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News of '46'

Background and Biography
Background and Biography

Excerpts
English from Beinert (1955)

On the 8th of January, 1546 , there was an earthquake in Jerusalem, which knocked down the dome on the Holy Sepulcher, shook all of the Temple of Solomon, and collapsed most of the Mosques. There was great ruin in the whole region as far as Damascus. Many died. The cities most affected were
  • Ramayar (Ramla)
  • Cifayde (Safed ?)
  • Cigle (Schechem/Nablus ? Jaffa ?)
They looked like no buildings had been there. There was great damage in other places up to Damascus and another city.

On the same day Elisha's spring (Jericho) flowed blood instead of water, a fire broke out that lasted for four days, and the River Jordan dried up for a full day. In an arm of the sea and all the nearby rivers, the water stopped [flowing ?] for three days and afterwards the water flowed like blood. In the port of Jaffa where the pilgrims disembark, the sea receded more than [a days journey ?] and many people went to the dry seabed to recover the sea's riches. As you all [or they] know, every single person from there and their neighbors went to harvest from the dry sea. On the fourth day, the sea took more than 10,000 people with such ferocity that they all drowned. No-one escaped.

In those days, there were winds and storms so strong that they made great mountains of sand (brought by the wind) in Tripoli, the island of Cyprus, and many other cities. Antiquities were discovered in some places and in other places, all the land and properties was covered causing great damage. The entire Roman Court and the whole country is in upheaval with the war against the Lutherans. The Pope helps the Emperor with 12,000 men and they, the people, brought his two grandchildren. The lady's husband serves as Captian-General and his son the Cardinal heads up the Army.

Praise God
Praise God

And old form of Spanish from Beinert (1955)

En 8 de henero de 1546 anos fue vn terremoto en Jerusalen que hizo caer el cinborio del santo sepulcro, hizo tenblar todo el tenplo de Salomon, derribo la mayor parte de las mezquitas de los moros, y en toda aquella provincia hasta damasco ovo gran rruyna, y en los lugares gran mortandad de gentes, y las cibdades que mas dano Recibieron son: Ramayar, cifayde, cigle, que no se vieron mas como si nunca fueron alli edificadas, y a todos los demas lugares vino gran dano saluo a damasco y a otra cibdad. En el mismo dia la fuente de eliseo en lugar de agua corrio sangre, y al principio fuego duro quatro dias continuos, y el rrio Jordan suedo en se lo todo vn dia. Y cierto braco de mar con todos los Rios alli vezinos quedaronse los por tres dias, y despues corrieron agua a manera de sangre. En el puerto de jafa, donde desenbarcan los peregrinos, el mar se rretruxo mas de vna jortlada adentro, y andavan muchos de aquella tierra cogendo muchas rriquezas que dexava la mar descubiertos. Y como lo supieron todos los pueblos alli vez[ino]s cada vno yva a sacar Riquezas. Y a1 quarto dia estando en esta co[n]dicion a mas de diez mill personas tomo el mar con tanta ferocidad que los ahogo a todos sin ninguno escapar.

En tripul aquellos dias y en la ynsola de chipre con otras muchas cibdades ovo vientos y torvellinos tan grandes que hizo grandes montones de arena, que el viento traya, que descubria en partes antiguallas y en otras partes, hazia donde yva el viento, cubria todas las heredades y hazia gran dano. Toda la corte rromana y toda la tierra esta alborotada, con guerra contra el luterano. El papa ayuda al enperador con doze myll onbres y llevan sus dos nietos la gente. El marido de madama va por la capitan general y el cardenal su hijo por senor del exercito.

Laus deo
Laus deo

Chronology
Year Reference Corrections Notes
8 January 1546 CE the 8th of January, 1546 none
Seismic Effects
  • there was an earthquake in Jerusalem, which knocked down the dome on the Holy Sepulcher, shook all of the Temple of Solomon, and collapsed most of the Mosques
  • There was great ruin in the whole region as far as Damascus
  • Many died
  • The cities most affected were
  • The cities most affected looked like no buildings had been there
  • There was great damage in other places up to Damascus and another city
  • Elisha's spring (Jericho) flowed blood instead of water
  • the River Jordan dried up for a full day
  • In an arm of the sea and all the nearby rivers, the water stopped [flowing ?] for three days and afterwards the water flowed like blood
  • tsunami - In the port of Jaffa where the pilgrims disembark, the sea receded more than [a days journey ?] and on the fourth day, the sea drank more than 10,000 people with such ferocity that they all drowned
Locations
  • Jerusalem
  • Ramayar (Ramla)
  • Cifayde [Safed ? (Beinert, 1955), Jaffa ? (Braslavy-Braslavsky, 1955)]
  • Cigle [Shechem/Nablus ? (Shalem, 1955)]
  • Jaffa
  • the River Jordan
  • Elisha's spring (Jericho)
  • Damascus may have been unaffected
  • unlocated - in an arm of the sea and all the nearby rivers, the water stopped [flowing ?] for three days
Notes and Further Reading
References