5 articles for "Chaldean"

Sometimes spelled Chaldaean.

Originally a Semitic tribe but later applied to the magi of Babylonia who were astrologers and diviners.

See also:
♦ Babylon ♦ Chaldaean Oracle

What little is known is derived mostly from the Chaldaean Oracles. To the Chaldeans, astrology was a religion. They regarded the world as eternal, with no beginning or end, and the Sun, Moon, and planets as interpreters by which human beings might know and execute the will of God. Upon considering the regularity of the motions of the celestial bodies, they inferred that such objects were either intelligent beings or were controlled by some guiding intelligence. This belief led to Sabianism, the worship of the host of heaven (Sun, Moon, and Stars), which originated in the Arabian kingdom of Saba (Sheba). The heavenly host was not worshipped as God (whom they regarded as far above the level of mundane concern), but as ambassadors or mediators between God and humanity. To these lesser (planetary) gods they erected large temples designed to facilitate celestial observations. In 356 BC, during the era of Alexander the Great, the Chaldaeans claimed that their astrology had existed for some 473,000 years!

See also:
♦ Chaldaean Oracle

Little is known about it, but some of its concepts may be derived from the Chaldean oracles. To the Chaldeans, astrology was a religion. They regarded the world as eternal, with no beginning or end, and the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter were believed to have been provided as "interpreters" by which human beings might know the will of God.

Upon considering the regularity of the motions of the celestial bodies, they inferred that such objects were either intelligent beings or controlled by some guiding intelligence. This belief led to Sabianism, the worship of the host of heaven (Sun, Moon, and Stars), which originated in the Arabian kingdom of Saba (Sheba).

The members of this heavenly host were not worshipped as God (whom they considered to be above the level of concern for mundane affairs), but as ambassadors, or mediators, between God and humanity. They erected large temples designed to facilitate celestial observations to these lesser "gods."

In 356 B.C., during the era of Alexander the Great, the Chaldeans claimed that their astrology had existed for some 473,000 years!

See also:
♦ Chaldaean Oracle

An ancient oracle held in great esteem by the Babylonians. Although this oracle regarded destiny as "written in the stars," it also regarded it the duty of Man to rise above a potential future by the exercise of his free will. Other teachings included the doctrine of karma and reincarnation.

See also:
♦ Babylon ♦ Karma

Rank-ordered from slowest to fastest of the classical planets: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon. This order is followed in traditional computations of planetary hours and in Ptolemy's table of faces which forms a part of his table of essential dignity and debility.

See also:
♦ Planetary Hours ♦ Face