One day before Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a decades-long genetic study revealed that explorer Christopher Columbus may have Jewish and Spanish heritage. The report, which says the explorer was born in Valencia, contradicts long-held beliefs that Columbus was Italian and from Genoa. According to the BBC, scientists in Spain are responsible for cracking the genetic bombshell and have been working on it since 2003. They theorize that Columbus hid his Jewish “background to avoid religious persecution.” In 1492, 300,000 Jewish people living in Spain were forced to convert to Catholicism, or else they would be booted from the country. The outlet reports that prior to this DNA discovery, Columbus’s origins have been debated for years, with different theories linking his birth to countries like Poland, Greece, and Scandinavia, to name a few. Researchers used DNA from Columbus’ tomb in Seville, as well as the graves of his son and brother, to conduct their research.
