In the year 870 [of the Greeks; i.e. 558-559 AD.],
there was a severe earthquake, and
Beirut collapsed, as did many coastal cities and villages in Galilee, Arabia, Palestine
and Samaria. Along the whole Phoenician coast, too, the sea withdrew and retreated
nearly two miles. As for the terrible disaster and the great and remarkable portent
which happened in the city of Beirut in Phoenicia, when the earthquake took place
and the cities collapsed, we have decided to make it a warning sign for the knowing of
posterity. For when the earthquake came from heaven, the sea withdrew and retreated
from Beirut and the other coastal cities of Phoenicia for a distance of nearly two
miles; the dreadful depths of the sea became visible and various and amazing sights
were revealed: sunken ships full of different cargoes and other ones which suddenly,
when the sea withdrew from the land, were moored in the harbours, settled on the
ground and they were broken to pieces when the sea left them and withdrew on God's
command [.. ]
Then, by a secret command, a tremendous surge of the sea rushed up to
return to its original depth, overwhelmed and consumed all these wretched people in
the depths of its swirling waters. They had rushed to find wealth in the depths of the
sea and, like Pharaoh, they went down to the depths and were drowned like stones, as
it is written; and God rolled the waters of the sea over them, as the flood burst forth
and flowed back to its former abundance. Those who were still on the edge of the
shore were hurrying to go down; when they saw the deep sea rushing back to its former
position, those who were closest to the land fled out. But after they had escaped, as
if from hunters, a violent earthquake took place, which overturned houses in the
cities, especially at Beirut; they fell and crushed those who had escaped from the sea
and so nobody survived. As the sea was rising up against them from behind, the
earthquake brought down the city in front of them.
