Chaldea

Sources from old books

1638. The merchants mappe of commerce wherein by Lewes Roberts.

In Chaldea wee find many Cities to have beene of old; and a∣mongst others Babel, famous for the confusion of Languages that heere happened in building that stupendious Edifice which was raised 5164 paces high, and who had its basis and circumference equall to that heighth; it is now much lessened of its ancient greatnes, and from Babel it became first Babylon, and now Bagdat, a Bashawlike of the grand Signior, through which runs the River Euphrates, which is in part the cause of her present traffique which dayly is found to be maintained by the helpe of Aleppo, where is kept (by the intercourse of Merchants, and the commoditie of Caravans, and intelligence of Pigeons carrying letters) a neigh∣bourlike commerce; Bagdate oftentimes venting into the land, what Aleppo doth receive by Seas.

1676. A most exact and accurate map of the whole world by Donald Lupton.

XXIII. Chaldea,

E. Persia, W. Arabia the desert, N. Mesopotamia, the Seat (its thought) of Paradise, so fruitfull, that it yieldeth three hundred fold increase; three harvests: the first place of Astronomy, Astrology, Divination and Idolatry, had first Babel that was confounded: Secondly Babylor, formerly one of the worlds wonder, as many furlongs round, as there are dayes in the year, (viz.) 365, 50 Cubits high, and so broad, that Carts might meet upon them; finished in one year by an 100000 workmen on both sides Euphrates, famous for pensile Gardens; and for that the Enemy had entred one end of it, three dayes before the other heard of them;

1. in whose stead now stands Bagdad, a place of great wealth and traffick, about seven miles round, maintained now by the trade of Aleppo by Water, and by Land, in Carvans by Camels, for whose passages publick spirited men have built houses of Receits on the Roads, called Caravane Rowes, or Canes; here they correspond by Pigeons, which they teach by carrying them with them in a Cage to coast any Country.
2. Ctesephon.
3. Sipparum, and its great Trench.
4. Apamia.
5. Balsora, the port to Babylon at the fall of Euphrates to Sinus Persicus, where the riches of Arabia, Persia, and some parts of India, are landed and carried to Babylon, and so by water to Aleppo.