No, it is NOT Israel.
2006-09-17 03:58:32 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Genealogy
If you are asking on Ashkenazi in reference to the German peoples, they are an ethnic mix of northern European, Celtic and Iranian genes combined with the Jews that were deported from Babylon by Nebuchadrezzar, later the Sephardic Jews of Spain and other Jews by faith that emigrated into the northern and eastern Europe during the wars with the Moslems (p. 370, "The Age of Faith" by Will Durant). Ashkenazi (a Yiddish word, meaning a a language combination of old Hebrew mixed with German and other locally European and Asian language components) also is a term for a group of Jews who were possibly apostate to the Jewish faith that left Isreal and migrated into Europe and the Slavic nations to the north of Israel, which actually developed the Yiddish language spoken by the same ethnic mix of Ashkenazi Germans as well as other groups. The language was a success because of the lack of education in the slavic nations and upper European nations, and the language provided a valuable asset in communicating between different cultural groups.
Khazars are different than Ashkenazi, for they came from the eastern area of what was formerly the U.S.S.R., but more precisely the state of Georgia and surrounding regions. Many of the Khazars became Jewish by faith, because of the influx of Jews into that region during the migration, as well. They became Jewish to avoid being in the middle of the Christian and Moslem wars, and decided it was easier to displease both than to side with one or the other (p. 446-7, "The Age of Faith" by Will Durant).
An excellent read on the histories of these groups is "The Age of Faith" by Will Durant, it is part of a series I used as reference in history studies.
2006-09-17 07:36:00 · answer #1 · answered by Another Guy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Aren't they the ones by the rivers of Babylon? I'm afraid my early history is rusty, but I know Ashkenazim is the name of one of the two great migrations of Jews. The Ashkenazim basically went into the rest of eastern Europe about the same time the others went west into the Spanish peninsula and were known as Sephardi. Have I got that right, more learned historians? [Spell-Checker blamed for any errors; he thinks he knows all these words.]
2006-09-17 11:10:10 · answer #2 · answered by auntb93again 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I thought they came from a place around the borders of present day Europe and Russia?
2006-09-17 11:01:45 · answer #3 · answered by Bebe 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Ask them only. why bother.
2006-09-17 12:24:14 · answer #4 · answered by TANISH 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋