I was going through some discussions, which took place in Vienna between the 24th and 29th of June 1994, during the Pro Oriente published in Vol. I of the Syriac Dialogue. Please read carefully what Fr. Sarhad Jammo, a clergy of the Chaldean Catholic Church and who holds a Ph.D. degree said, and I quote: The names of our last two kingdoms before becoming ruled by conquerors were Chaldea and Assyria. In the 16th century Christianity in Mesopotamia was reduced to a very special region and people. After the union of the Chaldeans with Rome the region where they lived corresponded to the land of the ancient Chaldeans. That is why they adopted that name. Likewise for the Assyrians and the ancient land of the Assyrians. unquote. (Page 107) I cannot imagine how someone with a Ph.D. degree can utter such nonsense in front of other people who hold likewise noticeable degrees! First, the names of the last two kingdoms of Mesopotamia were Babylonian and Assyrian. Chaldea was never considered a kingdom it never had the time to be established as a kingdom, it existed for 87 years only. The kingdom in southern Mesopotamia (Babylon) during the Chaldean kings rule was called Neo-Babylonian kingdom. It was never known, in any serious history book, as Chaldean kingdom. Secondly, Fr. Sarhad Jammo had got himself in a situation where he cannot be envied for it for sure. He mentions the fact that Christianity in the 16th century basically was reduced to a very special region, but he avoided mentioning that the region he is referring to was Assyria (Northern Mesopotamia), where Assyrians have lived always, and never Chaldeans. Thirdly, he stated that after the union of the so-called chaldeans with Rome the region where they lived corresponded to the land of the ancient Chaldeans. There is a huge contradiction and historical falsity in this silly sentence. Fr. Jammo stressed on after the union with Rome, assuming it was during the 16th century (lets forget about the 1681 and the 1830 dates), the land of the Christians who united with Rome was Assyria in northern Mesopotamia, it was never known as Chaldea. There was never any union between Rome and some people living in Chaldea, rather between Rome and Nestorians living in Mosul (Assyria). In the 16th century all of southern Mesopotamia, including Chaldea, was Moslem. If Rome has united with Chaldeans, it must have then united with Moslem Chaldea where real Chaldeans lived! Why would Rome do that? Fr. Sarhad Jammo presented this same silly theory during the Census 2000 mess as his justification for adopting the Chaldean name! What a shame that such historical garbage is not being challenged it is simply appalling. I guess in the Pro Oriente gatherings, the brotherly environment prevents confrontations and allows participants to claim whatever they feel like it!
| 
