Great essay! A lot of this relates to genetic reproductive success, but I am also interested in cultural reproduction. How concerned are people (consciously or unconsciously) with reproducing their cultural/psychological self? Why are Jews culturally matrilineal?
Great essay! A lot of this relates to genetic reproductive success, but I am also interested in cultural reproduction. How concerned are people (consciously or unconsciously) with reproducing their cultural/psychological self? Why are Jews culturally matrilineal?
This must have been researched. Go back far enough and the ancient Jews were very patrilineal but at some point transitioned into matrilineality, at least for determining formal Jewishness. Whether/when they've been culturally matrilineal is a different question ...
I recall seeing comment that the Ashkenazi can be traced to 4 (surviving) mitochondrial lineages. With speculation that shortly after destruction of the Temple Jewish men emigrating into Europe married local women.
Great essay! A lot of this relates to genetic reproductive success, but I am also interested in cultural reproduction. How concerned are people (consciously or unconsciously) with reproducing their cultural/psychological self? Why are Jews culturally matrilineal?
This must have been researched. Go back far enough and the ancient Jews were very patrilineal but at some point transitioned into matrilineality, at least for determining formal Jewishness. Whether/when they've been culturally matrilineal is a different question ...
Yes. A little search turned up this paper: https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/56074971/005._Shaye_J.D._Cohen_-_The_Matrilineal_Principle_in_Historical_Perspective-libre.pdf?1521182817=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DShaye_J_D_Cohen_The_Matrilineal_Principl.pdf&Expires=1690752618&Signature=F2uglMcld6P2JD1Qtz-SM9neesEn6NxJSlNrTibNjFs53wQwLulOpQbu06J11u68HAprtYfFEePz~aDyg9sal7GMmwJKWpz0PrdmU3PyiS27MxmREDuPSDJLkqhNHv1wYPGcVUaI1cjXMlzcQoNuVsVLa52PTdBwKFmM4IaVDHJjkJVKFydAuSWqyLcs6F2eiEdFYE3PJz2nQ0jcIXBsDxyqynVx1yK4VMCQNQv5-PZzrtFHswukQxrmoRLCjbx0zfwMPVA78CvJg-2VIiEO987KrYdZqK5wUBtgSVMTlacdyHP4dpempX1SNr13qZEEAnALU8eQK4nEhCOTBuAd6w__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
I believe the matrilineality comes out of ancient Roman law. Most of the Ashkenazi maternal DNA comes from ancient Roman women.
So, is the matrilinial norm an Ashkenazi thing or also seen in eastern Jews not impacted by the Roman Empire.
At least some studies say that the vast majority of mitochondrial DNA of Ashkenazi Jews is of European origin.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_studies_on_Jews
That suggests that at some point, the Jews of Europe were a bit flexible with their matrilineal lineage rules.
I recall seeing comment that the Ashkenazi can be traced to 4 (surviving) mitochondrial lineages. With speculation that shortly after destruction of the Temple Jewish men emigrating into Europe married local women.