What is the origin of Ashkenazic Jews?

Question

What is the origin of Ashkenazic Jews?

Answer 1

Originally from the Levant, the Fertile Crescent and the Black Sea region, and as far east as modern day Pakistan & Afghanistan, where Blood Type "B" originated (The Jewish population is still exceptionally high in BT "B"), although more recently from Eastern Europe...

Answer 2

Ashkenazi Jews are the descendants of Khazar Turks (rather than the Oguz Turks from which the modern Azeris, Turkmens and Turks of Turkey etc. descend). Contrary to Middle Eastern Jews they converted into Judaism due to realpolitik of the era: they could either be engulfed by Christian Byzantines or Muslim Arabs, or pursue an independent stance by converting Judaism, which is what they did. Best book on this issue is "The Thirteenth Tribe" by Arthur Koestler

Answer 3

They have your standard Jewish area of origin, the Levant. But the Ashkenazi Jews moved into Europe, absorbing surprisingly little non Jewish DNA as they went.

Ashkenazi is now used to mean 'Jews from eastern Europe'.