Druze DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Lebanon · West Asia
The Druze faith emerged in the early 11th century, and the community closed itself to new converts soon after, so Druze identity has passed down through families. Most Druze live in the mountains of Lebanon, southern Syria and northern Israel. Our model splits the Lebanese Druze average into 30.9% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 21.6% Iranian Neolithic farmer, 18.6% Levantine Neolithic farmer, 11.6% Natufian, 10.1% Caucasus hunter-gatherer and 7.2% steppe. That places the Druze between the two Lebanese averages in our atlas: their Natufian share falls between the Christian (8.1%) and the Muslim (17.1%) figures. What stands out is how close Druze samples are to each other across borders, with Lebanese and Israeli Druze at 0.0038 and 0.0055 from this average, and how close they are to the Alawites (0.0075). Upper Mesopotamia holds the nearest ancient groups, Parthian to Roman-era Nevali Cori and early medieval Midyat.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 30.9%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 21.6%, Levantine Neolithic farmers 18.6%
- Closest other population in our data: Alawite, distance 0.0075
- Closest ancient group in our data: Turkey Mesopotamia Parthian-Roman Empire Nevali Cori (Syrio-Mesopotamian Profile), distance 0.0212
Where does Druze DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Druze individuals sampled in Lebanon, listed in the G25 sheet as "Lebanese_Druze" and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Druze average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Druze average, 30.9%, goes to Anatolian Neolithic farmers, ahead of Iranian Neolithic farmers (21.6%) and Levantine Neolithic farmers (18.6%). The Anatolian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. The Iranian Neolithic farmers share (21.6%) reflects the early farmers and herders of the Zagros mountains in Iran. No single source dominates, so the profile is best read as a balanced blend of several ancient ancestries.
The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.025): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Ararat – Levant & Caucasus Report
Closest modern populations to Druze
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Druze average is Druze (Lebanon), at a distance of 0.004 (very close). Next come Druze (Israel) at 0.006 and Alawite at 0.008. Even the tenth closest, Alawite (Syria), is only 0.017 away: Druze belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Druze (Lebanon) | 0.0038 | Very close |
| 2 | Druze (Israel) | 0.0055 | Very close |
| 3 | Alawite | 0.0075 | Very close |
| 4 | Druze (other sample set) | 0.0093 | Very close |
| 5 | Lebanese (Orthodox Christian Koura) | 0.0133 | Very close |
| 6 | Lebanese Arab Muslim Sunni (Dinniyeh) | 0.0134 | Very close |
| 7 | Lebanese (Muslim) | 0.0145 | Very close |
| 8 | Syrian Arab (Levantine Profile) | 0.0150 | Very close |
| 9 | Lebanese (Christian) | 0.0164 | Very close |
| 10 | Alawite (Syria) | 0.0172 | Very close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Druze
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Druze average is Turkey Mesopotamia Parthian-Roman Empire Nevali Cori (Syrio-Mesopotamian Profile) (Parthian era, c. 250 BC-224 AD), at 0.021. Turkey Mesopotamia Early Medieval Midyat (Mixed Assyrian+Levantine Profile) and Lebanon Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Ej-Jaouze (Byzantine) come next. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turkey Mesopotamia Parthian-Roman Empire Nevali Cori (Syrio-Mesopotamian Profile) | Parthian era, c. 250 BC-224 AD | 0.0212 |
| 2 | Turkey Mesopotamia Early Medieval Midyat (Mixed Assyrian+Levantine Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0235 |
| 3 | Lebanon Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Ej-Jaouze (Byzantine) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0251 |
| 4 | Lebanon High Medieval | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0266 |
| 5 | Turkey Levant Hatay LBA Alalakh | Late Bronze Age | 0.0267 |
| 6 | Lebanon Late Antiquity Qornet ed-Deir | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0270 |
| 7 | Serbia Roman Empire Viminacium Pirivoj (Levantine Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0271 |
| 8 | Lebanon Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Ej-Jaouze (Byzantine-Rashidun) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0273 |
| 9 | Lebanon IAIII Beirut | Iron Age | 0.0273 |
| 10 | Italy Lazio Roman Empire Rome (Mesopotamian Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0275 |
Ancient DNA from Lebanon
Our ancient DNA database holds 85 individuals excavated in present-day Lebanon, dated from about 1,825 BC to 1252 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R1b (12), J1a (7) and E1b (6), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are J1 (9), T2 (9) and H2 (6). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Druze population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
| Haplogroup | Individuals | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| R1b | 12 | R3477 R3476 ERS3189343 |
| J1a | 7 | ERS1790733 CGG_2_104257 SFI-55 |
| E1b | 6 | CGG_2_104298 SFI-12 R9818 |
| J2a | 6 | CGG_2_104256 CGG_2_104281 CGG_2_104315 |
| J2b | 6 | CGG_2_104258 CGG_2_104304 CGG_2_104308 |
| T1a | 6 | CGG_2_104299 CGG_2_104313 QED-2 |
| G2a | 3 | SFI-47 SFI-15 SFI-11 |
| Q1b | 3 | SFI-5 ERS3189355 SI-45 |
Most frequent mtDNA haplogroups
| Haplogroup | Individuals | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| J1 | 9 | CGG_2_104300 CGG_2_104313 CGG_2_104309 |
| T2 | 9 | CGG_2_104256 CGG_2_104281 SFI-43 |
| H2 | 6 | SFI-55 SFI-42 ERS3189342 |
| K1 | 6 | CGG_2_104302 CGG_2_104307 CGG_2_104314 |
| HV1 | 5 | ERS1790732 ERS3189338 QED-7 |
| H | 4 | CGG_2_104304 MS10562 QED-9 |
| H32 | 4 | CGG_2_104258 CGG_2_104303 CGG_2_104306 |
| T1 | 4 | SFI-34 SFI-33 ERS3189333 |
Ancient DNA studies on Lebanon
- Anatolian genetic ancestry in North Lebanese populations (2024)
- Ancient DNA investigation of the 17 Maronite patriarchs of Qanubin (2023)
- A Transient Pulse of Genetic Admixture from the Crusaders in the Near East Identified from Ancient Genome Sequences (2019)
- Ancient mitogenomes of Phoenicians from Sardinia and Lebanon: A story of settlement, integration, and female mobility (2018)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 85 from Lebanon.
Compare yourself with Druze
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Druze average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Druze and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Druze individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Druze. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Druze average. Your own DNA has its own story: Ararat – Levant & Caucasus Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of Levant or Caucasus ancestry: ancient regional core (Levant Iron Age, Caucasus Hunter-Gatherer, Kura-Araxes Bronze Age) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 13 communities (Maronite, Druze, Sunni...
More populations from West Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Druze?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Druze average is about 30.9% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 21.6% Iranian Neolithic farmers and 18.6% Levantine Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Druze?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Druze average are Druze (Lebanon), Druze (Israel) and Alawite. The closest ancient matches are Turkey Mesopotamia Parthian-Roman Empire Nevali Cori (Syrio-Mesopotamian Profile), Turkey Mesopotamia Early Medieval Midyat (Mixed Assyrian+Levantine Profile) and Lebanon Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Ej-Jaouze (Byzantine).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Druze?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Druze average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Druze ancestry?
For the Druze average, the regional report to choose is Ararat – Levant & Caucasus Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.