Was Columbus a Spanish Jew? Explorer's final resting place revealed, docu to confirm ethnicity
Columbus
The remains of Christopher Columbus, the man who is known to have "discovered" America, have now been discovered. The official resting place of the explorer has been located in Spain.
Genetic testing has confirmed that a partial set of remains of Columbus are sitting in an elaborate catafalque at the Seville Cathedral in Spain. Forensic medical expert José Antonio Lorente, who studied the remains, confirmed it on Thursday.
Lorente was part of a team of scientists at the University of Granada that identified the remains. The researchers took samples from Columbus’s son, Fernando, and one of his brothers and studied the set to reach a conclusion.
Revealing the news, Lorente said at a press conference, "Today, thanks to new technology, the previous partial theory that the remains in Seville are those of Christopher Columbus has been definitively confirmed."
Columbus passed away in 1506 in an area that today comprises Spain. However, historical records suggest that he wished to be buried on the island of Hispaniola, that is present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic. So his remains were later taken to the region in 1542.
Some of his remains were moved to Cuba in 1795. But Spain lost control of Cuba in the Spanish-American War, after which they were moved to Seville in 1898.
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Also Read:Vikings, not Columbus, were first to discover North America and meet Indigenous Americans
There has been speculation over the location of the remains over the past century. Experts have debated whether all of Columbus’ remains were taken to Seville for his official final resting place or if some or all of them were still unofficially in the DR.
An excavation of the Santo Domingo Cathedral in the Dominican Republic in 1877 revealed a small lead box containing incomplete bone fragments labelled as Columbus’. Those remains are interred at the so-called Columbus Lighthouse in Santo Domingo Este.
Since the set of remains in Seville is incomplete, Lorente believes the remains in the lead box are also of the explorer.
Documentary on Columbus
Meanwhile, the researchers have also zeroed in on his ethnic origin, but have kept it a secret for now. His genetic background will be revealed in a documentary, “Columbus DNA: The True Origin,” which will air on the Spanish national broadcaster TVE on Saturday.
Experts believe Columbus was actually a Spain Jew or possibly Greek, Basque or Portuguese. He sailed for Spain in 1492, but historians have doubts about the original story that he hailed from Genoa, Italy.
Columbus has been believed to have "discovered America" but some historians say he only made it to the Bahamas and elsewhere in the Caribbean but not what is now known as the US.
