Israelite Genetic Load

Etz Yoseph Update. December 2, 2012

Israelite Genetic Load

Genesis 11:6b …now nothing will be withheld from them (humanity), which they intend to do….

Shalom Ha’maminim! (Hello Believers)

Just got back from the 8th International Family Tree DNA Conference in Houston Texas charged with enthusiasm for all the advances in technology that we may use as tools to help us in the identification of the tribes of Israel.

Bennett Greenspan at the 8th International conference of FTDNA

Two very interesting topics that were discussed and might help us at Etz Yoseph:

1) Geno 2.0 project.

2) Y-Chromosome phylogenetic chart for 2013. We will write a report about it in the next update.

Reviewing genetic “lingo”, so as to understand what we are doing, you may skip this part and go directly to Geno 2.0 project if you are familiar with the terminology.

We all have in the nucleus of every cell 22 pairs of autosome chromosomes, plus one pair of sex chromosome XY, to complete the 46 chromosome in human cells. We also have the mitochondrial DNA in the mitochondrion organelle (power houses of the cell) of the cytoplasm.   DNA has four bases named A,  C, T and G ; that in the Y- chromosome follow a sequence of 60,000 base pairs, where A always pairs with T ; and  G pairs with C.

In the Etz Yoseph Project we examine 37 genetic markers STRs (STR = short tandem repeats of DNA bases, for example 13 repetitions of ACC ACC ACC ACC ACC ACC ACC ACC ACC ACC ACC ACC ACC ) in the middle of the  “Y” chromosome to predict haplogroups that correspond to indigenous groups of different areas of the world, including Semitic ancestry(Israelites are included). These STRs only give us a prediction of the Y- haplogroup. But, it is the SNP that confirms the Y-haplogroup. SNP = single nucleotide polymorphism, a change in one of the four letters of the bases sequence of DNA, for example: instead of ACCTGCCA the SNP would be ACCTACCA, there is only one letter switched from G to A, the rest of the bases in the sequence stayed the same.

So we may ask why do 37 STRs to get a prediction, when you can test directly the SNPs to get a confirmed Y-haplogroup.

The answer is that there are at least 12,000 known   SNPs in the Y-chromosome and we were not able to test all of them unless tens of thousands of dollars were invested for each person to have the test done…But, if by testing the 37 STR’s you can predict one of the main 20 Y- haplogroups from the letter “A” to the letter “T”, then you would only have to test the SNP’s of that Y-haplogroup and reduce the cost tremendously. For example, if the STR predicts haplogroup R1b, then you would only test the SNP’s that are related to the R1b haplogroup to confirm the “R” haplogroup and to find the confirmed sub-groups…

I. The Geno 2.0 Project

Dr. Spencer Wells is working within National Geographic, testing almost 150,000 genetic markers SNPs from the Y-chromosome, and also from the X-chromosome, the 22 pairs of autosome chromosomes and the mitochondrial DNA! And the price is $199.00 because it is funded by a grant from National Geographic.

The thing that can help us in our search is that this study is geared to find “Ancient Ancestors” by testing SNPs. The 12 Tribes of Israel were born about 4,000 years ago, so according to genetic standards the time qualifies for Ancient Ancestry. The STRs are used in recent ancestry, the last 2,000 years, and actually it helps us more to identify the last five generations, that is, because STRs changes or mutates very fast, even within just one generation. In other words, it helps us find, uncles, grandparents and cousins to the fifth generation. But the SNP’s do not mutate or change that fast, so it may be 3,000 or 5,000 years before one mutation or change in one base of the DNA sequence will happen…This SNP is the genetic marker that does not change in thousands of years in the y-chromosome and is inherited intact for hundreds of generation and could help us find the 12 sons of Ya’acov, that were born 4,000 years ago.



The Geno 2.0 project also includes genetic markers SNPs from our genetically close cousins the Archaic Neanderthal and the Archaic Denisovan man. The Neanderthal genome sequence has been decoded and is 99.5% identical to modern man. Dr. Michael Hammer described the genetic studies from a man in South Carolina which showed a new Y-haplogroup that has some of the SNPs that are exclusive of the Neanderthal man along with SNPs from Africa (Cameroon). So Dr. Hammer had to find a new classification in the Y-chromosome phylogenetic tree , and he named it “ A00”. He should be publishing his findings soon.

Even though about 1-4 % of the Northern Europeans and Asians have SNPs of Neanderthal man, they have not found Neanderthal remains outside of Europe except in the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan) and central Asia, but not in Africa. This is according to Ann Gibbons in the following article in the Science journal of  October 2012.

The Denisovan man was discovered in 2010 in Denisovan caves in Siberia and he was found to be older than modern humans but younger than Neanderthal men…their genome has been decoded and the Geno 2.0 project includes SNP’s from the Denisovan as well as from the Neanderthal man in their testing chip.

The Neanderthal was mainly found in Western Europe and the Denisovan in Eastern Eurasia, both are archaic cousins of modern man (Cro-Magnon) and apparently disappeared before modern man Homo Sapiens Sapiens (Cro-Magnon)) prevailed on earth…the genetic evidence shows that they interbred with modern man before disappearing and Europeans contain from 1-4 % genes that are unique to the Neanderthal.  Melanesians have about 6% genes unique to the Denisovan man.

We are avoiding on purpose speaking about measured time as given by Science, just because time is relative according to The Prophet Moses ( Psalm 90:4), The  Apostle Peter (2 Peter 3:8) and Dr. Albert Einstein (Theory of Time Relativity).

Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in your sight  are but as yesterday when it is past, As a watch in the night.

If you wish to check the Geno 2.0 genetic study, you may find the link in the FTDNA home page  . Even though FTDNA lab is running the 150,000 SNP chip test, you need to order it directly from National Geographic Geno 2.0 project.

Talking about the Neanderthal man genes, as we visited the Museo di Storia Naturale in Venice Italy, we found this interesting information about our Archaic cousins.

 Museo di Storia Naturale, Venice Italy

Homo Erectus skull                  Neanderthal skull.                 Cro-Magnon skull.             Ancient man.                  Ancient Homo Sapiens.         Modern  Homo Sapiens Sap

Comparing the three skulls we see that the Neanderthal (archaic human like) skull in the middle is the largest, but the smartest is the Cro-Magnon (modern man) , why? Because even though the Neandy has the biggest brain, his frontal lobe is much smaller than the frontal lobe of the Cro-magny and intelligence resides in the frontal lobe.

“Our frontal lobes contain circuits that break complex problems down into manageable sub-problems.”

Professor John Duncan Neuroscience University of Cambridge.

 Frontal Lobe

Not only the size of the frontal brain counts to determine degree of intelligence, but also the number of “folds” that you have in your brain. The greater the amount of folds the greater your gray matter (thinking part of the brain), and the more intelligent that you will be… The journal of Brain tells us in its November 2012 issue, that Albert Einstein’s brain had extra folding in his brain’s gray matter. Specially in the frontal lobes that are regions tied to abstract thought and planning…But the extra folding was also found in the parietal lobes and the rest of his cortex, allowing for more connection between the neurons in the brain and hence its correlations with a higher IQ.


Albert Einstein Brain is E1b1b1 = A Paternal genetically descendant of Ya’acov?


It is astounding that man can check our DNA, which is the oldest book written by YHVH, and find genetic markers that have come down from the Neanderthal man, to the Cro-Magnon to the Israelites to us in the twenty first century.

How DNA testing of 150,000 genetic markers SNP can help us with our quest?

We only test the Y-chromosome in Etz Yoseph, because the middle of the Y-chromosome contains a section that does not combine with the X-chromosome and it is passed almost intact from father to son…Specifically the SNP’s genetic markers are passed intact and they may have a change in thousands of years. The original 12 tribes lived thousands of years ago, so we do the Y-Chromosome testing and will continue to do so.

We always get the question:

“Why is it that I have this love for the Hebrew language, for Israel, for the shofar, for the Hebrew dances, for the Word of God? But, my brothers and sisters do not have it? We do not have any Israelite ancestry that we know of!”

The Israelite Genetic Load Chart below has part of your answer.

Even though many people do not believe that there could be a correlation between having that “inner knowledge” of belonging to Israel and the results of the DNA testing, I beg to differ…So far in the Etz Yoseph project this correlation exists, and many have found out of their Israelite ancestors by comparing their DNA results with the present day Judah who had their DNA test done… Genealogy and Genetics Science  is in such early stages that we cannot differentiate among the Jews of the 21th century if they come genetically from Ya’acov or they come from convert  Jews.

Our intuition and Science tells us that the answer to the previously stated question is that your genetic load from the Israelites is greater, than the one that your brothers received, and something triggers the memory in your genes awakening  the memories of your ancestors long gone by…Or your genetic load may be similar, but usually the trigger is accomplished in the humble of hearts that are seeking to know and establish a personal relationship with their Creator…Also it may be elicit in some one that has read the 66 Books left in writing by HaShem, the Bible, and is able to see the period that we are living in, where the re-gathering of the children of Ya’acov is only a matter of time, as foretold in His Book…Over ¼ of the Bible is prophetic in nature and thousands of its messages given in the past have become true in the present. Among them Judah is in the Land officially as a Nation since 1948, Jerusalem have been returned to the hands of the Israelite since 1967…The Prophecy of Ephraim  remembering who he is and returning to Haaretz must not be lagging too much behind…

Jeremiah 31:20 Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord. 21 “Set up signposts, Make landmarks; Set your heart toward the highway, The way in which you went. Turn back, O virgin of Israel, Turn back to these your cities.

Why wouldn’t this become a reality as every other prediction in this Sacred Text has come to fruition? The only Book on earth able to forecast, years before it happens, the history of human kind, one and another time, is the Bible.

This is why we look at research in science under the light of the Bible, we have seen how many times in our lives Nobel prizes in Science have gone to people whose “discoveries” were already written in this amazing Book. For example:

Saul Perlmutter, one of the three winners of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contribution in the expanding universe is a concept that was already written in Isaiah:


So, we continue to look at the studies in DNA knowing without a doubt that we will find the physical proof of what our Heavenly Father has already written thousands of year ago and has instilled in our hearts.

The Israelite Genetic Load Chart below explains what science can do with family finder within five generations, but more to our interest, what information about our ancient origins is Geno 2.0 able to give us, based on how much genetic material survived the shuffle and recombination of our ancestors chromosomes throughout the millenniums to make us what we are today.

Geno 2.0 looks at the whole picture, the 46 Chromosomes and the mitochondrial DNA together, so men and woman alike will be able to have the test done. We used in the Genetic Load Chart a pair of Chromosome # 9 out of the 23 pairs of chromosome in our cells; and we only looked at three generations: Grandparents, parents and child. This is only to help us understand what is happening with the 22 pairs of autosome chromosome, as they mingle and recombine, generation after generation of procreation, just like the procedure used to randomize  a deck of playing cards to provide an element of chance in a card game.

Remember that the middle part of the Y-Chromosome does not exchange parts with the other chromosomes and passes intact from Great great great great grandfather (one hundred times “great grandfather ” :) ). This is the reason that we eventually have to look at this Y-chromosome, if we want to get more specific than a percentage place of origin when we look at the recognition of the 12 tribes of Israel.

We can see in this Genetic Load Chart that the child, “YOU”, have lost the Spanish Gentile genes of the Chromosome #9 of his Maternal Grandpa…And ends up having 65% of Israelite genes from the sum of the Portuguese Jewish genes, The Ethiopian Jewish genes, the Sephardic Jewish genes and the French Jewish genes of his Grandparents. He also has 35% of gentile genes…The brothers and sisters may have received a different genetic load, for instance,  35% Israelite genetic load  and 65% gentile genetic load, as you play with the different recombinant sperms and genes that by “chance” made their genetic makeup. So now it is more clear why some siblings are in love with Israel,while others just see Israel as a matter of fact part of this world.

If you have a question, we would love to hear from you. Brachot Ahavta Yeshua,

Georgina Chan Perdomo MD and Alex C. Perdomo MD





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