Resources re R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levites

Analysis of Y-DNA

R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levite Google Group: A group where people who are interested in R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levites can receive notices of new materials appearing on this website and exchange e-mails re topics of interest.

The Y-Full tree provides information concerning all Y-DNA branches, including the R-Y2619 branch, the R-CTS6 branch immediately upstream from the R-Y2619 branch, and the R-F1345 branch immediately upstream from the R-CTS6 branch.

Family Tree DNA R1a-Y2619 (AB-067) Ashkenazi Levites Project: The Family Tree DNA project directed specifically at R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levites. The website provides marker values and SNPs for R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levites who are members of the project.

Family Tree DNA R1a Project: The Family Tree DNA project directed at all R1a men, including R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levites.

ISOGG tree for Y-DNA Haplogroup R and its Subclades: Most recent ISOGG tree showing SNPs defining each branch and sub-branch of Y-DNA haplogroup R.

Kurdish DNA post with phylogenetic tree for R1a1a men who have tested to 111 markers: Includes about 25 R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levites who had tested to 111 markers as of May 2013.

Meir Gover's schematic of the R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levite tree, the World Patronymic Tree of Levites, is downloadable from his Academia page (with creation of a free account). (The document should be opened in Chrome; scroll over the red notepad for information concerning the men in each cluster.)

Background of R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levites

(in reverse chronological order)

D. Behar et al., The genetic variation in the R1a clade among the Ashkenazi Levites’ Y chromosome, SREP-17-37687 (2017): The currently definitive SNP-based analysis of the R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levite cluster, its Jewish Levite progenitor who lived in Europe about 1,743 years ago, and his direct male line's origins in Iran about 3,143 years ago. Summarized here.

Anatoly Klyosov's January 30, 2014 blog Поговорим о ДНК-генеалогии евреев (Thoughts About Jewish DNA Genealogy), translated to English on this site with Professor Klyosov's permission: A comprehensive analysis of Jewish Y-DNA haplogroups R1a, J1, and J2, with discussion focused on R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levites, along with a more general discussion of Jewish genetics.

S. Rootsi & D. Behar et al., Phylogenetic Applications of Whole Y-Chromosome Sequences and the Near Eastern Origin of Ashkenazi Levites, Nature Communications 4, Article No. 2928 (2013): A comprehensive analysis of SNPs that are unique to R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levites, including an explanation of how one such SNP, M582, indicates that the R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levite progenitor likely originated in the Near East before the Diaspora. Summarized here.

Eng.molgen.org discussion thread re 2013 Rootsi Paper and Ashkenazi Levite R1a: Discussions re deep roots of R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levites, based upon genetics and history.

I. Rozhanskii & A. Klyosov, Haplogroup R1a, Its Subclades and Branches in Europe during the Last 9,000 Years, Advances in Anthropology, Vol. 2, No. 3, 139-56 (2012): A comprehensive analysis of the time to a Most Recent Common Ancestor for 38 branches of the R1a subclade (R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levites, included in the "South-Eastern Branch (Z93)," are discussed at pp. 5-7).

A. Klyosov & I. Rozhanskii, Haplogroup R1a as the Proto Indo-Europeans and the Legendary Aryans as Witnessed by the DNA of Their Current Descendants, Advances in Anthropology, Vol. 2, No. 1, 1-13 (2012): An analysis of the origins of the R1a haplogroup.

E. Levy-Coffman, A Mosaic of People: The Jewish Story and a Reassessment of the DNA Evidence (2005): A general discussion of Y-DNA and mtDNA among Jewish populations, with historical background.

A. Nebel et al., Y Chromosome Evidence for a Founder Effect in Ashkenazi Jews, 13 European Journal of Human Genetics 388-91 (2004): Discussion of R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levites.

D. Behar, et al., Multiple Origins of Ashkenazi Levites: Y Chromosome Evidence for Both Near Eastern and European Ancestries, Am. J. Hum. Gen. 73:768-799 (2003): The leading article that initially identifed the R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levite cluster.

Intersection of Genetic and Paper Genealogy

E. Gelles, The Jewish Journey: A Passage Through European History (I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd. 2016): Dr. Gelles masterfully traces more than a thousand years of Jewish European history through a series of interwoven essays that focus on important Jewish communities and prominent families, many of which Dr. Gelles connects to his own ancestral lines. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining history, anthropology, and traditional genealogical research with the emerging field of genetic genealogy, Dr. Gelles has created a valuable work that will be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in Jewish European history. Dr. Gelles' book will be of special interest to readers seeking insight as to how their DNA test results may evidence their own links to these communities and families, bridging the gaps in the paper trail that prevent the majority of Ashkenazi Jews from tracing their ancestry back to the 18th and earlier centuries.

D. Wiener, The Weiner Family History in Germany from 1400: Dennis Wiener's website provides a link to download his e-book tracing his ancestry back 600 years. Dennis explains how he, through Y-DNA STR testing and Big Y testing, was able to confirm a suspected relationship and to trace his direct male (R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levite) line back to Oettingen, Bavaria.

Paper Genealogy

Horowitz Genealogy

The Levitical Horowitz Rabbinical Family Alliances Project: Web page on geni.com with links to Horowitz genealogical information, including biographies, geni profiles, Horowitz family trees, and related information

E. Gelles, Family Connections: Gelles - Horowitz - Chajes, A Genealogical Study, Shaker Publishing BV, The Netherlands (2008) (ISBN 978 90 423 0338 6), chapter 2 & tables 9-16: Discussion of Horowitz rabbinical lineage through Brody, Ukraine

S. Gurevich, Gurevich, Gurovich, Gurvich, Gorvich, Gurvitz, Horowitz and Others: History of a Great Family (Haifa, 1999, ISBN 965-222-971-7): History of the Horowitz rabbinical family

Traditional Horowitz Ancestors and Relatives in Spain

Andree Aelion Brooks, Doña Gracia Nasi and her Significance for Jewish History

Moses Avigdor Chaikin, The Celebrities of the Jews: A Glance at the Historical Circumstances of the Jewish People from the Destruction of Jerusalem to the Present Day (in two parts; Part I: 70-1290: See pp. 123-24 for a discussion of Zerachya ha-Levi, traditional ancestor of the Horowitz family.

Samuel Kurinsky, The daCostas: A Remarkable Sephardic Family

Herman Prins Salomon & Aron di Leone, Mendes, Benveniste, de Luna, Micas, Nasci: The State of the Art (1532-1558), The Jewish Quarterly Review, New Series, Vol. 88, No. 3/4 (Jan. - Apr. 1998), pp. 135-211

Wikipedia, Aaron ben Joseph ha-Levi

Wikipedia, Aharon HaLevi

Wikipedia, Benveniste

Wikipedia, Zerachiah ha-Levi of Girona

Ancestors of Other Known R1a-Y2619 Ashkenazi Levites

Yitzchok Levine, Moses Raphael Levy – Wealthy Colonial Jewish Merchant

Patrick Simpson, Descendants of Moses Raphael Levy and Grace Mears (2nd Wife) and Richea (Rycha) Asher (1st Wife)

Sephardic Resources

Caminos de Sefarad: Red de Juderias of Espana (Routes of Sefarad): Interactive maps and chronologies for the Jews of Spain.

Girona Jewish Museum

Jews of Girona

Enrique Mirambell Belloc, Los Judios Gerundenses en el Momento de la Expulsion (Jews in Girona During the Time of the Expulsion)

Robert Ignatius Burns, Jews in the Notarial Culture: Latinate Wills in Mediterranean Spain, 1250-1350

Joseph Jacobs, An Inquiry Into the Sources of the History of the Jews in Spain

Reed Digital Collection: images of gravestones of Sephardic families that settled in the Netherlands (searchable)

Journal of Spanish, Portuguese and Italian Crypto-Jews

Sephardic Surnames

Diariojudio.com: List of more than 5,000 Sephardic surnames.

Dictionary of Sephardic surnames

Anusim.weebly.com: Website about the Anusim, with a list of surnames.

Religious Roles of the Levites

The Tribe: The Cohen-Levi Family Heritage: Levite roles in Biblical times and today

Biblical Levites

The Exodus is Not Fiction: Interview with Richard Elliott Friedman, Reform Judaism (Spring 2014): Discussion of hypothesis that the Levites were the group that left Egypt in the Exodus.

We welcome suggestions for resources to add to this page.