The Proto-Indo-European Origin of J1-P58: The Mitanni Migrations That Shaped the Levant and Beyond

The geographic origin of Y-chromosome haplogroup J1-P58 (J1a2b) remains contentious in archaeogenetic literature. However, this study challenges the prevailing "Levantine-Presumption" and presents evidence that supports a Proto-Indo-European (PIE) source of J1-P58 in the Pontic-Steppe. In addition to a historical analysis of early Bronze Age Indo-Aryan/Indo-Iranian migrations, this study correlates these patterns to J-M267/J-P58 Y-DNA movements into the Levant and the greater Middle East, alongside other "Indo-European" and "Northern" lineages such as R1a, R1b, and Q. This study integrates published ancient DNA samples spanning the Upper Paleolithic to early modern period, combined with modern autosomal and Y-DNA data from the author's patriline (Big-Y, Eurogenes K36) and publicly available databases (ExploreYourDNA, MyTrueAncestry, GEDmatch, G25). Lastly, E1b1b1, T, and H are identified as likely candidates for "autochthonous", patrilineal Levantine populations and as "originators" of the spread of Semitic languages. Version 2 Additions: Version 2 revises and amends some of the mistakes in Version 1. It also adds a few R1a, R1b, and Q lineages to the timeline analysis. Further expanded within (and for future use with The Origins of the Surname Bota Version 3) are Bota-Patriline Whole Genome Sequence results from MyHeritage analyzed through G25 and ExploreYourDNA’s proprietary K203 analysis (with Claude AI); consistently, this lineage shows negligible Levantine input, instead favoring a Big-Y Patrilineal origin in the region of the Caucasus and Pontic-Steppe, prior to wider nomadic expansions with the Sarmatians. In accordance with these Sarmatian findings and relevant to the conversation of the Mitanni, is the ancient god Mitra and the root word of Mitanni “Mei/Mi”, which means “to bind”, and the later Sarmatian-brought cult of the Perso-Romanized god Mithra. Additionally, connected is the many-spoked “wheel” connection, which can still be seen on the international flag of the Romani people...