Origins of the Western Syriacs (West of the Euphrates)

[MarkyMark]

Theory 1: Syria is a term ultimately derived from Assyrian, and that the christians of Syria(to distinguish them from the Muslims) are of Assyrian origin, however both Western and Eastern 'Assyrians' were ultimately mixed with Arameans.

Theory 2: The Western Syriacs originate from Luwians and Hurrians and that the name 'Syria' is ultimately Indo-European as the Hurrians were ruled by an Indo-European elite. Later they had mixed with the Greeks and Arameans, who were absorbed in to the Syrian identity. The confusion over naming stems from the Greek discovery of the two lands, one called Surya, the other Assur/Athur.

Which theory do you agree with?

Pictures of Western Syrians

http://www.soc-wus.org/images/DSC04719.JPG

http://old.bethnahrin.de/Cicek.jpg

http://image1.masterfile.com/em_w/03/72/69/863-03726923w.jpg

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=syriac+orthodox+syrians&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1311&bih=602&tbm=isch&tbnid=aM8aEbhRaZWiGM:&imgrefurl=http://lisd.princeton.edu/syrian-orthodox-archbishop-aleppo-describes-situation-syria-lisd-lecture&docid=T8oxpK8M-IMo4M&imgurl=http://lisd.princeton.edu/sites/lisd/files/ArchbishopSyria.jpg&w=200&h=200&ei=M9LjUKH0MubE2wXrt4CwCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=2&vpy=327&dur=1134&hovh=160&hovw=160&tx=115&ty=185&sig=116682149402961881735&page=3&tbnh=135&tbnw=116&start=47&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:61,s:0,i:275

http://www.cnewa.ca/Mag-Images/magimages-33-2/33-2-5I.jpg

http://static2.demotix.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/a_scale_large/1000-8/photos/1327400896-syrian-orthodox-christians-perform-the-epiphany-baptism-ceremony_1016628.jpg

Pictures of Assyrians, mainly Chaldeans (excluding Western Syriacs)

http://photos.worldsingles.com/user_pics/Ab/1969336.jpg

http://www.zindamagazine.com/html/archives/2007/03.21.07/pix/Jordan_Christians.jpg

http://www.joshuaproject.net/profiles/photos/p11295.jpg

http://www.chaldean.org/Portals/0/WYD2005ChaldeansFront.jpg

http://images.whereilive.com.au/images/uploads/2010/12/02/5d785c72d890fd5ff7d4342d10a37f0f_resized.jpg

Poll coming Up

[StonyArabia]

Both theories have quite the amount of truth in them. Although the Assyrians in Iraq are kinda different than those people they tend to be slightly darker.

[nihilsciens]

Are you talking about the Aramaic speakers in Maaloula and those villages? Unfortunately, there's not much genetic study being done on different branches of the Assyrian ethnicity. There's only one I've heard of, and it's here: https://www.familytreedna.com/public/AssyrianHeritageDNAProject/