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I've heard, or read, the claim that Abraham was a Kurd.

Abraham was from Ur. In c.2000 B.C. there were no Chaldeans -- the Babylonian-Chaldean Empires came later -- this was during the Sumerian-Akkadian times (no population difference, just a political difference)

It was called Ur of the Chaldeans because the first books were written some time later so calling it Ur of the Sumerians wouldn't have made much sense to people reading it.

Sumeria was the first centre of civilisation. We're not really sure who those people were, but they seem related to the Harappan builders in India and blam has posted an intereting theory that both these places were populated by peoples from South-East Asia.

Anyway, the Sumerian city-states soon were surrounded by Amorites nomads -- and Abraham or Abram was a descendent of those Amorites. soon, the Amorites adopted Sumerian ways, Sumerian Gods, Sumerian writing (cuneiforms) but retained their Semitic speech -- Akkadian. The first true Emperor Sargon I was an Akkadian who extended his suzereignity over all the Sumerian city states. around 2200 B.C. Abram left Ur around this time -- and just in the nick of time, because around that time, Ur was invaded by the Elamites and destroyed, so that's why it had to be introduced as Abraham, from the city of Ur in the place now known as Chaldea (and now Iraq)

Abram was most definitely NOT a Kurd -- the Kurds are Aryan peoples related to the Iranis-Indian-Hittites. The Aryans were just moving across the Irani peninsula -- they would set up the Mittani confederation and take over the Hivites in the coming centuries.

There was no break-up of the Irani peoples into Kurds, Iranis, Tajiks etc. until much, much later. The indo-Europeans at 2000 B.C. were still in the well, 'proto' stage with the proto-Celto-Germanic-Slavic-Latin-Ionian Greek tribes still wandering Central Asia and into the Gobi while their cousins were settling down in Iran and India

"Abraham was from Ur. In c.2000 B.C. there were no Chaldeans -- the Babylonian-Chaldean Empires came later -- this was during the Sumerian-Akkadian times (no population difference, just a political difference)"

When Abraham lived in Ur, it was a seaside town/city. Today Ur is almost a hundred miles inland. 15,000 years ago, the Persian Gulf was completely dry.

"around 2200 B.C. Abram left Ur around this time -- and just in the nick of time, because around that time, Ur was invaded by the Elamites and destroyed, so that's why it had to be introduced as Abraham, from the city of Ur in the place now known as Chaldea (and now Iraq)"

Don't forget this little incident that happened around 2200-2300BC. I'm guessing that this incident provided the imagery for Revelations and maybe even the story of Soddon & Gomorra.

Disaster That Struck The Ancients

Iraq Meteorite Crater

"Sumeria was the first centre of civilisation. We're not really sure who those people were, but they seem related to the Harappan builders in India and blam has posted an interesting theory that both these places were populated by peoples from South-East Asia."

From Dr Stephen Oppenheimer's book, Eden In The East. I highly recommend it.