And then there is the denial of how important conversion was to the growth of Jewish populations in N. Africa, the Near East, and Eastern Europe. But a typical scenario would might have been Jewish males as 'founding fathers' of communities, freeing female slaves who converted to Judaism and married Jewish. It's a difficult subject to discuss because so few people really know much of anything about Eastern European Jews outside of the confusing immigrant experiences and often anti-immigrant pressures (strongly assimilational contexts of) of places like NYC and Toronto. It is sort of like me re-constructing the culture of the Arbëreshë based on what I know about my grandparents (very little). CJ _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@greenhouse.economics.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://greenhouse.economics.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
