Are the ashkenazi Jews physical descendants of Jacob?

Answer 1

Yes.1) We have an unbroken tradition of 3800 years with thousands of names and dates, which among other things identifies us (the Jews) as the descendants of the ancient Israelites. American and Russian Jews have the names and bloodlines of our families' Ashkenaz Jewish ancestors for over eleven centuries. The early Ashkenazi families were brought to the Frankish empire 1200 years ago by Charlemagne from the Jewish communities of Italy (Bari, Lucca and Otrento). Note also that converted groups do not contain any Kohens or Levites, whereas the Ashkenazim and Sephardim all have good percentages of them.

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2) Non-Jewish tradition and scholarship: here too, the great majority (ancient historians and recent scholarship) verify that the Jewish people are who they say they are.

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3) Science: recently, worldwide DNA analyses have confirmed that today's Jews are related to each other and originated in the Middle East. Among other things, the "from the Khazars" canard has been debunked. A 2013 study of Ashkenazi mitochondrial DNA found no significant evidence of Khazar contribution to the Ashkenazi Jewish DNA, as would be predicted by the Khazar hypothesis. Although there is no historical or DNA evidence to support the Khazar idea, it is still popular among anti-Semites.
In 2000, the analysis of a report by Nicholas Wade "provided genetic witness that Jewish communities have, to a remarkable extent, retained their biological identity separate from their host populations, showing relatively little intermarriage or conversion into Judaism over the centuries. The results accord with Jewish history and tradition and refute theories which would allege that Jewish communities consist mostly of converts."

Answer 2

Yes, they were and are. That is why they're called Israelites, meaning the descendants of Israel. Israel was the name which God bestowed upon Jacob (Genesis ch.35).See also:

Hebrews, Israelites, Jews

Answer 3

Hebrew legend holds that Jacob was the ancestor of all the Israelites and Jews. However, historians say that they were really Canaanites who left the region of the rich coastal cities to settle in the hitherto sparsely populated Canaanite hinterland. The legend of the patriarchs has religious significance, as well as fulfilling a need for history independent of the Canaanite forebears.