Genetic Ties That Bind: The Remarkable DNA Link of the Kohanim

70%-80% of them carry a common gene in their D.N.A. that appears with unmatched frequency in any other population group. Among non-Kohanim Jews and Gentiles, this gene appears only in about 5% of cases. This gene signifies that the Kohanim belong to the same family, descendants of one man who is the patriarch. Anyone reading the Torah knows that the priesthood begins with Aaron, the Kohen, and all his sons after him, as well as their sons and grandsons who are Kohanim. Aaron and his descendants were chosen by Hashem to be the teachers of Torah to the people of Israel and to serve in the Temple on behalf of the nation, and to this day, they bless the congregation with the 'Priestly Blessing'. The research was conducted by Dr. Goldstein from Oxford University and Dr. H. Ben Ami from Rambam Hospital in Haifa. The project leader in Israel is Professor Karl Skorecki, head of the Department of Molecular Nephrology at the medical school.

The details of the study, published in the scientific journal NATURE, confirm what we know from the Torah about the family of Kohanim, and their lineage is passed down from generation to generation only from father to son. A daughter of a Kohen whose husband is not a Kohen will not have sons who are Kohanim. Indeed, this shared gene will not be found in these sons. The scientific reason is simple; this common gene is found only on the male Y chromosome. The male chromosome is inherited by the child solely from his father, and he will pass it only to his sons. Only grandsons on their father's side bear the gene that signifies their belonging to the family of Kohanim. The Torah's halachic determination finds its expression in the D.N.A. present in every cell of a Kohen's body, bearing the imprint of this gene. Kohanim around the world, across all Jewish diasporas, carry in their bodies the mark of their priesthood.

Genetics revealed this to us only recently. But that's not all. Genetic science tells us that the gene undergoes a tiny change when it passes from one generation to the next. This change is observable, and thus it is possible to determine, according to the size of the change, how many generations have passed since the original gene bearer. Those knowledgeable in Torah need no scientific research to know that Aaron, the Kohen, brother of Moses, who was 83 years old at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, is the progenitor of all Kohanim. We are curious to see if genetic experts will reach the same conclusion. Well, the meticulous study has shown that, on average, one hundred and six generations have passed from the patriarch of the Kohanim family to today. To calculate the patriarch's era, this number must be multiplied by the length of one generation.

This is, of course, not a uniform number, as one Kohen might be born to a father at twenty, while another is born to a father at forty. It is customary to calculate thirty years on average for a generation. Multiplying 30 by 106 generations equals 3,160 years, while the Exodus from Egypt was approximately 3,300 years ago. The (average) calculation from the research aligns almost precisely with the days of Aaron, according to Torah tradition. Those who refuse to believe in the tradition of the people of Israel must bow their heads to the scientific evidence for the truth and reliability of the Torah tradition passed down meticulously from generation to generation.