Scientists Trace Origins of first Plague Pandemic to Ancient jordan
JERASH, JORDAN – An international team of researchers has pinpointed the likely origin of the first documented plague pandemic, known as the Plague of Justinian, to ancient Jerash, Jordan, rewriting long-held theories about the disease’s emergence. Genetic analysis of ancient dental remains unearthed in Jerash revealed the presence of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for plague, dating back to the 4th century CE - centuries earlier than previously confirmed.
The finding,published July 31,2025,in the journal Genes,challenges the prevailing hypothesis that the plague originated in Egypt. This breakthrough offers crucial insights into the historical spread of infectious diseases and underscores the enduring connection between global connectivity and pandemic risk. The research team, led by Rays H.Y. Jiang of the University of South Florida (USF), analyzed a molar tooth excavated from a Roman-Byzantine cemetery in Jerash.
“We’ve been wrestling with plague for a few thousand years, and people still die from it today,” Jiang said. “Like COVID, it continues to evolve, and containment measures evidently can’t get rid of it. We have to be careful, but the threat will never go away.”
The Plague of Justinian ravaged the Byzantine Empire and Mediterranean world from 541 to 750 CE, causing an estimated 25-50 million deaths. Understanding it’s origins is vital not only for historical accuracy but also for informing modern pandemic preparedness. The team’s work demonstrates that Y. pestis was circulating in the Near East well before the major outbreaks,potentially establishing a reservoir for future pandemics.
Building on this Jerash discovery, the researchers are now focusing on samples from Venice, Italy, and the Lazaretto Vecchio, a historic quarantine island and mass burial site from the Black Death era. More than 1,200 samples from this site are currently housed at USF, providing a unique prospect to study the interplay between early public health interventions, pathogen evolution, and societal responses to disease.
The study,titled “Genetic evidence of Yersinia pestis from the First Pandemic,” involved researchers from USF,Florida Atlantic University,and institutions in Italy.
Reference: Swamy R. Adapa, Karen Hendrix, Aditya Upadhyay, Subhajeet Dutta, Andrea vianello, Gregory O’Corry-Crowe, Jorge Monroy, Tatiana Ferrer, Elizabeth Remily-Wood, Gloria C. Ferreira, Michael decker, Robert H. Tykot, Sucheta Tripathy and Rays H. Y. Jiang, 31 July 2025, Genes.DOI: 10.3390/genes16080926.
