Wow! Do you know when the Chaldean Church started using that emblem to represent the patriarchate?
Its quite alright but thank you for the information
I do remember now that one of the reasons why there is the nativity scene in the older emblem is that it is connected to the previous Patriarch Mar Delly’s name of
Emmanuel. In Scripture, it says: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name
Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14), and St. Matthew quotes this passage in reference to the birth of Jesus (see Matt. 1:23). So, the “theme” of Mar Delly’s Patriarchate was that “God is with us”, in honor of Jesus, and also as a consolation to the suffering Chaldeans of Iraq who needed to know that the great
'Ammanuel (
ܥܡܢܘܐܝܠ), Christ
our El,
our God (
Alahan ܐܠܗܢ), was indeed
with us (
'amman ܥܡܢ).
Add also the fact that the Assyro-Chaldean Church of the East historically referred to the gift-bearing Wisemen who came to worship Christ as Chaldeans, having followed a star, as was the custom of the ancient Chaldeans to observe the “astros”. So, the Wisemen were added to the emblem.
Also, looking over the website
WayBackMachine, I noticed that the Patriachal site had the old emblem
before February of this year, and the new emblem
after February, which coincides with the transition of the Patriarchate from Mar Delly to Mar Sako.
Probably too much info for you, but I have nothing else to do today, so there you go!
God bless,
Rony
