Medieval and contemporary Ashkenazi Jews are genetically virtually identical, and that’s surprising

The Old Synagogue in Erfurt. Photo: Tilman2007, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3. Unique genetic research shows that the Ashkenazi Jewish community has been a virtually closed group since the 14th century. The international and interdisciplinary Genetic Legacies project examined DNA from the teeth of dozens of medieval and contemporary members of the community from the German city of Erfurt. The conclusion: in the past six hundred years there have been hardly any changes in the gene pool. Ashkenazi Jews. Genetic Legacies, a project that involved the collaboration of Professor of Ancient History Leonard Rutgers , debunks an earlier hypothesis which suggests that Ashkenazi Jews from medieval Europe were descendants of the Khazars from Central Asia.