Israelites Not Indigenous to Canaan but Descended From the Steppes, New Study Claims

A new study led by independent researcher Johan Oosthuizen is challenging long-standing beliefs about the origins of the ancient Israelites. Contrary to the dominant view that Israelites were indigenous to Canaan, the research points to their ancestry tracing back to the steppes of Europe.

The findings, based on genetic, historical, and cultural data, suggest that the Israelites were not originally from the Levant. Instead, they likely arrived there from regions linked to ancient steppe cultures in northern and western Europe.

Based on the study, this migration began as early as 1750 BC, with the most significant genetic impact observed around 960 BC.

Genetic data shows sudden change in Iron Age Lebanon

Researchers examined DNA patterns from ancient populations in Lebanon, comparing samples from different periods. They identified a marked rise in genetic markers linked to steppe ancestry beginning in the Iron Age. These markers, especially found in Y-DNA, show traits common among European steppe populations but rare among earlier Canaanite groups.

This cannot be explained by known invasions, such as those by the Assyrians, Persians, or Greeks. These groups arrived later, lacked the necessary genetic traits, or did not settle in the region in large numbers.

Instead, the study argues that the arrival of the Israelites, who maintained strict lineage purity in their early generations, introduced this new genetic signature. As they settled in the region, they mixed gradually with local groups. Over time, this created a detectable shift in the genetic makeup of the population.

The research also examined ancient traits and diet. One indicator is the continued ability to digest milk into adulthood, a trait linked to European ancestry.

Ancient Levantine populations had high lactose intolerance rates. The Israelites, however, frequently consumed dairy and described it as part of their ideal diet in scriptural records. This also supports the argument for a distinct origin.

Steppe-linked DNA and the Israelites’ ancestral trail

The study further highlights a growing presence of specific paternal DNA types, especially haplogroup R1b. This lineage is common in Western European populations and became more frequent in the region over time, consistent with the suggested arrival of steppe-descended migrants.

Archaeological records also show the Israelites living among and intermixing with Canaanites and Phoenician groups in cities like Tyre and Sidon. Their descendants would have blended into local societies over generations, further spreading this genetic influence across the Levant.

To test other possible sources of this genetic shift, the study looked at various ancient groups believed to have moved through the region. It ruled out the Assyrians, Persians, Sea Peoples, Hittites, and others due to mismatched genetic profiles and weak historical evidence of large-scale migration into Canaan.

Israelites indigenous to Canaan or descendants of the Steppes?

The strongest match for the observed genetic changes was with ancient European groups like the Bell Beaker and Middle to Late Bronze Age steppe populations. These findings led the researchers to conclude that the Israelites descended from a population closely related to these groups.

This new theory reopens the debate on who the Israelites were and where they came from. While more research is needed to confirm every detail, the evidence presented pushes scholars to reconsider the long-accepted view that the Israelites were simply another branch of native Canaanites.