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Letter written by Archbishop of Saida Boutros Jalfaq

Biography
Biography

Excerpts

In Cahier 3 of Annales Seismologiques de l'Observatoire de Ksara, Lebanon (1956) there is a handwritten account of the 1759 earthquakes titled "Note d’histoire seismique; les seismes de 1759 au Liban". The account describes a letter dated December 1759 CE written by the Archbishop of Saida (Sidon) Boutros Jalfaq. This letter dates and describes effects due to the 1759 CE earthquakes
English Translation

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After describing in Cahier 1 of Year 1956, the earthquake of March 16, 1956, which devastated the Lebanese canton of Chouf, east of Saida, it seemed worthwhile to collect the testimony provided by a witness of the earthquakes of the year 1759 in the same region: where you will see that the two disasters present more than one analogy.

The witness is the Archbishop of Saida Boutros Jalfaq, whose letter, dated December 1759, has just been discovered in the archives of the Monastery of the Holy Savior, located in the center of this country of Chouf, by Ro. (?) J. Euthyme SKAF, who published it in the "Messages" menouels(?) of the Monastery ("Ol-Riqalat"?). Here is the summary of the seismic events mentioned in the letter.

A first earthquake occurred on October 30, 1759 (the author writes: "October 19", because it follows the Julian calendar), which struck particulalrly hard in Safed in Galilee. He is suisr (aware ?) of numerous aftershocks in the following days, and troubles of the population such that they deserted the towns and villages and fled to the fields. A new, more violent shock occurred on November 25 (the 14th in the old style Julian Calendar) and aggravated the damage. Due (?) days later, in December, the author gives the following assessment of the disaster, the precision of which varies according to the proximity of the location:
  • Safad, 2000 dead, but the surrounding countryside is unscathed
  • Damascus, severe destruction and at least several hundred dead
  • Baalbek and Ras-Baalbek there are two ruins and dead, and the monuments of Baalbek are damaged
  • Near Mount Hermon, where deaths are reported in Hasbaya and especially in the village of Beit-Jinn (on the southeastern slope), where a violent fire broke out.
  • The Monastery of the Holy Savior suffered in the guards, while the nearby Convent of the Sisters of Notre Dame is in ruins.
  • There are 18 dead in the surrounding Maronite and Druze villages, 2 dead in Qoutuli (Greek village dependent on the monastery), 5 in Saida, one in Deir-el-Qamar, finally 55 dead in the Metouali village of Kfar-Hatta and a few in Mukhtara, where the Sheikh's palace was destroyed.
  • There are reports of guards on the churches of Jorin, Berti, Deir-el-Qumar, as well as in the seraglio of this town.
  • The other churches and houses belonging to the monastery in the country of Hesroumom (?), north of Beirut, are unscathed.
All the villages listed above, include those most affected by the earthquake of March 16, 1956, in particular that of Kfar-Hatta where 13 people died. It seems however that the shaking of 1956 was stronger, in this country, than in 1759, because it caused many more than two guards at the monastery of the Saint Savior, while the neighboring convent of Notre Dame was once again rendered uninhabitable.

Tarmi (?) the various phenomena having accompanied the earthquakes, the letter mentions the following:
  • a haze of dust rose from the ground, which had been the result of an abnormally dry spell this year.
  • the source of Maasser-el-Chouf has dried up
  • in the Jebel Hihs above Mukhtara the rocks have cracked
  • fire "fell" on the village of Beit-Jinn (we know today that this village is 1 km. from a quaternary volcanic crater)
  • finally, near Qana in the land of Syr (?) (not to be confused with Qana of Galilee), a hailstone was collected the size of a jar, whose melted water filled dense jugs!
All these data complement, on a local scale, those collected in the SIEBERG Catalog (Erdbeben ... im ostlichen Mittelmeergebiet. Frocher, IENA 1932), who mentions, on the same dates of October 30 and November 25, seriously destructive earthquakes, of which he locates the epicenters respectively near SAFAD and near BAALBEK, while adding that a large number of less strong shocks accompanied them until January 1760, with probable displacement of the epicenter towards the North, until the country of Antioch.

We can remember that this country of Chouf seems more exposed than other parts of Lebanon to feel both Palestinian and Syrian earthquakes.

French Transcription

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Apres avoir decrit, dans notre Cahier 1 de Annee 1956, le Seisme du 16 mars 1956, qui a devaste le canton libanois de Chouf, a l' Est de Saida, il nons a parn interessant de recuellir les details fournis par un temoin des seismes de l'an 1759 dans la meme region: ou verra que les deux catastrophes presentent plus d'une analogie.

Le teoin est l'Archeveque de Saida Boutros Jalfaq, dont une lettre, datee de decembre 1759, vient d'etre decouvertes dans les archives du Monastere du Saint Sauveur, situe au centre de ce pays du Chouf, par le Ro. J. Euthyme SKAF, qui l'a publiee dans les "Messages" menouels du Monastere ("Ol-Riqalat"). Voice le resume des faito sismiques que la lettre mentione.

Un premier seisme survinet le 30 octobre 1759 (l'auter ecrit: "19 octobre", parce qu il suit le calendriet julien), qui sevit surtout a Safed en Galilee. Il est suisr de nombreuses repliques les jours suivants, et le troulle de la population est tel qi 'elle deserte villes et villages et se butit des fuittes dans leo champs. Inis men nouvelle secousse plus violente survient le 25 novembre (le 14 de l'ancien style) et agrrave les de' gats. Due de jours apres, en decembre, l'auter donne de la catastrphe le bilan suivant, dont las precision varie suivant las proncimite des lieux:
  • Safad, 2000 morts, mais la campagne environmante est indemne
  • Damas, graves destructions et plusieurs centaines de mortes au moins
  • Baalbek et a Ras-Baalbek il y a deo ruines et des morts, et les monumento de Baalbek sont endommages
  • Anpres du Mont Hermon, ou signale des morts a Hasbaya et surtout au village de Beit-Jinn (sur le versant Sud-Est), ou un violent incendie s'est declare.
  • Le Monastere du Saint Sauveur a subi dans legardes, kandis que le Couvent voisin des Soeurs de Notre-Dame est en ruines.
  • On compte 18 morts dans les villages maronites et druzes environmants, 2 morts a Qoutuli (village grec dependant du monastere), 5 a Saida, un a Deir-el-Qamar, enfin 55 morts dans le village metouali de Kfar-Hatta et quelques uns a Mukhtara, ou le palais du cheikh est destruit.
  • On signale des legardes ons eglises de Jorin, Berti, Deir-el-Qumar, ausos qu' au serail de ce bourg.
  • Les autres eglises et maisons relevant du monastere dans le pays du Hesroumom, au Nord de Beyrouth, sont indemnes.
Tous les villages enumeres si-desous dont aujourd'hui parisi les plus atteints du seismes du 16 mars 1956, notarmment celui de Kfar-Hatta ou l'on a compte 13 morts . Il semble cependant que les recourses de 1956 aients ete plus fortes, dans ce pays, que celles de 1759, cor elles ont cause bien plus de deux legardes au monastere du Saint Sauveur, tandis que le couvent voioin de Notre Dame a ete, de nouveau, rendu inhabitable.

Tarmi les phenomenes divers ayant accompagne les seismes, la lettre fait mention des suivants:

  • une brume de poussiere s'est degagee de la terre, qui avait sult cette annee une secheresse anormale.
  • la source de Maasser-el-Chouf s'est tarie
  • dans le jebel Hihs au dessus de Mukhtara les roches se sont crevassees
  • le feu serait "tombe" our le village de Beit-Jinn (nous savons aujourd'hui que ce village est a 1 km. d'un craters de volcan quaternaire)
  • enfin pres de Qana au pays de Syr (ne pas confonfre aves Qana de Galilee), l'on aurant recueilli un grelon de la grosseur d'une jarre, dont l'eau de fusion avait rempli dense gargoulettes!
Toutes ces dounees completent, a l'echelle locale, celles qu'a recueillies le Catalogue de SIEBERG (Erdeberben ... im aeoilichen Mittelmeergebiet. Frocher, IENA 1932), qui mentionne, aux memes dates des 30 octobre et 25 novembre, des seismes gravement destructeurs, dont il localise les epicentres respectivement pres de SAFAD et pres de BAALBEK, tout en ajoutant qu'un grand nombre de secousses moins fortes les ont accompagnes jusques en janvier 1760, aves deplacement probable de l'epicentre vers le Nord, juoqu'an pays d'Antioche.

Nous pouvons au reteuir que ce pays du Chouf semble plus expose que d'Autres parties du Liban a ressentir a la fois les seismis palestinieens et syriens.

Original hand written report in French

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Chronology
30 Oct. 1759 CE Earthquake
Date Reference Corrections Notes
30 Oct. 1759 CE (Gregorian Calendar) 19 Oct. 1759 (Julian Calendar) none
  • Date converted from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar using fourmilab
  • The Gregorian Calendar reform took place in October 1582 CE but not everybody got the message
25 Nov. 1759 CE Earthquake
Date Reference Corrections Notes
25 Nov. 1759 CE (Gregorian Calendar) 14 Nov. 1759 (Julian Calendar) none
  • Date converted from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar using fourmilab
  • The Gregorian Calendar reform took place in October 1582 CE but not everybody got the message
Seismic Effects

30 Oct. 1759 CE Earthquake
  • struck especially in Safed in Galilee
  • numerous aftershocks in the following days
  • people deserted the towns and villages and fled to the fields
25 Nov. 1759 CE Earthquake
  • A new, more violent shock occurred on November 25 (the 14th of the old style) and aggravated the damage
Undifferentiated and/or combined but probably mostly due to the 25 Nov. Earthquake
  • Safad, 2000 dead, but the surrounding countryside is unscathed
  • Damascus, severe destruction and at least several hundred dead
  • Baalbek and Ras-Baalbek, ruins and death
  • Monuments of Baalbek are damaged
  • Deaths reported in Hasbaya near Mount Hermon, especially in the village of Beit-Jinn (on the southeastern slope), where a violent fire broke out.
  • The Monastery of the Holy Savior suffered, while the nearby Convent of the Sisters of Notre Dame is in ruins.
  • 18 dead in the surrounding Maronite and Druze villages
  • 2 dead in Qoutuli (Greek village dependent on the monastery)
  • 5 dead in Saida
  • one dead in Deir-el-Qamar
  • 55 dead in the Metouali village of Kfar-Hatta
  • a few dead in Mukhtara, where the Sheikh's palace was destroyed
  • Reports of damage to the churches of Jorin, Berti, Deir-el-Qumar, as well as in the seraglio of this town.
  • Other churches and houses belonging to the monastery in the country of Hesroumom (?), north of Beirut, are unscathed.
  • a haze of dust rose from the ground
  • the source of Maasser-el-Chouf dried up
  • in the jebel Hihs above Mukhtara rocks cracked
  • fire "fell" on the village of Beit-Jinn (we know today that this village is 1 km. from a quaternary volcanic crater)
  • Near Qana in the land of Syr (?) (not to be confused with Qana of Galilee), a hailstone was collected the size of a jar, whose melted water filled dense jugs!
Locations

30 Oct. 1759 CE Earthquake
  • Safed
Undifferentiated and/or combined Unaffected
  • country of Hesroumom (?), north of Beirut
Questionable
  • Qana in the land of Syr(?) (not to be confused with Qana of Galilee) - the massive hailstone story
Online Versions and Further Reading
References