According to what became known at the screening of “Colón ADN. Su verdadero origen” (“The DNA of Columbus: His true roots”), Christopher Columbus was a Spanish, or Sephardic, Jew.
Columbus’ lineage unveiled through DNA analysis
The centuries-old mystery of Christopher Columbus’ lineage has been solved. Scientists revealed the explorer’s roots after DNA analysis in a documentary aired on Saturday, October 10th on Spanish television.
Researchers, led by forensic pathologist Miguel Llorente, examined microscopic samples of remains buried in Seville Cathedral. They compared them to those of his known relatives and descendants. The DNA study confirmed that the remains of Christopher Columbus are indeed buried in Seville. Llorente, briefing reporters on the findings, confirmed this.
He specifically stated: “Today it became possible to verify with new technologies, definitively confirming the previous partial theory that the remains in Seville belong to Christopher Columbus.”
The ethnicity investigation was more complicated due to several factors, including the vast amount of data, but “the result is almost completely reliable,” Llorente added.
Christopher Columbus and the Spanish-Jewish connection
There has long been almost conclusive evidence that Christopher Columbus was a Sephardic Jew, meaning a Jew of Spanish and hence Western European descent. In particular, one element that had led scientists to this conclusion, even prior to DNA analysis, was the limited information available about his early years.
He may have actively hidden his Jewish roots to avoid persecution by the Catholic Spanish monarchs. In the 15th century, most Sephardic Jews were indeed Crypto-Jews. At the same time, historical evidence indicates that Columbus often made personal use of Jewish symbols.
Mystery of Christopher Columbus’s roots
Writers have produced more content on Christopher Columbus than anyone else except Jesus Christ, yet his past remains shrouded in mystery.
The majority of historians generally agree that Columbus’ family was from Liguria. Christopher was born in the city of Genoa, the son of Domenico Columbo, a local weaver. However, the exact origin of Christopher Columbus has been a source of speculation since the 19th century. Recently, many published texts have claimed that the great admiral could have been Portuguese, Catalan, Polish, or Greek.
Is Christopher Columbus buried in both Seville and Santo Domingo?
Columbus died at the age of 55 in the northwestern Spanish city of Valladolid in 1506. However, his last wish was to be buried on the island of Hispaniola. Both the Dominican Republic and Haiti share this island.
His remains were thus moved there in 1542 and then relocated to Cuba in 1795. Finally, in 1898, they were believed to have been moved to Seville, Spain.
In 1877, workmen in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, discovered a lead coffin buried behind the shrine in the Santo Domingo Cathedral. The coffin contained bone fragments, which the Dominican Republic claims are Columbus’ remains.
Llorente believes that the claim that Christopher Columbus is buried in both Seville and Santo Domingo could be valid, as the remains in both locations are in fact incomplete.