Yes, according to the flesh, confirmed by paternal (father’s side) DNA… not by hearsay, facial features, family name, genealogical records, or Rabbinical approval. But most importantly, yes according to the Spirit, through Y’shua Ha Meshiach (Jesus the Messiah), confirmed by a circumcised heart.
Prior to my DNA results (Dec 2007) my answer would have been different. I would have said, “No, according to the flesh.” But most importantly, “Yes according to the Spirit, under G-d’s new covenant I was grafted in (G-d’s conversion process) through Y’shua Ha Meshiach, confirmed by a circumcised heart.
Rom 2:28-29
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. KJV
But, today things are all topsy-turvy and so tampered with. The ultra-Orthodox Sanhedrin say, “If your mother’s a Jew, then you’re a Jew.” The Reform and the Conservatives say, “If your mother or father’s a Jew, then you’re a Jew.” Bottom-line, the Sanhedrin has the final say so (at least that's what they think).
Thus, the way it stands, "if your mother’s a Jew - you’re a Jew", leaves huge loopholes for dishonesty and corruption. It is common knowledge, that for the right amount of money to the right rabbi, he can make you a Jew. Yeah, the way it is, documents can be fabricated or forged, hearsay could be lies, etc. but DNA will tell you ‘Who’s your daddy!’ The blood cries out and tells you the truth.
My DNA traces to the Igbo (Hebrew) Tribe. My ancestors migrated from The Fertile Crescent to Ethiopia to Nigeria.
You probably never heard of the Igbo Jews because the majority of them are Messianic Jews (Jews who believe that Y'shua is the Messiah). Thus, not recognized as Jews by the Sanhedrin or the State of Israel, and the name Igbo has for all Jewish practical purposes been blotted out. They are left behind and discarded for the same reason as the Falash Mura (the Messianic Ethiopian Jews).
You can believe in Buddha, Muhammad, Rabbi Schneerson, even be an Atheist and still be considered a Jew. But believing in Y’shua (Jesus) instantly disqualifies you… that means Igbo, Falash Mura, Lemba, whoever.
By the way, have you ever heard of the Lemba Tribe? Man, they have the Cohenim gene in their DNA (CMH). Wow! These guys are some of the true Cohens, the Jewish pristhood.
For those of you who are not familiar with the word Cohan/Cohen, it means priest. The word Cohen is not mentioned in the KJV. If you look up the Hebrew word for ‘priest’ in the Strong’s Concordance (3548) you will see for yourself that when the Bible was translated 'Cohan' was replaced with the word 'priest'.
Many Jews or Jew wantabes, have given themselves the last names of Levi and Cohen… but this doesn’t necessarily make them a priest. On the other hand, perhaps not a single Lemba’s last name is Levi or Cohan yet DNA proof says that many have the Cohen gene. But, this would be an outrage. No, no, no! The Lemba name must be blotted out!
Like I said, the DNA will answer the question “Who’s A Jew?” But can we handle the truth? Ironically, the Hassidei Gur who give me such a hard time, day in and day out, are highly suspected of NOT being Jewish by blood. On this I would challenge them, not to a debate, but to take a DNA test!
All my life, all I knew was that I was a Black/American Indian, born and raised in NYC. Vice-versa, some people, all they know is that they are Jewish, born Jewish, because that’s what they’ve been told, written on their birth certificate, going by their looks, from generation to generation.
In the past, that’s how we used to determine who the daddy was: say-so, birth certificate, and looks. That’s how we used to identify suspects: say-so, fitting the description, etc. So primitive and inaccurate compared to the science of DNA and forensic research.
But, the only documentation I have of being a Jew is my paternal DNA test results, which doesn’t mean a thing according to Rabbinic Judaism. Yet, ironically when the reinstated Sanhedrin was looking for a new King of the Jews, one who’s a direct descendent of the House of David, they were interested only in the paternal father’s side lineage, thus choosing Rabbi Yosef Dayan from Psagot, Israel.
Bottom-line:
All this “to do” about mother, father, and DNA is irrelevant in this day and time. All that stuff was important under the Old Covenant G-d had with Israel!
We are now living under the New Covenant that was mentioned in Jeremiah 31:31-32. As Y’shua said, “a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart…”
Yeah, we all need to find out about that New Covenant and validate our Jewishness and our conversions (grafted in) accordingly. God is making a ‘one new man’! Eph 2:14-18
06-12-09 JP DNA and paternity testing HOT!
askmoses.com
100% DNA Proof Doesn't Matter ... according to these on-line Rabbinical Scholars
