Assyrians!:) (ancient, Roman, empire, language)

[Phil P]

Has anybody read about these people? It's actually quite interesting. Assyrian's

It is interesting how few people know their history after their empire fell and how they still exist today.

One thing I didn't know was that Assyrian = Babylonian.
Thoughts on this?

[Josef K.]

I find the modern-day people known as Assyrians puzzling, as in they seem to consist of several different groups (Chaldean, Syriac Orthodox and so forth) and their relation to the ancient Assyrians is not clear to me.

One thing I do know is that the Chicago area has the largest Assyrian community in the US, and I've occasionally visited convenience stores owned by Assyrians, often displaying cultural knick-knacks like calendars and posters with Assyrian writing on them.

[Phil P]

Originally Posted by Josef K.

I find the modern-day people known as Assyrians puzzling, as in they seem to consist of several different groups (Chaldean, Syriac Orthodox and so forth) and their relation to the ancient Assyrians is not clear to me.

One thing I do know is that the Chicago area has the largest Assyrian community in the US, and I've occasionally visited convenience stores owned by Assyrians, often displaying cultural knick-knacks like calendars and posters with Assyrian writing on them.

As for their relation to ancient Assyrians, it has been tested genetically and been supported that they are indeed related to the ancient ones, much like the Jews of today are related to the Jews of the past. Some Assyrians still speak dialects of Aramaic, which is descended from the Aramaic that the ancient Assyrians spoke in 9th century BC.
Syriac, aka Assyrian orthodox is a predominant from of Christianity among them. It's kind of like Eastern Orthodox.
It's just cool how they have remained around for so long. Other ethnicities, like Roman and Phoenician have assimilated and there is no Latin or Phoenician spoken as a first language by people today.

[Josef K.]

Do you think that Christianity was the key factor in maintaining their identity through the centuries?

[Phil P]

Originally Posted by Josef K.

Do you think that Christianity was the key factor in maintaining their identity through the centuries?

I would say so. It has been for Armenians and others in the area that could otherwise be dispersed and assimilated.