Yemenite Jewish DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Yemen · West Asia
Jewish life in Yemen goes back at least to late antiquity, when the rulers of the Himyarite kingdom in south-western Arabia adopted Judaism in the late 4th century AD. Yemenite Jews kept distinctive traditions of prayer and Hebrew pronunciation, and almost the entire community was airlifted to Israel in 1949 and 1950. In our model, the Yemenite Jewish average is 50.4% Natufian, 25.7% Levantine Neolithic, 19.3% Iranian Neolithic and 4.6% Caucasus hunter-gatherer, with no Anatolian farmer or steppe component: a profile very different from Mediterranean Jewish groups and almost the same as the Saudi Arab average (52.8%, 24.0% and 20.0%). The nearest modern averages are a second Yemenite Jewish sample from Ma'rib (distance 0.0139), then Saudi Arabs (0.0149) and Yemeni Arabs from Al Jawf and Ma'rib, a sign of long local roots in Arabia. The closest ancient groups are medieval people from the island of Socotra (0.0235).
- Largest ancient components in our model: Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) 50.4%, Levantine Neolithic farmers 25.7%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 19.3%
- Closest population outside the Yemenite Jewish samples: Saudi Arab, distance 0.0149
- Closest ancient group in our data: Yemen Socotra Early-High Medieval, distance 0.0235
This page sums up what the DNA of the Yemenite Jewish sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in Yemen, listed in the G25 sheet as "Yemenite_Jew", and it is one of 335 populations in our atlas. An average describes the group as a whole, not any single person in it.
Ancient make-up of the Yemenite Jewish average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Yemenite Jewish average, 50.4%, goes to Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant), ahead of Levantine Neolithic farmers (25.7%) and Iranian Neolithic farmers (19.3%). The Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) component reflects the early farmers of the Levant and the Natufian foragers who came before them.
Smaller traces of Caucasus hunter-gatherers (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 loose (fit distance 0.049), which usually means that none of the available reference populations is a close stand-in for part of this ancestry, so read the percentages as rough. 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 Yemenite Jewish
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Yemenite (Ma'rib) first for Yemenite Jewish, at 0.014, then Saudi Arab and Yemeni Arab (Al Jawf). Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Saudi Arab (0.015), Yemeni Arab (Al Jawf) (0.017) and Yemeni Arab (Ma'rib) (0.018). Even the tenth closest, Yemenite (Dhamar), is only 0.022 away: Yemenite Jewish belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yemenite (Ma'rib) | 0.0139 | Very close |
| 2 | Saudi Arab | 0.0149 | Very close |
| 3 | Yemeni Arab (Al Jawf) | 0.0167 | Very close |
| 4 | Yemeni Arab (Ma'rib) | 0.0176 | Very close |
| 5 | Saudi Arab (Najd) | 0.0188 | Very close |
| 6 | Saudi (Najd) | 0.0197 | Very close |
| 7 | Saudi Arab (Jizan) | 0.0201 | Very close |
| 8 | Emirati Arab (Arabian Profile) | 0.0213 | Very close |
| 9 | Yemeni Arab (Al Bayda) | 0.0216 | Very close |
| 10 | Yemenite (Dhamar) | 0.0217 | 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 Yemenite Jewish
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Yemenite Jewish, Yemen Socotra Early-High Medieval (Early to High Medieval, c. 500-1300 AD) comes first, at 0.024, with Yemen Socotra High Medieval 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 | Yemen Socotra Early-High Medieval | Early to High Medieval, c. 500-1300 AD | 0.0235 |
| 2 | Yemen Socotra High Medieval | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0261 |
| 3 | Yemen Socotra Early Medieval | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0296 |
| 4 | Yemen Socotra Early-Late Modern | Modern era, c. 1500-1950 AD | 0.0326 |
| 5 | Israel Late Medieval-Early Modern Tell el-Hesi | Late Medieval to Early Modern, c. 1300-1800 AD | 0.0327 |
| 6 | Syria High Medieval Tell Masaikh (Arabian Profile) | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0371 |
| 7 | Syria Early Medieval Islamic Era Tell Qarassa | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0427 |
| 8 | Jordan EBA 'Ain Ghazal (Levant EBA South) | Early Bronze Age | 0.0492 |
| 9 | Egypt Late Period Abusir-el Meleq | Late Period Egypt, c. 660-330 BC | 0.0547 |
| 10 | Iraq MBA Old Babylonian Bakr Awa (Levantine Profile) | Middle Bronze Age | 0.0602 |
Ancient DNA from Yemen
Our ancient DNA database holds 39 individuals excavated in present-day Yemen, dated from about 653 AD to 1805 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are J2b (15), I (1) and J (1), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are I5 (7), J1 (6) and R0 (5). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Yemenite Jewish population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 39 from Yemen.
Compare yourself with Yemenite Jewish
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Yemenite Jewish average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Yemenite 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 Yemenite 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 Yemenite 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 Yemenite Jewish?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Yemenite Jewish average is about 50.4% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant), 25.7% Levantine Neolithic farmers and 19.3% 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 Yemenite Jewish?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Yemenite (Ma'rib)), the closest modern populations to the Yemenite Jewish average are Saudi Arab, Yemeni Arab (Al Jawf) and Yemeni Arab (Ma'rib). The closest ancient matches are Yemen Socotra Early-High Medieval, Yemen Socotra High Medieval and Yemen Socotra Early Medieval.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Yemenite Jewish?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Yemenite 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 Yemenite Jewish ancestry?
Am Yisrael – Jewish Diaspora Report is the report built for this heritage, and its reference panel fits the Yemenite 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.