“The DNA of the ancient Canaanites was found in modern-day Lebanese people.” USA Today, 4 August 2017.
According to the article, more than 90% of the people in Lebanon carry Canaanite DNA as reported in the American Journal of Human Genetics. The DNA for comparison came from ancient skeletons of the Bronze-age excavation in Sidon, Lebanon.
Interviews that I personally conducted with several Lebanese family members–as part of a family history project–included the family tradition that their ancestors were Phoenicians from the Middle Eastern coasts. These ancient merchants passed their marketing skills down through the generations of Lebanese descendants living in Syria, Palestine, and Jerusalem. Some of these ancestors were actually born in Jerusalem and within 5-10 miles of this ancient city.
Canaanites are described in the Bible when God instructed the Israelites to destroy the whole nation. There are evidences that not every one died–some became servants and others fled into surrounding hills and deserts. The ancient DNA does not appear to have changed much–check it out. The implications of this study are amazing–with the origins of an ancient people still living today. Your favorite genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS What other continuities over time can we prove with DNA? The importance of such studies is that it gives us staying power to search for evidence in written records and artifacts of the past identifying the generations by personal name.