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Last update - 00:00 14/11/2008
How white were the Israelites? Facial reconstruction may be surprising
By Ofri Ilani, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Jewish World, Bible 
 

No one knows how the Israelites and the Judeans looked or which people they would most closely resemble today. Bible stories and historical essays from the Second Temple Period offer a relatively few descriptions of the Israelites' physical appearance. Whatever descriptions do exist can be interpreted in countless ways. The skeletons uncovered at archaeological digs throughout Israel provide only partial information regarding the appearance of early Land of Israel residents.

The accepted assumption has been that early Hebrews resembled the people now living in the Middle East or the Mediterranean Basin. However, an Israeli anthropologist researching the question has now made a surprising claim: the subjects of the Kingdom of Judea in the Second Temple Period looked more like black Africans. This theory arose after Prof. Yair Ben David of Tel-Aviv University conducted the first-ever facial reconstruction of its kind.

The research, conducted with scientists from the Russian Foundation of Fundamental Investigation, was published in the German journal Anthropoligischer Anzeiger. Ben Yair used the skull of a male from the Hellenistic Period and a female from the Roman Period that had been discovered in the Dead Sea region.
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The researchers reconstructed gaps in the skulls and inserted false teeth. They measured the skulls and reconstructed the soft tissue based on earlier research. Using cutting-edge technology, they created two statues they say are quite accurate representations of early Hebrew man and woman.

Not surprisingly, the appearance of the man is very similar to that of today's Middle Eastern man. The researchers concluded that he belonged to the Mediterranean branch of the Caucasoid group, scientific terminology for what is known as "white."

However, the woman's appearance was quite surprising. She has a large mouth with a protruding upper lip and a full lower lip. The nose is also prominent with a low bridge. These and other findings led the researchers to determine that while the reconstructed woman was also Caucasoid, she had "equatorial (African)" characteristics.

The article notes her "high and prominent upper lip, and 'plump' lower lip." The researchers added: "The chin is prominent, high and narrow, protruding outward."

Ben David highlights the similarities between the two reconstructions and reconstructions of later Jewish populations in Europe. He also compared the early Jews he reconstructed to the average characteristics of modern Jewish populations in Israel, and reached the conclusion that there is a great similarity between the populations.

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      1.   BoBama A Jew? 05:28  |  crlman 14/11/08
      2.   White? 05:57  |  Yosemite 14/11/08
      3.   Whoops! 05:58  |  Yosemite 14/11/08
      4.   psynopsis? the ancient israelites looked like arabs 06:26  |  not white 14/11/08
      5.   shoddy science 06:28  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/11/08
      6.   APPEARANCE OF ISRAELITES . . . 06:54  |  Bob 14/11/08
      7.   APPEARANCE OF ISRAELITES . . . 06:57  |  Bob 14/11/08
      8.   King David 07:30  |  Schmidlap 14/11/08
      9.   #6 Bob on the appearance of the Israelites 07:43  |  hala 14/11/08
      10.   #6 Well, the bible describes Jesus 08:04  |  ballistic 14/11/08
      11.   Does it even matter? 08:08  |  Jacob Blues 14/11/08
      12.   Statistically not valid- a sample includes many more cases 08:58  |  Michael 14/11/08
      13.   they were more like Iraqis than african though common features 09:36  |  Jo 14/11/08
      14.   ok, this only backs up the claim they looked middle eastern 09:38  |  David G 14/11/08
      15.   There is no white race. 10:00  |  Michael J 14/11/08
      16.   BLACK ISRAELITES 10:10  |  HM 14/11/08
      17.   black woman 10:25  |  shoshana 14/11/08
      18.   I thought we were all descended 11:01  |  Rosseta Stone 14/11/08
      19.   she might have been a slave 11:14  |  Noa 14/11/08
      20.   Israelites 11:17  |  Sara 14/11/08
      21.   Ther`s a facial description of 2nd Temple Jews 11:19  |  HS 14/11/08
      22.   How can you know about "a full lower lip" from skeleton? 11:58  |  rehovot 14/11/08
      23.   Who said they were jews? 12:01  |  Nora 14/11/08
      24.   The British scientists made a similar reconstruction of Jesus`s 12:36  |  Alicia 14/11/08
      25.   HS 12. Longing for an Aryan heritage? 13:00  |  Michael 14/11/08
      26.   Where is the picture? 14:26  |  Al 14/11/08
      27.   I dont know if this proves anything but.. 14:31  |  Reuben Jacobs 14/11/08
      28.   Black African Israelites 14:51  |  Mel McManus 14/11/08
      29.   How do they know they are "Hebrews"? 15:07  |  Giora 14/11/08
      30.   Michael #17:"Aryan" is a pseudo-scientific racial term 15:11  |  Andy 14/11/08
      31.   This is an issue 15:42  |  Joe 14/11/08
      32.   Blues 16:03  |  Abe 14/11/08
      33.   Cut the crap, they were beautiful people. 16:13  |  Edith 14/11/08
      34.   #17 Smart Michel 16:17  |  HS 14/11/08
      35.   Don`t you know? 16:37  |  Mark Lincoln 14/11/08
      36.   Thank you Andy for the semantics lesson 16:46  |  Mark Lincoln 14/11/08
      37.   Two skeletons and the temptation to epater le bourgeois. 17:05  |  Fortuna Benmayor 14/11/08
      38.   Andy 21. Don`t you do irony in the US? 18:02  |  Michael 14/11/08
      39.   Well Connie, Kath and BJ, what do you know? 18:09  |  ballistic 14/11/08
      40.   @20 Giora 18:12  |  ballistic 14/11/08
      41.   the ancient israelites were arabs 18:33  |  simple enough 14/11/08
      42.   Not really surprising 18:48  |  Gali 14/11/08
      43.   great! now i can be a racist with proof! 18:50  |  blackish white 14/11/08
      44.   #17,#21 Smart Michel 18:55  |  HS 14/11/08
      45.   What? didn`t look like women in Dating ads? 18:55  |  David K 14/11/08
      46.   #23 Much very simple 19:03  |  HS 14/11/08
      47.   #15 - Alicia 19:05  |  MichaelF 14/11/08
      48.   There is no correlation. . . . 19:10  |  MichaelF 14/11/08
      49.   #23 - simple enough 19:12  |  MichaelF 14/11/08
      50.   Its amazing 19:13  |  Kumar 14/11/08
      51.   #19 - Giora 19:16  |  MichaelF 14/11/08
      52.   well ballestic,what do you know,you have shown us again 19:19  |  terrornator 14/11/08
      53.   Did she have green eyes or brown eyes? 19:22  |  Yacov 14/11/08
      54.   HOW WHITE WERE THE ISRAELITES 19:25  |  AVRAHAM 14/11/08
      55.   #19 Giora: Her head was shaved and she was wearing a sheytl. 19:28  |  Bennie 14/11/08
      56.   Was not Abraham the First Jew and Sarah his wife 19:31  |  Dagma 14/11/08
      57.   ballistic 19:32  |  Connie 14/11/08
      58.   Look at Arabs to see your grandfathers, Israel is arabic tribe 19:32  |  Tayfun_Turkey 14/11/08
      59.   Gene studies: jews most like other middle easterners 19:35  |  rehovot 14/11/08
      60.   #23 Much very simple 19:37  |  HS 14/11/08
      61.   anyone who has been up close and personal 19:39  |  to an arab woman 14/11/08
      62.   Ishmael looked like Hagar and Isak like Sarah 19:47  |  Alicia 14/11/08
      63.   HS 26 You seem confused 19:54  |  Michael 14/11/08
      64.   ridiculous assumptions... 20:15  |  Michael Greenberg 14/11/08
      65.   FACTS 20:19  |  DAVID 14/11/08
      66.   what a dumb article 20:24  |  Schmidlap 14/11/08
      67.   #6 BOB and the appearance of the Israelites 20:36  |  hala 14/11/08
      68.   Racial Identity in Biblical Isreal 20:37  |  Brendan 14/11/08
      69.   terrorantor 21:02  |  Connie 14/11/08
      70.   simple enough 23 21:02  |  Ruben 14/11/08
      71.   Jewish genes 21:10  |  Abu Salaah 14/11/08
      72.   Ballistic my daughter 21:23  |  Yacub the Scientist 14/11/08
      73.   Read ENTIRE Article 21:23  |  James 14/11/08
      74.   The racial origins of Jesus 21:32  |  Yacub the Scientist 14/11/08
      75.   #19 Giora Arabs Declared Refugees After ONLY 2 YEARS IN PALESTINE 21:54  |  Linda Rivera 14/11/08
      76.   #26 Rishon Lezion 22:00  |  Nathaniel 14/11/08
      77.   We`re a People of Color 22:13  |  Lee 14/11/08
      78.   looks are not decieving: sepharti look like arabs 22:25  |  because they are 14/11/08
      79.   One Person 22:31  |  Stephen 14/11/08
      80.   Excatly 22:32  |  Anthony 14/11/08
      81.   To Michael UK 16 Aryan longing 22:38  |  David 14/11/08
      82.   #31 Say Terrornator-2nd try 22:42  |  ballistic 14/11/08
      83.   #19 Giora Arabs Declared Refugees After ONLY 2 YEARS IN PALESTINE 22:50  |  Linda Rivera 14/11/08
      84.   Genetic studies 22:54  |  DB 14/11/08
      85.   Evidence of Ancient Sex Slavery Found? 23:00  |  Arik Silverman 14/11/08
      86.   Has it occurred to them that the woman was an immigrant? 00:06  |  Jake 15/11/08
      87.   related question to all the jews here 00:12  |  can you tell me 15/11/08
      88.   say ballestic,that wasn`t the point,the point i was 00:23  |  terrornator 15/11/08
      89.   #39 Nay, but may be Irish are an Israeli lost tribe 00:26  |  HS 15/11/08
      90.   and while your at it ballestic,do some research yourself,i did 00:41  |  terrornator 15/11/08
      91.   yes HS and the celtic druids were all rabbi 00:46  |  and the 15/11/08
      92.   What else is new? 00:50  |  Gbudwe 15/11/08
      93.   one more thing ballestic,if you want to know the truth about 00:50  |  terrornator 15/11/08
      94.   Ancient Israelites 01:23  |  The Teacher/Instruct 15/11/08
      95.   #90 Terrornator, you poor dear 01:26  |  ballistic 15/11/08
      96.   #92 Say Gbudne, Terrornator needs your help! 01:35  |  ballistic 15/11/08
      97.   #94 Say Kath!!!! 01:37  |  ballistic 15/11/08
      98.   The Teacher/Instruct? thanks for the fluff 01:57  |  but you fal 15/11/08
      99.   75 you must`ve fluncked history 02:00  |  sst 15/11/08
      100.   linda 83 02:07  |  Anthony 15/11/08
      101.   #86 Jake and the cuttng of the Gordian knot 02:08  |  hala 15/11/08
      102.   99 you must`ve flunked spelling 03:09  |  fluncked 15/11/08
      103.   #97 Look at all the deniers of truth 03:10  |  mike 15/11/08
      104.   Anthony? best to ignore Linda Rivera 03:11  |  on most talkbacks 15/11/08
      105.   bullestic,"the black man is the original man of the planet and 03:21  |  terrornator 15/11/08
      106.   two skulls do not a theory make 03:26  |  bernard ross 15/11/08
      107.   #88 Terrotnator 03:31  |  Daniel 15/11/08
      108.   Egyptians are/were not Black 03:57  |  Larry Lovelace 15/11/08
      109.   Who is Linda Rivera? Post #83 03:58  |  Jasper 15/11/08
      110.   What Difference Does It Make? 04:01  |  Heather Czenriak 15/11/08
      111.   #63Look Michael, you show a great amount of 04:12  |  HS 15/11/08
      112.   Physical appearance of hebrews-read up 04:40  |  Peter 15/11/08
      113.   So what? 04:45  |  Arie 15/11/08
      114.   What`s that about Arabs? 05:16  |  L. Thomas 15/11/08
      115.   Honestly... 05:42  |  Yosemite 15/11/08
      116.   Poor Terrornator at #105 07:22  |  ballistic 15/11/08
      117.   Jeff you are wrong Jesus WAS a Catholic as myself 07:44  |  Yaakov Sullivan 15/11/08
      118.   Of course we know what they looked like, they looked like the 07:44  |  Jack 15/11/08
      119.   Shoddy Science 08:06  |  Palestinian Brit 15/11/08
      120.   Jews and Arabs - semitic tribes. 08:14  |  Palestinian Brit 15/11/08
      121.   Egyptians 08:20  |  Palestinian Brit 15/11/08
      122.   #118 Jack I`m Right Read... 08:32  |  Yosemite 15/11/08
      123.   How do they know they weren`t slaves` skulls? 08:32  |  redmike 15/11/08
      124.   Yaacov 08:38  |  Palestinian Brit 15/11/08
      125.   They looked just like us: their DNA is like ours 10:20  |  Israel 15/11/08
      126.   #119, PB, shoddy science always matters 10:22  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/11/08
      127.   SEPHARDIC VS ASHKENAZI 10:41  |  samy 15/11/08
      128.   Intermarriage in the Scriptures 10:41  |  hala 15/11/08
      129.   "How white" Ofri Ilani 11:29  |  Kent Kelley 15/11/08
      130.   My text in response to "whiteness" 11:43  |  Kent Kelley 15/11/08
      131.   #127, samy, wrong: dna proves otherwise 12:46  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/11/08
      132.   JESUSALEN 14:45  |  cristian 15/11/08
      133.   samy - "SEPHARDIC VS ASHKENAZI" 14:46  |  17 15/11/08
      134.   Correction - "Both Sephardic and Ashkenazi Leviim 15:29  |  17 15/11/08
      135.   yea,whatever bullestic,it says his head and hair was white as 15:42  |  terrornator 15/11/08
      136.   daniel # 107 thats my point exactly! 15:48  |  terrornator 15/11/08
      137.   btw daniel,did you vote for marion berry both times? 15:49  |  terrornator 15/11/08
      138.   Lunging at Any Chance to be Not European 16:08  |  UsedToPostHere 15/11/08
      139.   #126 Cipora, pretty small sample must 17:17  |  ballistic 15/11/08
      140.   Israel - but who are "they?" 18:00  |  Palestinian Brit 15/11/08
      141.   #104 Anthony ,best to ignore Linda Rivera.Why do you LIE about me 18:11  |  Linda Rivera 15/11/08
      142.   Pali Brit re Egyptians 18:35  |  Arie 15/11/08
      143.   Who cares if black, tan, or white? 19:22  |  Miransky 15/11/08
      144.   Palestinian Brit 20:34  |  danite 15/11/08
      145.   Were the skulls from locals or from slaves? 20:40  |  redmike 15/11/08
      146.   to 56 Facial reconstruction 21:24  |  amos 15/11/08
      147.   # 133 Errata: should read 22:15  |  17 second try 15/11/08
      148.   The "Messenger" of peace and goodness... 22:26  |  Maureen Ann 15/11/08
      149.   Jews and color 22:40  |  Hal 15/11/08
      150.   Danite 23:11  |  Palestinian Brit 15/11/08
      151.   Ancient Israelite Skeletons and extrapolation 00:02  |  Miriyam B.. Karasik 16/11/08
      152.   poor bullestic,she got caught in a lie and now she won`t come out 00:42  |  terrornator 16/11/08
      153.   How white? 01:00  |  Shmuelshachor 16/11/08
      154.   The first man and woman....... 02:00  |  Larry Lovelace 16/11/08
      155.   Israeli colour 02:17  |  BBMullen 16/11/08
      156.   Flipping to the front 02:20  |  Mark Lincoln 16/11/08
      157.   Another Black Myth,Cleopatra was a White Greek & described 02:24  |  PK 16/11/08
      158.   #48-MichaelF-Yes Ethiopians tend to have sharp features yet their 02:32  |  PK 16/11/08
      159.   How are they so sure, and Who Cares Anyway?? 05:18  |  AllOfOneSoul 16/11/08
      160.   I Consulted A Doctor About Facial Reconstruction 06:04  |  Yosemite 16/11/08
      161.   150 Terrornator 09:17  |  mike 16/11/08
      162.   #155 PK 09:25  |  Mike 16/11/08
      163.   #139 Linda Rivera 09:29  |  mike 16/11/08
      164.   !25 Israel 09:31  |  mike 16/11/08
      165.   mike,you an ignorant,narrowminded moron,just like ballestic 19:48  |  terrornator 16/11/08
      166.   165 Terrornator 20:12  |  mike 16/11/08
      167.   #161 Ballistic-hitting your head on a stone wall? 20:38  |  mike 16/11/08
      168.   mike#161,162,163,164,166,167,,,my bad,you are ballestic!!! 03:11  |  terrornator 17/11/08
      169.   168 Terrornator 05:22  |  mike 17/11/08
      170.   The truth 05:31  |  Taharka 17/11/08
      171.   "white mike,hoe could you possibly know what was in ballestics 04:07  |  terrornator 20/11/08
      172.   #82 Terrornator 00:41  |  mike 21/11/08
      173.   #21 - classic racist 03:41  |  Daniel 24/11/08
      174.   white israelites !? WHAT!!?? 07:18  |  kwame 01/04/09
      175.   black messiah 07:24  |  kwame 01/04/09
      176.   Black Israelis 18:20  |  zolisa 05/10/09
      177.   Caucasians are not a race??? 05:27  |  Kray 14/10/09
      178.   Hellenistic times 23:29  |  Sherlock Holmes 03/11/09
      179.   It does matter 16:30  |  Joe 07/02/10
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