Fifteenth-century explorer Christopher Columbus was a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe, Spanish scientists have announced after using DNA analysis to tackle a centuries-old mystery.
Several countries dispute the origins and burial place of this controversial figure, who led expeditions funded by Spain from 1490 onwards, opening the way for the European conquest of the Americas.
Many historians question the traditional theory that Columbus originated in Genoa, Italy. Other theories range from that he was a Spanish Jew or Greek, to Basque, Portuguese or British.
To unravel the mystery, researchers conducted a 22-year investigation led by forensic expert Miguel Lorente, examining small samples of the remains buried in Seville Cathedral, which has long been noted by authorities there as Columbus' final resting place, although there have been other claims.
They compared them with those of known relatives and descendants, and their findings were made public in a documentary entitled Columbus DNA: on Saturday on Spanish national television TVE.
"Both the Y-chromosome (male) and the mitochondrial DNA (passed down from the mother) of Hernando contain traits compatible with Jewish ancestry. "Some 300,000 Jews lived in Spain before the "Reyes Catolicos," the Catholic monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand, ordered Jews and Muslims to convert to the Catholic faith or leave the country. Many of them settled around the world. The word "Sephardic" is derived from "Sepharad" or "Spain" in Hebrew. After analyzing 25 possible places, Lorente says it is only possible to say that Columbus was born in Western Europe.
On Thursday, Lorente said they have confirmed previous theories that the remains in Seville Cathedral belong to Columbus.
Research into Columbus' nationality has been hampered by a number of factors, including the large volume of data. But "the result is almost absolutely reliable," Lorente said.
Columbus died in Valladolid, Spain, in 1506 but wished to be buried on the island of Hispaniola, which is now shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. His remains were taken there in 1542, then moved to Cuba in 1795 and - as was long believed in Spain - to Seville in 1898. | BGNES
