By Sharon Begley NEW YORK (Reuters) - A new genetic analysis has
reconstructed the history of North Africa's Jews, showing that
these populations date to biblical-era Israel and are not
largely the descendants of natives who converted to Judaism,
scientists reported on Monday. The study also shows that these
Jews form two distinct groups, one of which is more closely
related than the other to their European counterparts,
reflecting historical migrations. The findings are the latest in
series of genetic studies, which began in the 1990s, indicating
that the world's Jews share biological roots, not just cultural
and religious ties. In many cases the analyses have confirmed
what scholars had gleaned from archaeological finds and
historical accounts. "This work demonstrates a shared genetic
history among the Jews of North Africa and strengthens the case
for a biological basis for Jewishness," said medical geneticist
Harry Ostrer of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New
York, who led the study. For the ne