Assyrians

Assyrians (Syriac: ܣܘܪ̈ܝܐ, romanized: Sūrāyē / Sūrōyē) are a distinct ethnic group native to Mesopotamia with roots in ancient Assyria. They speak varieties of Neo-Aramaic, a branch of the Semitic language family that replaced Akkadian during the Neo-Assyrian Empire, and largely adhere to Syriac Christianity. Some members of the community identify alternatively as Chaldeans or Arameans, based on religious, regional, and historic traditions. Assyrians are an indigenous Semitic people of West Asia, with a continuous cultural and linguistic presence spanning over three millennia. They originally spoke Akkadian before gradually adopting Aramaic, which became a lingua franca of the region and was spoken by Jesus of Nazareth. Today, Assyrians speak modern Neo-Aramaic dialects with Akkadian influences, particularly Suret and Turoyo, and adhere to both East and West Syriac rite Christian traditions. Aramaic remains one of the oldest continuously used languages in West Asia, and has influenced regional languages such as Hebrew and Arabic. The Assyrians were among the first peoples to accept Christianity in the 1st century AD. They are traditionally held to have been evangelised by St. Thomas the Apostle, one of the Twelve Disciples of Jesus Christ, and the disciples St. Addai and St. Mari. They developed and practice a unique East Syriac rite and organised the Church of the East, which would go on to spread Christianity throughout the Asian continent. Assyrians are broadly distinguished into three principal ecclesiastical traditions, divided by liturgy, dialect, theology, and historical development. Namely the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Ancient Church of the East. A number of Assyrians are also a part of the Syriac Catholic Church and the Syriac Orthodox Church, practicing the West Syriac rite. Despite long historical and demographic continuity in Mesopotamia, they remain the only indigenous Middle Eastern Christian group without a...