1156-1159 CE Syrian Quakes

August to September 1157 CE Hama and Shaizar Quake(s)

Excerpts

English from Ambraseys (2009)

from Ambraseys (2009)

At Tripolis in years gone by there was an earthquake, when many Gentiles and Jews perished, for houses and walls fell upon them. There was great destruction at that time throughout the Land of Israel, and more than 20,000 souls perished. (Benj. Tud. 49–50/31–32).

English from Adler (1907)

from Adler (1907:17) and Adler (1907:31-32)

At Tripolis in years gone by there was an earthquake, when many Gentiles and Jews perished, for houses and walls fell upon them. There was great destruction at that time throughout the Land of Israel, and more than 20,000 souls perished².

Footnotes

2 Socin, the author of Baedeker's Handbook to Palestine and Syria, p. 557, gives the year of the earthquake 1157. It is referred to again p. 31. There was a very severe earthquake in this district also in 1170, and the fact that Benjamin does not refer to it furnishes us with another terminus ad quem [aka terminus post quem].

Thence it is a day's journey to Hamah, which is Hamath. It lies on the river Jabbok at the foot of Mount Lebanon³. Some time ago there was a great earthquake in the city, and 25,000 souls perished in one clay, and of about 200 Jews but seventy escaped.

Footnotes

3 Hamath is often mentioned in Scripture, situated at no great distance from the Orontes. In the troublous time after the first crusade it was taken by the Ismailians or Assassins. The earthquake of 1157 caused great damage. Twenty years later the place was captured by Saladin.

English from Adler (1907:17) - embedded

see 9 lines down on page 17 starting with At Tripolis in years gone by there was
from Adler (1907:17)
from archive.org

English from Adler (1907:31-32) - embedded

see 3rd line from the bottom (not footnotes) on page 31 starting with Thence it is a day's journey to Hamah
from Adler (1907:31-32)
from archive.org

Chronology

**1st passage**
Date	Reference	Corrections	Notes
1157 or 1170 CE	years gone	none	It is not clear which earthquake(s) Benjamin of Tudela is referring to as there were a number of earthquakes in the region between 1156 and 1159 CE in addition to the one in 1170 CE. Adler (1907:17 note 2) notes that since Benjamin of Tudela did not mention the 1170 CE Quake(s), he must be referring to an earthquake in 1157 CE. Ambraseys (2009:320) notes that since Benjamin's only chronological indicators are 'in times gone by' and `some years ago', he could be referring either to the 12 August 1157 earthquake or to this one [1170 CE] or even to both. Guidoboni and Comastri (2005) noted the following The text by Benjamin does not contain any explicit chronological references if we exclude the citing of the year 4933 of the Hebrew calendar, corresponding to 1173 of the Julian calendar, inserted by the author to indicate the year of his return to Spain. However, the implicit chronological references in this text allow us to date Benjamin's journey between the first half of the 1160s and 1173. In the passage that is referred to Tripoli of Syria, Benjamin writes that the earthquake had occurred "in the past years", and in the one concerning the city of Hamah, "several years before". According to Prawer (1988, pp.193-4), in both cases Benjamin was referring to the earthquake of 29 June 1170.

**2nd passage**
Date	Reference	Corrections	Notes
1157 or 1170 CE	years gone	none	It is not clear which earthquake(s) Benjamin of Tudela is referring to as there were a number of earthquakes in the region between 1156 and 1159 CE in addition to the one in 1170 CE. Adler (1907:17 note 2) notes that since Benjamin of Tudela did not mention the 1170 CE Quake(s), he must be referring to an earthquake in 1157 CE. Ambraseys (2009:320) notes that since Benjamin's only chronological indicators are 'in times gone by' and `some years ago', he could be referring either to the 12 August 1157 earthquake or to this one [1170 CE] or even to both. Guidoboni and Comastri (2005) noted the following The text by Benjamin does not contain any explicit chronological references if we exclude the citing of the year 4933 of the Hebrew calendar, corresponding to 1173 of the Julian calendar, inserted by the author to indicate the year of his return to Spain. However, the implicit chronological references in this text allow us to date Benjamin's journey between the first half of the 1160s and 1173. In the passage that is referred to Tripoli of Syria, Benjamin writes that the earthquake had occurred "in the past years", and in the one concerning the city of Hamah, "several years before". According to Prawer (1988, pp.193-4), in both cases Benjamin was referring to the earthquake of 29 June 1170.

Seismic Effects

1st passage

At Tripolis in years gone by there was an earthquake, when many Gentiles and Jews perished, for houses and walls fell upon them
There was great destruction at that time throughout the Land of Israel, and more than 20,000 souls perished

2nd passage

Some time ago there was a great earthquake in the city [Hama], and 25,000 souls perished in one clay, and of about 200 Jews but seventy escaped

Locations

The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela by Benjamin of Tudela