Empires are formed and fall, dynasties rise to prominence and crumble in poverty and ruin, ethnicities disappear from the fate of the Earth - these are the inevitable aspects of the histories of ancient empires. Mesopotamia, rightfully called the cradle of civilization, was an area of the Middle East where many important kingdoms, empires, and cultures arose over many millennia. Amongst these was the Chaldean Empire, whose ruling Chaldean dynasty is the perfect example of how much uncertainty and unpredictability there was for the rulers of these ancient realms. Who were the Chaldeans? And how did they rise to such lofty prominence?This essay gives a good account of the Chaldeans and their Neo-Babylonian dynasty, which included King Nebuchadnezzar II. He is famous from the Bible for his invasion of Judea and his destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586/587 BCE.[...]
There is a lot of confusion about the Chaldeans due to the Book of Daniel, which mostly treats them as a type of magico-religious practitioner. This meaning is the more common one in the Hellenistic period.
In modern times, one group of Aramaic-speaking Iraqi Christians calls themselves "Chaldeans." They are mostly expatriated to other places, including Southern California. See here and links and here.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
