Interested in Assyrian history? Use this!
What is this project?
The Starter Guide is a culmination of research about Assyrians, compiled by SEC for our community!
One of the earliest independent projects of SEC was a comprehensive Google Document on basic concepts of Assyrian history. Formerly titled the "Historical Document," our Starter Guide to Assyrian History is a 200+ page document that combines quotations and visuals from academic sources and independent research ranging from various topics. The project also includes the hard work of volunteers who have contributed to the project as well!
As of 2026, the Starter Guide is presently on hold as we focus on other projects. See the cards to the right for a list of topics located in the document. To access the unfinished product, please click the link here.
Chaldea's connection to Mandaeans
Describing the former region of Chaldea in south Mesopotamia, its connection to the ethnoreligious Mandaeans, and its relation to the Assyrian community.
The Assyrian naming dispute
Understanding the origins of the highly contentious identity conflict among Assyrians today. Includes the Chaldean and Aramean movements
The origins of “Assyrian” and its common confusion with “Syrian”
Connecting the etymological roots of "Syrian" and "Assyrian"
Assyrian continuity after the fall of Nineveh (612 BC)
How did Assyrians remember their ancient ancestry after the fall of their empire?
“Nestorian” as a misnomer
The use of "Nestorian" as a misnomer and a derogatory label against the Church of the East and the larger Assyrian population
The rise of Assyrian nationalism
Tracing the development of Assyrian nationalism, how it began, and how it has developed into the modern era
The Assyrian Genocide (Seyfo) of 1915
Includes the pre-section "What constitutes genocide and reparations for it?"
Simele massacre of 1933
The context, enactment, and consequences of the Simele massacre of 1933
Sorya massacre of 1969
Research compiled for a massacre that remains under researched, the Sorya massacre of 1969.
The impact of ISIS on Assyrian communities in Iraq and Syria
How the so-called "Islamic State" devastated Assyrian communities at its height in the mid-2010s.
The spread of the Church of the East into India
A small sub-section that includes information about the St. Thomas Christians in India