Constructing black Jews: genetic tests and the Lemba--the 'black Jews' of South Africa.
This commentary examines the use of Y-chromosome testing to reconstruct a genetic ancestry for the Lemba, a group in southern Africa that has long considered itself Jewish. The commentary looks especially at the reasons why this project drew such attention from the mainstream media.
Parfitt
Tudor
T
Department of the Near and Middle East, School of Oriental and Africa Studies, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG, UK. tp@soas.ac.uk
D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics*; D005145:Face; D036281:Genetic Research; D005820:Genetic Testing; D005828:Genetics, Population / Q000379:methods; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D007585:Jews / Q000235:genetics*; D007599:Judaism; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008877:Middle East / Q000208:ethnology; D010375:Pedigree; D012922:Social Change; D012933:Social Identification; D013019:South Africa; D015030:Zimbabwe