I believe the origin of the “jews” can be linked to the people called the[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habiru"] “Habiru”[/ame] (Apiru) (people from beyond the river) by the ancient world.
Written about by the Sumerian, Egyptian, Akkadian, Hittite, Mitanni, and Ugaritic peoples and described as such:

“these Habiru are variously described as nomadic or semi-nomadic, rebels, outlaws, raiders, mercenaries, and bowmen, servants, slaves, migrant laborers, etc.”.
So we see many common traits within the Habiru (Hebrew) and “jews”.
“Nomadic” and “semi nomadic”: jewish life and history from birth till the 19th century has been built around the “wandering jew”.
“rebels” “outlaws”: confirming age old jewish resistance to traditional laws and cultures of host peoples.
“raiders” and “mercenaries”: Self explanatory.
“slaves”: once again, self explanatory (slaves in Egypt)

"Habiru had no common ethnic affiliations, that they spoke no common language, and that they normally led a marginal and sometimes lawless existence on the fringes of settled society”

This coincides with the racial biology of the modern jew. A nomadic class of misfits, that isolates itself within itself, top that with incest (which is old and dear in jewish history) and since “race” can biologically and culturally manifest (evolve, devolve, what-have-you). You end up with a sub-race, (common link) even amongst people who on face value might seem completely ethnically apart. Which from the biology/genetic studies that have been done shows, even though not dominating, but still a common link from the “dark” jew to the “light” jew.

Descriptions in The [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarna_letters"]Amarna letters[/ame] and numerous other archeological finds of ancient text place the “Habiru” in “biblical battles”:
“The identification of groups of Habiri and their activities corresponds well to the conquest of Canaan described in the Book of Yehoshua. The Amarna letters suggest that this class of people held unique status in the Near East. All these documents lead to fully identify the Habiru with the Israelites”

“Yehoshua describe just such conquest, with the very names listed in the Amarna tablets, including Lachish, Gezer, Gath, and the king of Jerusalem. A quote from one tablet shows the state of affairs: "See the deed which Milkilu and Shuwardata have done to the land of the king, my lord! They have the troops of Gezer, troops of Gath, and troops of Qeila. They have seized the land of Rubute. The land of the king has fallen away to the Habiri. And now, even a city of the Jerusalem district, Bit-nin'ib by name, a city of the king, has fallen away to the side of the people of Qeila. Let the king listen to Er-Heba, your servant, and send an army of archers that they might restore the land of the king to the king. For if there are no army of archers the land of the king will fall away to the Habiri.".

“Er-Heba, the Egyptian ruler in Jerusalem, wrote a series of letters to the king in which he complained about the "Habiru". The Habiru were plundering the lands of the king. Er-Heba wanted to know why the king was leaving them behave in this way; why was he not sending archers to protect his, the king's, properties. If he did not send military help the whole land would be given to the Habiru.”

“These references to the Apiru in Egyptian documents and on monuments show their presence in Egypt, and their social importance, for more than three centuries. The same people are called elsewhere "Habiru" or "Habiri".

“The span of dates covers the period of the exile in Egypt and also well after the Exodus. It seems evident that not all Apiru left Egypt; some remained behind. This means that not all Semitic peoples in Egypt joined the Israelites, though many did... It described a particular Semitic stock which, by historical times, had divided into numerous tribes and separate, identifiable ethnic groups.”
Quotes taken from: http://www.imninalu.net/Habiru.htm

“Scholarly opinion remains divided on this issue“
Yes, namely [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshe_Greenberg"]Moshe Greenberg[/ame] and Anson Rainey and you guessed it, both joooozzzz.