A new DNA study sheds light on the origins of the Indian Bene Israel community and offers insights into its distant past. According to a new study published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE just two weeks ago, the group formed in one of the Middle Eastern Jewish communities. They arrived in India 19 to 33 generations ago, or 600 to 1,000 years ago, according to the researchers, which is far later than community members’ estimates. The Bene Israel community now numbers over 70,000 people in Israel, making it the world’s largest Indian Jewish community.
