The Khazar Theory: A Modern Tool of an Ancient Hatred

The Origins of the Theory

The idea gained traction through several modern works. In 1943, Israeli historian Abraham Polak published Khazaria: History of a Jewish Kingdom in Europe, proposing that Khazar converts formed the basis of Ashkenazi Jews. Later, Arthur Koestler popularized the concept in his 1976 book The Thirteenth Tribe.

More recently, another Israeli historian, Shlomo Sand, advanced similar claims in his 2008 book, The Invention of the Jewish People. Then, a 2012 genetic study by Eran Elhaik attempted to validate the theory, arguing that Ashkenazi Jews showed genetic ties to populations from the Caucasus and were in fact descended from the Khazars.

At first glance, these arguments may seem compelling, especially since the authors are Jewish. But the broader body of historical and scientific evidence tells a very different story.

What the Evidence Actually Shows

Elhaik’s claim was quickly challenged. A 2013 study by a team of 20 researchers pointed out a fundamental flaw: there are no confirmed modern descendants of the Khazars from whom to draw genetic samples for comparison. As a result, Elhaik substituted genetic samples from modern Armenians and Georgians, populations that are not direct proxies for Khazar DNA.

When more comprehensive comparisons were conducted, examining Jewish and non-Jewish populations from Europe, the Middle East and surrounding regions, the findings were clear. Ashkenazi Jews share the strongest genetic ties with other Jewish populations, as well as with groups from the Middle East and parts of Europe. 

Crucially, they do not show a particular genetic similarity to populations from the Caucasus region. In other words, the genetic evidence overwhelmingly supports continuity between modern Jewish populations and their ancient Middle Eastern origins.

Historical and Linguistic Challenges

Beyond genetics, historians and linguists have also dismantled the Khazar theory. Historian Shaul Stampfer has emphasized the lack of credible evidence for a massive conversion of the Khazars to Judaism. Similarly, scholar Michael Wechsler highlights the absence of corroborating historical sources. Records from Muslim, Christian, Byzantine and Russian sources at the time make no substantial mention of a large Jewish Khazar kingdom.

Archaeology also offers no support. There is simply no material evidence of a distinct Jewish Khazar civilization, Wechsler noted.

Linguistics provides further clarity. Yiddish, the traditional language of Ashkenazi Jews, is overwhelmingly based on German grammar and vocabulary, with influences from Hebrew and Slavic languages. It contains virtually no Turkic or Central Asian linguistic elements, which would be expected if the Khazar theory were true.

Wechsler also noted that Jewish communities existed in Western Europe, particularly in Germany and France, centuries before the fall of the Khazar empire. This directly contradicts the claim that Ashkenazi Jews originated from migrating Khazar converts.

A Demographic Reality Often Ignored

Even if the Khazar theory were true, it fails to address one glaring detail. According to a 2016 Pew Research Center report, Ashkenazi Jews comprise about 45% of Israel’s Jewish population, thus not the majority. 

Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews make up 48% of the Jewish populace in the Promised Land. Sephardic Jews trace their roots back to Jewish communities expelled from Spain during the Inquisition, while Mizrahi Jews descend from Jewish populations that lived throughout the Middle East and North Africa. These communities never left the broader region and have an unbroken historical connection to the Land of Israel.

An Old Pattern in New Form

Despite overwhelming evidence against it, the Khazar Theory persists. It has been invoked by commentators such as Carlson and Owens, and touted by political figures such as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in a 2023 speech.

Its endurance is not due to its credibility, but to its utility. Like many conspiracy theories before it, it serves as a convenient tool to deny Jewish history, identity and belonging.

At its core, the Khazar theory is about delegitimization, not historical inquiry. It attempts to rewrite Jewish identity in order to undermine Jewish claims to the Land of Israel. But history, genetics, linguistics and archaeology all point to the same thing: the Jewish people, in all their diversity, share deep and enduring roots in the land of their ancestors. Sorry, Candace!