Chaldean

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Chaldean (from Akkadian Kaldu, via Greek Χαλδαιος Chaldaios) may refer to:

1. historical Babylonia, in particular in a Hellenistic context
• Chaldea, "the Chaldees" was a Hellenistic designation for a part of Babylonia.
• The 11th dynasty of Babylon (6th century BC) is conventionally known as the Chaldean Dynasty.
• Chaldean mythology is a generalized term used to refer to all the mythologies of ancient Sumer, Akkad, Assyria and Babylonia.
• The Chaldean Oracles played a role in Hellenistic mystery religions of the first centuries BC and AD.
• "Chaldean" in Roman and medieval authors refers in particular to the mathematics and astrology of Babylonia, and hence of soothsayers or astrologers in general.
2. the Chaldean Catholic Church (since 1553)
• the contemporary Chaldean Assyrians of adherents to this church.
• the Chaldean Neo-Aramaic spoken by Chaldean Catholics.
• "Chaldean script" is sometimes used to refer to the Eastern Syriac alphabet.
• the Chaldean Syrian Church in India.
3. the Khaldi, called Chaldeans by classical authors though linguistically unrelated to the more recent Chaldean Assyrians.
• Chaldean language in old references refers to the Urartian language and peoples.

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Last updated on Monday March 10, 2008 at 02:23:51 PDT (GMT -0700)
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