SPAIN - Columbus Was a Sephardic Jew
The 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus was a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe, Spanish scientists said, after using DNA analysis to tackle a centuries-old mystery.
Many historians have questioned the traditional theory that Columbus came from Genoa, Italy. Other theories range from him being a Spanish Jew or a Greek, to Basque, Portuguese or British.
To solve the mystery researchers conducted a 22-year investigation, led by forensic expert Miguel Lorente, by testing tiny samples of remains buried in Seville Cathedral, long marked by authorities there as the last resting place of Columbus, though there had been rival claims.
“We have DNA from Christopher Columbus, very partial, but sufficient. We have DNA from Hernando Colón, his son,” Lorente said in the program.
“And both in the Y chromosome (male) and in the mitochondrial DNA (transmitted by the mother) of Hernando there are traits compatible with Jewish origin.”
Columbus died in Valladolid, Spain, in 1506, but wished to be buried on the island of Hispaniola that is today shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. His remains were taken there in 1542, then moved to Cuba in 1795 and then, it had been long thought in Spain, to Seville in 1898.
-www.reuters.com, 13 October 2024
Arno's Commentary
One cannot read this without being reminded of the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: “And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 28:13-14).
When Columbus went on his expedition across the Atlantic in 1492, although Jewish, he brought with him the religious authority as ordered by Spain’s Catholic monarchs. One has to understand that this was before the Reformation, and the Catholic Church dominated religion throughout Europe.
This may be a point of debate, but the Catholics brought the Scripture to the newly discovered American continent. During those days, the Church had political power and was instrumental in establishing colonies virtually throughout the world. For example, Pope Nicholas V issued a papal bull acceding to the request from King James II to establish a university in Glasgow.
The fact that Columbus was Jewish is not surprising, because world changing events often find their origins in the Jew. We think of Karl Marx, who had Jewish roots, as the credited founder of communism. Researching the origin of the destructive—you may call it, diabolical—nuclear bomb, there were a number of Jews involved in its development. Albert Einstein was one of the most prominent.
Our late founder, Wim Malgo, used to quote Jesus, “Salvation is of the Jews,” and then added, “so is judgment.”
But most important is the promise: “…in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 28:14b).
Arno Froese is the executive director of Midnight Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the acclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call and News From Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecy conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels have contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he sees it from an international perspective.
