The Tbilisi Museums Union hosted the second international conference titled “Semitological Searches” at the conference hall of the National Library of the Parliament of Georgia on October 15, 16, and 17. This conference was a tribute to the memory of the esteemed academician Kote (Konstantine) Tsereteli, a globally recognized semitologist and linguist, celebrated for pioneering Hebraistics and Aramaic studies in Georgia.
The conference took place in 2017 for the first time, marking the announcement to a broad audience about the Tbilisi Museums Union’s initiative aiming to fortify scientific pursuits by establishing a scientific research center named after Kote Tsereteli. The center was planned to be developed within the Kote and Soso Tsereteli Museum, carrying forward the tradition and legacy of Kote Tsereteli’s scholarly contributions.
On February 5, 2018, the Tbilisi Museums Union made a public announcement regarding the establishment of the aforementioned scientific research center. This center’s primary objective is to advance the scientific researchers of the Georgian Semitological School, fostering its growth and recognition both within the local community and on a global scale.
Researchers of Hebraistics-Aramaistics studies from five nations—Georgia, Israel, Germany, Russia, and Iraq—participated in this year’s conference. Ambassador Shaftai Tsur, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Israel to Georgia, graced the conference’s opening ceremony with his presence.
