The Chaldean astronomers mapped the stars, planets, and phases of the moon. They invented one of the first sundials to measure time. They were also the first to follow a 7-day week.
The Chaldean people of today are descendants of the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian civilizations and the Aramean legacy of Mesopotamia. Historically, Chaldeans are Iraq’s indigenous people, and mainly resided in Northern Iraq as mountain dwellers and farmers in villages dating back to before Christ. They have a 5,500-year history dating back to Mesopotamia—the cradle of civilization—which is present day Iraq. According to the Old Testament (Gen. 11:31), Abraham was from the city of Ur—which is identified as “Ur of the Chaldeans,” the city of his ancestors.
Ancient Babylonians were the first civilization to:
Invent the wheel
Discover how to make glass
Discover astronomy
Use a writing system
Invent the yearly calendar, composed of 360 days and 12 months
Use weights and measures, which were standardized in Babylon around 2,500 B.C.
Chaldeans are synonymous with Babylonians and are also referred to as Assyrians and or Syriacs. They are historically known for major contributions to civilization, such as:
Hammurabi’s Code, which was a revolutionary step in the development of fairness and equality under the law.
In 600 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar built the “Hanging Gardens of Babylon” (one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) to console his queen who missed the mountains and greenery of her native Media.
Discover more about the history of Chaldeans at Chaldeanfoundation.org and Chaldeansonline.org.