The Jewish community in Derbent, in the Russian Republic of Dagestan, is the oldest in the North Caucasus and dates back to the 7th century.

[1] The Jewish population of Derbent and its neighborhood are descended from a military colony established by the Persian emperor Khosrow I in the 6th century.

[5] Jewish-Khazar correspondence, in particular the Schechter Letter, also mentions Derbent and local Jews in the process of accepting Judaism by the Khazars.

[12] The Derbent rabbi Yaakov Yitzhaki led a group of Mountain Jews from the Caucasus and founded an agricultural settlement in Be'er Ya'akov, Israel.

[14] The Jews of Derbent conducted a large wholesale trade, mainly in agricultural products, and owned about 30 manufacturing shops and 160 gardens.

[30] The names of 1732 Jewish soldiers who fell in battle, died from wounds and went missing are carved on the memorial plate.