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Lost Tribes of Israel
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Program Overview
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NOVA follows anthropologist Tudor Parfitt as he investigates the
historical and genetic roots of the Lemba of Soweto in southern
Africa who claim to be one of the Lost Tribes of Abraham.
The program:
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explores the Lemba's claim to be Jewish based on their oral
history, religious observances, and social customs.
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relates Jewish religious traditions, including passing the
priesthood from father to son.
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explains how the Y chromosome carries a genetic marker through
generations of males and thus can be used to establish
relationships between ancient and modern people.
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postulates that if the Lemba males have the same unique genetic
marker as the priests called Cohanim then their claim of Jewish
ancestry is more probable.
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traces Parfitt's journey to find the original Sena, the town
from which the Lemba claim to have originated.
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follows Parfitt as he collects tissue samples from the Lemba
males.
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concludes that the Lemba Y chromosomes show a number of genetic
links with Middle Eastern peoples, and that one Lemba clan in
particular possesses the Cohanim gene.
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