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Phoenicians, Colchians, and Syrians were noted by Herodotus to practice circumcision.
The Colchians were an ancient people inhabiting Colchis, a region on the eastern coast of the Black Sea (modern-day western Georgia). Flourishing from the Bronze Age (c. 2700–700 BCE), they were known for advanced metallurgy, agriculture, and their role in the Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts.
Situated in the valley of the Phasis River (modern Rioni River), bordered by the Caucasus Mountains to the north.
The Colchian culture was renowned for bronze and iron working, complex pottery, and a, urbanized, trade-oriented society.
Classical Greek historian Herodotus (c. 420 BCE) connects the Colchians with groups in the Levant, including Egyptians, Ethiopians, and some Syrian/Palestinian peoples, as the only peoples who traditionally practiced circumcision.
Some studies suggest that ancient writers, such as those studying Cimmerians, struggled with distinguishing between different ethnic groups in West Asia.
In Greek mythology, Colchis was the home of Medea and the kingdom ruled by Aeëtes, where the Golden Fleece was kept.
Political History: They were often independent but later paid tribute to the Persian Empire, were influenced by Scythians, and eventually incorporated into the kingdom of Pontus, and later, the Roman Empire.
Significance: Modern scholars generally consider the Colchians to be an early Kartvelian (Georgian), group that played a crucial role in the development of Caucasian civilization
Colchis is known in Greek mythology as the destination of the Argonauts, as well as the home to Medea and the Golden Fleece.[32] It was also described as a land rich with gold, iron, timber and honey that would export its resources mostly to ancient Hellenic city-states.[33] Colchis likely had a diverse population. According to Greek and Roman sources, between 70 and 300 languages were spoken in Dioscourias (modern Sukhumi) alon
The name of the Colchians was used as the collective term for early Kartvelian tribes which populated the eastern coast of the Black Sea in Greco-Roman ethnography.
According to historical records and traditions, such as the Kartlis Tskhovreba, Jews settled in Kartli (Eastern Georgia) after the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE, bringing their religious traditions with them.
According to the Greek historian Herodotus, ancient Kartvelian tribes, specifically the Colchians residing near the Black Sea, practiced circumcision. Herodotus (c. 490–425 BC) noted that the Colchians, Egyptians, and Ethiopians were the only peoples who practiced it "from the beginning," possibly indicating a cultural link to ancient Egypt. In later centuries, the practice became closely associated with the spread of Islam among many (but not all) Caucasian peoples.
Colchis provided slaves as a tribute to the Achaemenid Empire and Colchian slaves are also attested in Ancient Greece
The eastern Black Sea region in antiquity was home to the well-developed Bronze Age culture known as the Colchian culture, related to the neighbouring Koban culture, that emerged toward the Middle Bronze Age. In at least some parts of Colchis, the process of urbanization seems to have been well advanced by the end of the second millennium BC. The Colchian Late Bronze Age (fifteenth to eighth century BC) saw the development of significant skill in the smelting and casting of metals.[67][68] Sophisticated farming implements were made, and fertile, well-watered lowlands and a mild climate promoted the growth of progressive agricultural techniques.
The Greek historian Herodotus (2.104) claimed that the Colchians were of Egyptian descent, citing their dark skin, curly hair, and practice of circumcision. While this is generally considered an exaggeration or misunderstanding of cultural practices by modern scholars, some fringe interpretations try to connect various, unrelated "dark-skinned" or "circumcised" groups from antiquity (including potential links to ancient Israelite or surrounding Edomite/Idumaean populations).
Achaemenid Persian Context: In the 6th–4th centuries BC, both Colchis and Edom (Idumaea) fell under the general umbrella of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. While this meant they were theoretically part of the same vast, loosely connected administrative system and provided troops for Persian campaigns, it does not imply a direct, specific, or unique cultural connection between the two.
Mythological Overlaps: Both regions appear in Greek literature and mythology (Eetes/Medea in Colchis and Idumaea in later Greek texts). Some studies, like those potentially linking the "Ten Tribes of Israel" to distant lands, might make speculative connections, but these are not recognized by mainstream academia
The name of the Cimmerians is attested in:
Neo-Assyrian Akkadian as Gimirrāya (𒆳𒄀𒂆𒀀𒀀 and 𒇽𒄀𒂆𒊏𒀀𒀀)
Late Babylonian Akkadian as Gimirri (𒆳𒄀𒈪𒅕[10] and 𒆳𒄀𒂆𒊑
Gomer (Hebrew: גֹּמֶר Gōmer; Greek: Γαμὲρ, romanized: Gamér) was the eldest son of Japheth (and of the Japhetic line), and father of Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah, according to the "Table of Nations" in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 10).
The eponymous Gomer, "standing for the whole family," as the compilers of The Jewish Encyclopedia expressed it,[1] is also mentioned in Book of Ezekiel 38:6 as the ally of Gog, the chief of the land of Magog.
The Hebrew name Gomer refers to the Cimmerians, who dwelt in Pontic–Caspian steppe, "beyond the Caucasus",[2] and attacked Assyria in the late 7th century BC. The Assyrians called them Gimmerai; the Cimmerian king Teushpa was defeated by Assarhadon of Assyria sometime between 681 and 668 BC
Josephus placed Gomer and the "Gomerites" in Anatolian Galatia: "For Gomer founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, but were then called Gomerites."[4] Galatia in fact takes its name from the ancient Gauls (Celts) who settled there. However, the later Christian writer Hippolytus of Rome in c. 234 assigned Gomer as the ancestor of the Cappadocians, neighbours of the Galatians.[5] Jerome (c. 390) and Isidore of Seville (c. 600) followed Josephus' identification of Gomer with the Galatians, Gauls and Celts.
According to tractate Yoma, in the Talmud, Gomer is identified as "Germamya.
Three sons of Gomer are mentioned in Genesis 10, namely:
Riphath (spelled Diphath in I Chronicles)
Children of Ashkenaz were originally identified with the Scythians (Assyrian Ishkuza), then after the 11th century, with Germany.[15][16]
Ancient Armenian and Georgian chronicles lists Togarmah as the ancestor of both people who originally inhabited the land between two Black and Caspian Seas and between two inaccessible mountains, Mount Elbrus and Mount Ararat respectively.[17][18]
According to Khazar records, Togarmah is regarded as the ancestor of the Turkic-speaking people
Kartlis Tskhovreba (The Life of Kartli), Georgia's primary 11th-century chronicle, outlines a 2,600-year history of Jewish presence, stating they arrived after the First Temple's destruction in 586 BCE. The text records their settlement near Mtskheta, significant population size, and influence, including the presence of Jewish relics and the use of Aramaic.
Chronicles indicate Jewish refugees from Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest of Jerusalem settled in Kartli (Eastern Georgia) after paying taxes to the local ruler.
Settlement and Integration: Jews established numerous communities in areas like Mtskheta, Tskhinvali, and Kutaisi. The texts suggest that their influence made Hebrew and Aramaic widely known, or even spoken, alongside Georgian.
Christianization: According to the chronicle, Jews were involved in the introduction of Christianity to Georgia; the saint Sidonia is identified as a Jewish woman who was buried with Christ's tunic.
Role and Status: The texts show Jewish communities were integral to Georgia's development, living under local protection for centuries
Ketevan Kakitelashvili, a Georgian historian, believes that the narrative about 26 centuries of friendship between Georgians and Jews appeared as a “double idealisation of the past” as the result of “nostalgia of the loss”, since after most Georgian Jews moved to Israel they lost their second homeland – Georgia – while Georgians lost their Jewish community.
Akhaltsikhe Jews were known as merchants involved in trade with Persia, Turkey, and Russia, with a high concentration of wealthy, established merchants in the 19th century. During the Soviet era, some were part of local agricultural collective farms.
The Jewish population began declining in the late 19th century as many moved to cities like Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi. By the 1970s, many had emigrated, and in the early 2000s, fewer than ten Jews remained in the town
Zionism emerged in the late 19th century as a bridge between local Georgian Jews and incoming Ashkenazi Jews from Russia, with the first Zionist organization established in Tbilisi in 1897.
Aliyah Activity: Georgian Jews were actively involved in immigration to Palestine/Israel (Aliyah) as early as 1863, with thousands moving in the 1970s.
The "18 Families" Letter: In 1969, a group of Georgian Jews sent a notable letter to the United Nations demanding the right to emigrate to Israel, which was a significant event in the Soviet-era Zionist movement. Georgia is a popular destination for Israeli tourists, with over 200,000 anticipated in 2024. Israelis have invested significantly in real estate, particularly in the Black Sea resort of Batumi.
Georgian Zionism historically was characterized as more religious and less political than the Ashkenazi (European) model.
Due to its strategic location in the Caucasus, Israel balances its warm relationship with Georgia with its strategic interests in Russia.
Georgia and Israel maintain close relations, with Georgia often seeking to align with Israel and the US to counterbalance Russian influence. The Israeli embassy in Tbilisi is active, and the two countries have cooperated on security matters, Israel has sometimes acted as a point of leverage for Tbilisi, although this can lead to complex relationships with other regional powers.
Sesostris is a legendary Egyptian king described by Greek historians like Herodotus as a world-conquering warrior who led massive military campaigns across Asia and into Europe. This figure is likely a composite myth based on real 12th Dynasty pharaohs, primarily Senusret I and Senusret III, who reigned during the Middle Kingdom and expanded Egypt's borders.
Historical Basis for the Legend:
Senusret I (Sesostris I): Reigned c. 1971–1926 BCE, noted for strengthening the 12th Dynasty after his father's assassination and expanding into Nubia.
Senusret III - Khakaura Senusret III (c.1874-1855 BC), also known as Senwosret III or, in Greek, Sesostris III : Reigned c. 1878–1839 BCE, known for military campaigns and being deified in his own lifetime, often seen as the primary basis for the warrior-king legend.
Khakaura Senusret III (c.1874-1855 BC), also known as Senwosret III or, in Greek, Sesostris III
The Mythos: Herodotus claims Sesostris conquered Scythia, Thrace, and established colonies in Colchis, leaving behind commemorative stelae.
The primary accounts of Sesostris come from Greek writers, including Herodotus (2nd book of his Histories), Diodorus Siculus, and Strabo.
The legends blended the feats of 12th Dynasty kings with those of later rulers like Ramesses II, who was sometimes identified as "the great Sesostris" in later traditions.
Unlike many historically accurate Egyptian kings, the mythical Sesostris is portrayed as a Macedonian-style world conqueror, reflecting Greek perspectives on Egypt.
For further reading on the legend's origins, see this article on Ancient Egypt Online and the GreekReporter's take on the legend.
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesostris
[2] https://greekreporter.com/2025/12/02/greek-legend-egyptian-king-sesostris/
[3] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sesostris-I
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senusret_III
[6] https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/61673/chapter/550497588?searchresult=1
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senusret_I
[8] https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/herodsesostris/
[9] https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/senusret-i-sesostris-i
[10] https://www.livius.org/sources/content/herodotus/herodotus-on-sesostris-reliefs/
[11] https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/sesostris-iii
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