The famous 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus was a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe, according to DNA experts, who have concluded an investigation into the centuries-old mystery.

Researchers claim that analysis of the remains of Columbus and his illegitimate son, Hernando Colón, showed Jewish origin, something that may have been concealed at the time as Jews were being persecuted in Spain and Europe.

The traditional theory that Columbus came from Genoa, Italy, has often been questioned. Other theories have ranged from him being a Spanish Jew or Basque, Greek, Portuguese or British.

Researchers conducted a 22-year investigation, headed up by forensic expert Miguel Lorente. Scientists tested samples of remains buried in Seville Cathedral, believed to be the last resting place of Columbus, and compared these with those of known descendants. 

Their dramatic findings were announced in a documentary titled Columbus DNA: The true origin on Spain's national broadcaster TVE on Saturday, coinciding with Spain’s national day.

The Sunday Telegraph reported: “Both in the ‘Y’ chromosome and in the mitochondrial chromosome of Hernando, there are traits compatible with Jewish origins,” according to Antonio Lorente, professor of legal and forensic medicine at the University of Granada.

Professor Lorente said the DNA showed a “western Mediterranean” origin.

Francesc Albardaner, a historian who has written about Columbus’ origins in Catalan-speaking eastern Spain, claimed that being Jewish and from Genoa was effectively impossible during the period.  “Jews could only spend three days at a time in Genoa by law at that time,” said Albardaner.

Albardaner claimed that Columbus was from a family of Jewish silk-spinners from the Valencia region.

“There were around 200,000 Jews living in Spain in Columbus’ time. In the Italian peninsula, it is estimated that there were only between 10,000 and 15,000. There was a much larger Jewish population in Sicily of around 40,000, but we should remember that Sicily, in Columbus’ time, belonged to the Crown of Aragon.”

“Christopher Columbus had to pretend all his life that he was a Roman Catholic Christian. If he had made one mistake, this man would have ended up on the pyre,” said Albardaner.

The explorer who navigated the Americas under the Spanish flag is often referred to as the person who “discovered” of America - a theory which has been debunked.

The same year that Columbus landed on Guanahani in the Bahamas in 1492, Spain ordered the expulsion of all Jews who did not convert to Christianity.

The country’s Catholic monarchs, Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, ordered the expulsion of all Jews who did not convert.

The Alhambra Decree gave Jews four months to leave or become Christian. Jews were not allowed to take money with them and those who did not leave or who returned were executed.