The true etymology of the name Casdim is un known. There can be no doubt, however, that this is the Hebrew equivalent for the Kabiai of Babylonian monuments, and the XaN5diot of the Greek historians. In Rawlinson's Herodoius (i. 655) we find the following remarks, containing the most recent and authentic notice of the old inhabi tants of Chaldma The monuments of Babylonia furnish abundant evidence of the fact that a Hamitic race held possession of that country in the earliest times, and continued to be a powerful element in the population down to a period very little preced ing the accession of Nebuchadnezzar. The most ancient historical records Found in the country, and many of the religious and scientific documents, are written in a language which belongs to the Allo phylian family, presenting affinities with the dialects of Africa on the one hand, and with those of high Asia on the other. The people by whom this lan guage was spoken, whose principal tribe was the Akkad (Accad, Gen. x. to), may be regarded as represented by the Chaldmans of the Greeks, the Casdim of the Hebrew writers. This race seems to have gradually developed the type of language known as Semitism, which became in course of time the general language of the country ; still, however, as a priest-caste, a portion of the Akkad preserved their ancient tongue, and formed the learned and scientific Chaldmans of later times.'
Their language was the language of science in those countries ; and the Chaldmans devoted themselves to the study of the sciences, and especially astro nomy. The scientific tablets discovered at Nineveh are all in this dialect. These facts throw new and clear light on the many allusions to the Chaldmau wise men in the Bible (Dan. i. 4; ii. z; iv. 7 ; Ezek. xxiii. 14). The influence and power of the Chal dmans rapidly increased, so that in the early part of the 9th century B.C., they became the dominant race in Babylonia, and gave that kingdom their name (2 Chron. xxxvi. 17 ; Dan. ix. 1) [BABYLONIA ; CHALDiEANS]. During the Stli century B.C., a number of them emigrated from their native plains, and settled in the mountains of Armenia. This is possibly the true explanation of the occurrence of Chaldmans in that region, as noted by many ancient writers (ten. Anab. iv. 3, 4; Strab. xii. ; Steph. Byz., s. v. XaNS/a); and this, too, spews why Gese nius and other recent authors were led to believe that the Chaldmans of Babylonia were a colony from the northern mountains, settled in that coun try by one of the later Assyrian monarchs (Rawlin son's Herndotus,i. 636; Winer, R. IV. B. s. v. Chal daer ; Ditmar, Vaterland d. Chaldlier ; Bochart, Geagr.)—J. L. P.*