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Continuation of the Damascus Chronicle by Ibn al-Qalanisi

ذيـل تـاريـخ دمـشـق by ابو يعل

Aliases
Aliases Arabic
Ibn al-Qalanisi ابو يعل
Abu Ya‘la ابو يعل
Abu Ya‘la Hamzah ibn Asad ibn al-Qalanisi ابو يعلى حمزة ابن الاسد ابن القلانسي
Background and Biography
Background and Biography

Excerpts
English from Guidoboni and Comastri (2005)

On Tuesday 10 of the month of Jumada I in that year [460 H.] there was a terrible earthquake in Palestine, which destroyed most of the houses and walls at Ramla, and badly damaged its congregational mosque. Most inhabitants perished in the ruins. It was said that a schoolteacher was in his classroom with about 200 children, and the classroom roof collapsed on top of them, but no-one went to look for [their bodies] because their families had perished as well. It was also said that because of the intensity of the earthquake, water came out of the wells. At Baniyas about a hundred people perished in the ruins; and the same thing happened at Jerusalem.

Chronology
Year Reference Corrections Notes
Monday 17 March 1068 CE or Tuesday 18 March 1068 CE Tuesday 10th of Jumada I A.H. 460 none
  • Calculated with CHRONOS
  • The 10th of Jumada I in A.H. 460 equates to 17 March 1068 CE which fell on a Monday - not a Tuesday (calculated using CHRONOS).
  • When one considers the 18 March 1068 CE date provided by other authors, it seems more likely that al-Qalanisi erred on the date rather than the day of the week.
Seismic Effects
  • there was a terrible earthquake in Palestine
  • destroyed most of the houses and walls at Ramla
  • badly damaged its [Ramla's] congregational mosque
  • Most inhabitants [of Ramla] perished in the ruins.
  • In Ramla a schoolteacher was in his classroom with about 200 children, and the classroom roof collapsed on top of them, but no-one went to look for [their bodies] because their families had perished as well.
  • water came out of the wells
  • At Baniyas about a hundred people perished in the ruins
  • the same thing happened at Jerusalem
Locations
  • Palestine
  • Ramla
  • Baniyas
  • Jerusalem
Online Versions and Further Reading
References