Iraqi Jewish DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Iraq · West Asia
The Jews of Iraq trace their history to the Babylonian exile of the 6th century BC, and for many centuries Babylonia was a leading centre of Jewish learning, where the Babylonian Talmud was compiled. Almost the whole community left for Israel between 1950 and 1952. In our model, the Iraqi Jewish average is 29.9% Iranian Neolithic farmer, 28.9% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 20.8% Levantine Neolithic, 10.7% Caucasus hunter-gatherer, 7.8% Natufian and only 1.9% steppe, a clearly Mesopotamian profile with far more Iranian-related ancestry than Sephardic Jews (12.6%). The nearest modern averages are Kurdish Jews (distance 0.0127) and Jews from Urmia, then Assyrians of Iraq (0.0205) and Iranian Jews. Fittingly, the closest ancient groups carry a Mesopotamian signal: Roman-era people with a Mesopotamian profile buried in Rome (0.0215), early medieval Midyat in Upper Mesopotamia and Achaemenid and Old Babylonian period people from Bakr Awa in Iraqi Kurdistan.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Iranian Neolithic farmers 29.9%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 28.9%, Levantine Neolithic farmers 20.8%
- Closest modern population in our data: Kurdish Jew, distance 0.0127
- Closest ancient group in our data: Italy Lazio Roman Empire Rome (Mesopotamian Profile), distance 0.0215
Where does Iraqi Jewish DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Iraqi Jewish individuals sampled in Iraq, listed in the G25 sheet as "Iraqi_Jew" 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 Iraqi Jewish average
The ancient make-up of the Iraqi Jewish average is led by Iranian Neolithic farmers (29.9%), followed by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (28.9%) and Levantine Neolithic farmers (20.8%). The Iranian Neolithic farmers component reflects the early farmers and herders of the Zagros mountains in Iran. The Anatolian Neolithic farmers share (28.9%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. No single source dominates, so the profile is best read as a balanced blend of several ancient ancestries.
Smaller traces of Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (under 5%) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.035): 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.
Am Yisrael – Jewish Diaspora Report
Closest modern populations to Iraqi Jewish
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Iraqi Jewish average is Kurdish Jew, at a distance of 0.013 (very close). Next come Nash (Didan Jew Urmia) at 0.017 and Assyrian (Iraq) at 0.021. Even the tenth closest, Mountain Jew (Azerbaijan), is only 0.026 away: Iraqi Jewish belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kurdish Jew | 0.0127 | Very close |
| 2 | Nash (Didan Jew Urmia) | 0.0168 | Very close |
| 3 | Assyrian (Iraq) | 0.0205 | Very close |
| 4 | Iranian Jewish | 0.0211 | Very close |
| 5 | Assyrian (Chaldean Catholic Iraq) | 0.0224 | Very close |
| 6 | Assyrian (Syriac Orthodox Turkey Tur Abdin) | 0.0226 | Very close |
| 7 | Chaldean (Iraq) | 0.0227 | Very close |
| 8 | Mountain Jew (Dagestan) | 0.0241 | Very close |
| 9 | Assyrian | 0.0254 | Close |
| 10 | Mountain Jew (Azerbaijan) | 0.0260 | 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 Iraqi Jewish
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Iraqi Jewish average is Italy Lazio Roman Empire Rome (Mesopotamian Profile) (Roman era, c. 1-400 AD), at 0.022, followed by Turkey Mesopotamia Early Medieval Midyat (Mixed Assyrian+Levantine Profile) and Iraq Achaemenid Bakr Awa (Mesopotamian Profile). 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 | Italy Lazio Roman Empire Rome (Mesopotamian Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0215 |
| 2 | Turkey Mesopotamia Early Medieval Midyat (Mixed Assyrian+Levantine Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0223 |
| 3 | Iraq Achaemenid Bakr Awa (Mesopotamian Profile) | Achaemenid era, c. 550-330 BC | 0.0232 |
| 4 | Turkey Mesopotamia EBA Sirnak | Early Bronze Age | 0.0233 |
| 5 | Iraq MBA Isin-Larsa-Old Babylonian Bakr Awa | Middle Bronze Age | 0.0234 |
| 6 | Iran MBA Dinkha Tepe (Mesopotamian BA Profile) | Middle Bronze Age | 0.0234 |
| 7 | Turkey Mesopotamia IA Neo-Assyrian-Achaemenid Batman (Mesopotamian Profile) | Achaemenid era, c. 550-330 BC | 0.0237 |
| 8 | Turkey Mesopotamia Early Medieval Dara (Mesopotamian Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0247 |
| 9 | Turkey Mesopotamia LCA Sirnak | Copper Age (Chalcolithic) | 0.0249 |
| 10 | Turkey Mesopotamia Early Modern Midyat (Mesopotamian Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0257 |
Ancient DNA from Iraq
Our ancient DNA database holds 11 individuals excavated in present-day Iraq, dated from about 8,750 BC to 1,350 BC. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are F (1), G2a (1) and J (1), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are H (1), HV1 (1) and HV2 (1). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Iraqi Jewish population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 11 from Iraq.
Compare yourself with Iraqi Jewish
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Iraqi Jewish average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Iraqi Jewish 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
Keep in mind that a population average is a statistical summary of a limited number of sampled individuals. Real people inside any group vary, some carry more of one ancestry and some less, and no genetic profile decides who is or is not Iraqi Jewish. Use these numbers as a map of deep ancestry, not as a label.
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 Iraqi Jewish average. Your own DNA has its own story: Am Yisrael – Jewish Diaspora 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 Jewish ancestry: ancient Israelite & Levantine core (Canaanite, Iron Age, Phoenician) plus the host admixture of your diaspora community, on a Jerusalem-centred animated map.
More populations from West Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Iraqi Jewish?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Iraqi Jewish average is about 29.9% Iranian Neolithic farmers, 28.9% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 20.8% 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 Iraqi Jewish?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Iraqi Jewish average are Kurdish Jew, Nash (Didan Jew Urmia) and Assyrian (Iraq). The closest ancient matches are Italy Lazio Roman Empire Rome (Mesopotamian Profile), Turkey Mesopotamia Early Medieval Midyat (Mixed Assyrian+Levantine Profile) and Iraq Achaemenid Bakr Awa (Mesopotamian Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Iraqi Jewish?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Iraqi Jewish 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 Iraqi Jewish ancestry?
Am Yisrael – Jewish Diaspora Report is the report built for this heritage, and its reference panel fits the Iraqi Jewish average closely. 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.