Assyrian Record of Ancient Jewish Phenotypes

Uncovered by the archaeologist Austen Layard in 1846, the reliefs in Sennacherib's southwest palace at Kouyunjik still breed controversy. Layard's description of this find:

"Here, therefore, was the actual picture of the taking of Lachish, the city, as we know from the Bible [2 Kings 18:14; Isaiah 36:2], besieged by Sennacherib, when he sent his generals to demand tribute of Hezekiah, and which he captured before their return .... The captives were undoubtedly Jews - their physiognomy was strikingly indicated in the sculptures; but they had been stripped of their ornaments and their fine rainment, and were left barefoot and half-clothed."

Today's anthropologists, rather than bluntly admit their displeasure of the reality versus fanciful notions and stilted stereotypes, issue positions such as that of the American School of Oriental Research. They say that all the Assyrian reliefs are generic in nature and not factual representations. However, Ruth Jacoby -- the anthropologist who first put forth this opinion -- maintains that the facial features of the people are accurate and authentic representations (Israel Exploration Journal 1991 41:112-31).

Isn't it amazing how when a certain phenotype is present all kinds of ingenious arguments are proposed to wish away its presence? Why is it that no other type of humanity when depicted or its osteo-remains found in situ generate disbelief in its veracity as do these?

What serves to confirm the ethnic reality depicted by Assyrian conquerers is the discovery of an ossuary at Lachish dated to the time of the conquest. It is the largest sample of Israelites and comes from a city that was populated previously for 500 years by Israelites. 695 crania of all ages and gender were uncovered.

D. L. Risdon in BIOMETRIKA 1939 31:99-166, reports that the Lachish cranial series has its closest resemblance to the 4th dynasty series from Deshasheh and Medum in Lower Egypt and the 18th dynasty samples from Thebes and Abydos in Upper Egypt. Cranial samples from other Palestinian sites (Gezer, Megiddo) agree with the Lachish cranium. Thus we have a clear Afrikan phenotypical continuum in the southern Hebrews of Judah based on their physical similarity to Egyptians.