The origin of the folk legend about founding Tbilisi remains entirely enigmatic, yet the parallelism observable in Jewish folklore seems to be indicative. Indeed, the main element of this plot – the unusual spring – apparently resembles the legendary motif of the “river of paradise” which in ancient Jewish folkloristic tradition was associated with Alexander the Great.
Lerner, C. B. (2001). The “River of Paradise” and the Legend about the City of Tbilisi: A Literary Source of the Legend. Folklore, 16, 72-77.
