Chaldean

Chaldean can refer to an ancient people of lower Mesopotamia and their culture, or a contemporary Christian people living mostly in Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran.

Historical references

• Chaldea or "the Chaldees" was a part of Babylonia. According to Josephus, Chaldeans were known in Hebrew as "Kasidim", which, in time, came also to mean "sorcerers".
• The 11th dynasty of the Kings of Babylon (6th century BC) is known as the Chaldean Dynasty.
• Chaldean mythology is a general term used to refer to the mythologies of ancient Sumer, Assyria and Babylonia.
• Chaldean language may refer to the Urartian language also known as Vannic. It was the official language of Urartu spoken in northeastern Anatolia in the 9th–6th centuries BCE. It is thought to be descended from the same language as Hurrian. However, Biblical Aramaic also used to be referred to as Chaldean or Chaldee.
• The Chaldean Oracles played a role in the mystery religions in Hellenism (Greek mythology).

Contemporary references

• Modern Chaldeans, are a traditionally Aramaic-speaking, Christian people from Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran.
• Chaldean Neo-Aramaic is a modern Aramaic language. Chaldean script is sometimes used to refer to the Aramaic alphabet or Syriac alphabet.
• Chaldean is a name applied to Eastern Catholic Assyrians (Syriacs), see Chaldean Catholic Church.
• Chaldean Syrian Church of the East is the name most often used by the Assyrian Church of the East in India.