Genetic studies of Jews are part of the population genetics discipline and
are used to analyze the ancestry of Jewish populations, complementing research
in other fields such as history, linguistics, archaeology, and paleontology.
These studies investigate the origins of various Jewish ethnic divisions. In
particular, they examine whether there is a common genetic heritage among
them. The medical genetics of Jews are studied for population-specific
diseases.
Studies on Jewish populations have been principally conducted using three
types of genealogical DNA tests: autosomal (atDNA), mitochondrial (mtDNA), and
Y-chromosome (Y-DNA).