Was Thomas Jefferson the first Jewish president?

[oberliner]

Was Thomas Jefferson the first Jewish president? Researchers studying Jefferson’s Y chromosome have found it belongs to a lineage that is rare in Europe but common in the Middle East, raising the possibility that the third president of the United States had a Jewish ancestor many generations ago.

No biological samples of Jefferson remain, but his Y chromosome, the genetic element that determines maleness, is assumed to be the same as that carried by living descendants of Field Jefferson, his paternal uncle. These relatives donated cells for an inquiry into whether Jefferson had fathered a hidden family with his slave Sally Hemings, a possibility that most historians had scoffed at.

But researchers reported in 1998 that the Jefferson family chromosome matched perfectly that of a male-line descendant of Eston Hemings, one of Sally Hemings’s sons. The genetic evidence was not conclusive by itself but made a strong case combined with the historical evidence that Hemings had indeed become Jefferson’s mistress after the death of his wife, Martha.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/us/28jefferson.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[rockymountaindem]

1. Every time something like this comes up we come back to the same question:

Is Judaism a religion, a culture, a race, or a nationality/ethnicity or some combination of those? Since that question cannot be answered, neither can the one about Jefferson.

[peacetalksforall]

11. Right on. I agree completely. I only think of Judaism as a religion.

Makes it easier for me. Makes it more fair for me. Until we start tracing everyone's race and constantly refer to it, I will ignore Judaism ... the race.

If I converted, I would only embrace the faith. I would honor the race equally to the way I honor other races - Polynesians, Western Hemisphere mountain Indians, Chinese, North Africans, etc. We are all brothers - sisters - cousins.

Culture and nationality cross over way too many lines that have to be constantly identified if it must be identified. Culture is important for learning how to be diplomatic and how to negotiate, how to honor and understand and accept.

Cultures are not respected enough.

Culture makes travel a delight. Meet the brothers, sisters, cousins.

Make airplanes for travel, not bombing.

My rant and ravel.

[Lurking Dem]

15. What about Tay-Sachs?

Or the cohen genetic signature?

Maybe "tribe" is better than "race" but I know that Hitler didn't ask anybody whether or not they attended shul that week.

That's why the Right of Return laws are based on Nuremberg.

[rockymountaindem]

18. You and I might have one point of view

but there are plenty of other Jews who see things through another lens. I don't think we'll ever see agreement on this matter, is all.

[babylonsister]

2. Oy gevalt! nt

[Jcrowley]

3. eh-eh

[nealmhughes]

4. The NYT not exactly the historian's choice for primary material...

There were published magazine accounts in the mid-19th Century which were based upon Sally Hemings' son who claimed Jefferson was his father. So, apparently the knowledge of the possility of Jefferson's fathering children with Hemings was "common knowledge" over 150 years before the question was raised again!

I am very dark, supposed Cornish/English/Scottish/Irish, yet have B- blood and wiry hair you need a curry comb to get through... my grandmother was taught by her mother who was taught by her's and so on on how to use salt to get all the blood out of a chicken...could we be Sephardi way back? No way of knowing, but I am (on paper) an FFV, an FFNC, and a Tennessee Pioneer! Whoowee!

Who is a Jew? Someone whose mom was! Or else someone who has converted. That is who a Jew is. Has anyone heard about the genetic testing in Tunisia where there is an isolated island community supposedly all of cohenim (is that good Hebrew?) and their DNA does show a gene that others in Europe named Levite, Cohen, Kahn, and all the other derivites tend to hold? Now that is interesting!

[Atman]

5. Don't forget his black Jewish son...

Sammy Davis Jefferson.

Left out of many history books.

.

[LSdemocrat]

6. Doesn't everyone have a bit of everything if we go back far enough?

[aquart]

10. No, sadly.

I have always wanted to be part Cherokee, but could not manage to retroactively attach the DNA. Should a breakthrough be made, I will be first in line.

[notadmblnd]

7. The middle east had more than jews didn't it..

Maybe he was really our first "terrorist" president? :crazy:

[aquart]

9. Would you like to clarify that remark?

Carefully, and slowly? Now.

[notadmblnd]

12. Couldn't people form the middle east also be Arabs?

And since many people in this country view all brown skinned middle eastern people as terrorist... hence my remark. See that little smiley at the end of my post? That was to indicate that it was a totally off the wall crazy comment. Sorry if I offended you in any way.

[The Stranger]

20. Interesting that the poster was offended at the notion that Jefferson was an Arab.

Probably not what was expected, I would say.

[notadmblnd]

21. I didn't understand what the poster thought I might be implying either

I swear some people go into hyperdrive when it comes to their sensibilities here at DU sometimes.

[razors edge]

14. That would have been Washington.

Just ask England's historians.

[aquart]

8. We'll take him. It's fine.

[leftofthedial]

13. I thought he was the first black president.

what next? Was Thomas Jefferson the first mime President?

[Thothmes]

16. Jewish Gene?

Just because a gene is common with populations in the middle East hardly points to a Jewish origin by itself. The area was populated thousands of years prior to coming of the Hebrews, and has be occupied and reoccupied hundreds of times by various populations since then. Do you any specifics as to which gene was found in the Jefferson chromosomes and those that are specifically identifiable with Jewish populations.

[Lurking Dem]

17. start here

http://www.cohen-levi.org/jewish_genes_and_genealogy/jewish_genes_-_dna_evidence.htm

[Thothmes]

19. Thanks You, Good article.