Writing almost five centuries after the reported event, as-Suyūṭī recorded that in A.H. 434 (1042 August 21–1043 August 9) an earthquake affected Tabriz, Palmyra (Tadmur), and Baalbek. Because Palmyra and Baalbek lie approximately 800–1,000 km from Tabriz, Ambraseys (2009) argued that as-Suyūṭī was likely conflating two separate earthquakes occurring in the same year. English renderings of al-Suyūṭī’s notice—whether through Ambraseys (2009), Guidoboni and Comastri (2005), Sbeinati et al. (2005), or Sprenger (1843)—show minor inconsistencies, but usually agree that the earthquake striking Palmyra caused severe loss of life, while Baalbek is mentioned without any explicit description of damage. Ambraseys further noted that the distance between Palmyra and Baalbek (c. 200 km) suggests either two distinct events or, that while Palmyra suffered heavy destruction, the earthquake was only felt at Baalbek.