Palestinian DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Palestine · West Asia
The Palestinian average comes from the southern Levant, a region with a very long human history, from the Natufian hunter-gatherers to some of the world's earliest farming villages. In our model, the ancestry is 26.3% Levantine Neolithic farmer, 21.4% Natufian, 19.9% Iranian Neolithic farmer, 14.8% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 8.2% steppe, 6.3% Caucasus hunter-gatherer and 3.3% West African. Ancient DNA from the Bronze Age southern Levant shows that its inhabitants combined local Neolithic ancestry with ancestry related to the Zagros and the Caucasus, and that many present-day populations of the region share substantial ancestry with those ancient people, alongside later contributions. The closest modern averages are Jordanian and Palestinian Arab Muslim samples, followed by Palestinians from Gaza and Bedouin groups. The closest ancient matches in our data are at moderate distances (0.04 to 0.05), mostly Hellenistic and Roman-era individuals with a Levantine profile from Halicarnassus, Beirut and Italy.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Levantine Neolithic farmers 26.3%, Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) 21.4%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 19.9%
- Closest modern population in our data: Jordanian Arab Muslim, distance 0.0095
- Closest ancient group in our data: Turkey Anatolia Achaemenid-Hellenistic Halicarnassus (Levantine Profile), distance 0.0407
Where does Palestinian DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Palestinian individuals sampled in Palestine 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 Palestinian average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Palestinian average, 26.3%, goes to Levantine Neolithic farmers, ahead of Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) (21.4%) and Iranian Neolithic farmers (19.9%). The Levantine Neolithic farmers component reflects the early farmers of the Levant and the Natufian foragers who came before them. No single source dominates, so the profile is best read as a balanced blend of several ancient ancestries.
Smaller traces of West African (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 model fits well (fit distance 0.022), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. 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 Palestinian
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Palestinian average is Jordanian Arab Muslim, at a distance of 0.010 (very close). Next come Palestinian Arab Muslim at 0.011 and Jordanian at 0.011. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Jordanian Arab Muslim (0.010), Jordanian (0.011) and Bedouin (Syria) (0.022). By the tenth closest (Lebanese Sunni Muslim (Beirut)) the distance grows to 0.031, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordanian Arab Muslim | 0.0095 | Very close |
| 2 | Palestinian Arab Muslim | 0.0106 | Very close |
| 3 | Jordanian | 0.0107 | Very close |
| 4 | Palestinian Arab Muslim (Gaza) | 0.0174 | Very close |
| 5 | Bedouin (Syria) | 0.0217 | Very close |
| 6 | Bedouin (group A) | 0.0223 | Very close |
| 7 | Syrian Arab (Daraa, Levantine Profile) | 0.0267 | Close |
| 8 | Syrian Arab (Aleppo, Mesopotamian Arab Profile) | 0.0291 | Close |
| 9 | Syrian Arab (Al-Hasakah, Mesopotamian Arab Profile) | 0.0297 | Close |
| 10 | Lebanese Sunni Muslim (Beirut) | 0.0305 | 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 Palestinian
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Palestinian, Turkey Anatolia Achaemenid-Hellenistic Halicarnassus (Levantine Profile) (Hellenistic era, c. 330-30 BC) comes first, at 0.041, with Lebanon Hellenistic-Roman Empire Beirut next. That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further layers. 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 Anatolia Achaemenid-Hellenistic Halicarnassus (Levantine Profile) | Hellenistic era, c. 330-30 BC | 0.0407 |
| 2 | Lebanon Hellenistic-Roman Empire Beirut | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0425 |
| 3 | Lebanon Early Medieval Chhim | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0440 |
| 4 | Italy Campania Roman Empire Pompeii (Levantine Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0454 |
| 5 | Italy Lazio Roman Empire Isola Sacra (Levantine Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0475 |
| 6 | Italy Lazio Roman Empire Monterotondo (Levantine Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0482 |
| 7 | Italy Sicily Roman Empire Marsala (Levantine Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0491 |
| 8 | Lebanon MBA Sidon Canaanite | Middle Bronze Age | 0.0492 |
| 9 | Lebanon High Medieval | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0493 |
| 10 | Lebanon Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Ej-Jaouze (Byzantine-Rashidun) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0495 |
Compare yourself with Palestinian
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Palestinian average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Palestinian 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 Palestinian individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Palestinian. 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 Palestinian 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 Palestinian?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Palestinian average is about 26.3% Levantine Neolithic farmers, 21.4% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) and 19.9% Iranian Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Palestinian?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Palestinian Arab Muslim), the closest modern populations to the Palestinian average are Jordanian Arab Muslim, Jordanian and Bedouin (Syria). The closest ancient matches are Turkey Anatolia Achaemenid-Hellenistic Halicarnassus (Levantine Profile), Lebanon Hellenistic-Roman Empire Beirut and Lebanon Early Medieval Chhim.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Palestinian?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Palestinian 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 Palestinian ancestry?
For the Palestinian 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.