Background

According to the Georgian sources the first wave of Jewish settlers arrived to Mtskhetha in 169 BC. The second of wave of Georgian Jews arrived to Georgia in 586 BC fleeing Jerusalem from the Byzantine Empire, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The records show that Georgian Jews put a request to the governor of Mtskhetha (the ancient capital of Georgia) for residency promising that if granted they will develop and provide monetary contributions to the country. The governor of Mtskhetha granted them residency and allocated part of the shore of the Aragvi River, called Zanavi.

The original "Hebrew regions" regions were Qarthli of the Hellenistic period in Mtskhetha and Urbnisi - this is where the ethnic and religious communities were situated. The Jews maintained their cult centers, the so-called "Hebrew sanctuaries", which served as the first synagogues.

It is known that there were other Jewish settlers that have arrived to Georgia some were from Eastern Europe, Khzaria and Spain.

The Jewish community living in Georgia adopted the Georgian language, Georgian folk rituals, as well as to local popular customs and habits. At the same time, they remained deeply loyal to Judaism. The Jews toiled and fought side by side with the Georgians, for Georgia became a second homeland to them; therefore, they felt committed and took care of the progress and further development of the country in the same way as the Georgians themselves did.

It is known that Georgian Jews have intermarried with the local population; many of them kept a Jewish tradition and usually their mates would adapt the Jewish culture. Their mate generally did not convert, but rather adapt to the Jewish Tradition.

According to the census of 1800 in Georgia were living 3,300 Jews; in 1832 - 4,000; in 1865 - 7,800; 1886 - 11,700; 1897 - 17,200; 1926 - 30,115; 1939 - 42,480; 1959 - 51,600; 1970 - 55,400; 1979 - 28,300; 1989 - 24,800.

There were some Georgian Jews who were registered as Georgians and not as Jews but no reliable estimate of their number was available.
The Georgian Jews lived mostly in Tbilisi (Tiflis), capital of Georgia, the other centers being Qutaisi, Kulashi, Tshinvali, Gori, Oni, Sachkhere, Senaki, Zugdidi, as well as in many other cities, towns and villages of Georgia

So what is the original Origin of the Georgian Jews? Where are we coming from? How interrelated are we? Are we from the Khazaris who have converted to Judaism?