Decoding the mystery of explorer Christopher Columbus's origin

In a documentary aired on Spain's RTVE on October 12, forensic expert Miguel Lorente, head of the aforementioned research team, stated that they used DNA analysis to determine the ancestry of explorer Christopher Columbus. This was done through the analysis of samples from remains buried in the Seville Cathedral in Spain, considered Columbus's final resting place.

The tomb of explorer Christopher Columbus at Seville Cathedral, Spain, on October 11.

Accordingly, scientists used DNA analysis technology and compared it with Columbus's relatives, thereby determining that he was a Sephardic Jew (a Jewish person who once lived on the Iberian Peninsula, which includes present-day Spain and Portugal).

Columbus's origins and burial place have long been a subject of debate. Many historians hypothesize he came from Genoa, Italy, while others suggest he was of Spanish, Greek, or Portuguese descent. Lorente stated that after analyzing 25 sites, it can be determined that Columbus was born in Western Europe.

Approximately 300,000 Jews lived in Spain at the end of the 15th century, before two Catholic monarchs, Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon (two regions of present-day Spain), ordered Jews and Muslims to convert to Catholicism or face expulsion, according to Reuters.

The documentary about the origins of the famous explorer was broadcast on the occasion of Spain's national holiday on October 12th, commemorating Columbus's discovery of the New World (America) in 1492. On October 10th, Lorente confirmed previous theories that Columbus's remains rest in the city of Seville.

Studies aimed at determining Columbus's nationality are challenging due to the large amount of data, but Lorente said the latest results are "almost entirely reliable."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/giai-ma-bi-an-ve-xuat-than-cua-nha-tham-hiem-christopher-columbus-185241013161213222.htm