Debunking the Khazarian Theory
The Khazarian Theory postulates that a significant portion of European Jews, particularly Ashkenazi Jews, are descended from the Khazars. The Khazars were a semi-nomadic Turkic people who originated from the Central Asian region and migrated to the area north of the Caucasus Mountains, in present-day southern Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, and parts of the Caucasus. As the story goes, the Khazars converted to Judaism in the 8th or 9th century, possibly for political reasons. The ruling class may have wanted to maintain neutrality between the Muslim Caliphate to the south and the Byzantine Empire to the west. However, other religions were also practiced, including Islam, Christianity, and Tengrism. This continued until the Khazar state declined and then collapsed in the 10th century. No one knows for sure what became of them, but they likely assimilated into neighboring populations. The Khazarian theory suggested they migrated westward and became the Jews we know today. Th...