Israel and Georgia are both new-ancient states, which have always struggled to preserve their respective languages, religions and cultures under the yoke of foreign occupation. This year we are marking the 30th anniversary of our bilateral diplomatic relations, but the friendship between the peoples was formed over two millennia ago.
The Georgian Jewish community is one of the world’s oldest and more than 100,000 Israelis are of Georgian descent. Likewise, a Georgian presence in the Holy Land is evidenced by numerous archeological findings, including places of worship and culture (such as Jerusalem’s Monastery of the Cross, where Georgia’s national poet, Shota Rustaveli, is buried).
Thus, that friendship is based on a rich common past as well as a no-less-promising future – where both states will elevate our political, commercial, cultural and academic cooperation to new heights.
The Kiribati Umm Leisun inscription appears on an ancient Georgian tombstone made of limestone and is written in Georgian Asomtavruli script. It was discovered in 2002 during the excavation of a Byzantine-period Georgian monastery in the Umm Leisun neighborhood in southern Zur Baher, 4.5 kilometers south of the Old City of Jerusalem. The tombstone was found in an underground crypt beneath a colorful mosaic floor.
The crypt contained 24 skeletons, all adult men, as would be expected in a monastery. The most important tomb has an inscription identifying it as that of "Georgian bishop Iohane", the oldest monk, with the highest status. This inscription is the earliest known example of Georgian script found on any archeological artifact, both in the Holy Land and in Georgia.
The inscription is engraved on the tombstone and measures 81 cm X 49 cm. It dates back to the late fifth or first half of the 6th century and is on display in the Knesset Archeological Garden.
The full inscription reads: “This is the grave of Iohane, Bishop of Purtavi, a Georgian”.
