Eusebius' Martyr Quake

Textual Evidence

Text (with hotlink)	Original Language	Biographical Info	Religion	Date of Composition	Location Composed	Notes
Introduction & Summary
Martyrs of Palestine by Eusebius	Greek	Biography Eusebius of Caesarea (c.260/265 - 339 CE) also known as Eusebius Pamphilus is regarded as one of the most learned Christians of late antiquity (4th-6th centuries CE). He wrote numerous works of great value to historians including a History of the Church (aka Ecclesiastical History) which earned him a reputation as the "Father" of Church History. Despite this reputation, his works are not necessarily historically accurate and some scholars have accused him of dishonesty. Nevertheless, his writings are of great value due to both the volume of output and Eusebius' habit of quoting earlier works - many of which have been lost. Eusebius was born in Syria or Palestine, probably in Palestine close to Caesarea where he lived from a young age. Sometime before ~300 CE, he completed the first editions of two influential works - a History of the Church and Chronicon - a universal calendar of events from "Creation" until Eusebius' own time. In ~313 CE, Eusebius became Bishop of Caesarea. He also became an adviser to Emperor Constantine (r. 306-337 CE) and wrote a biography of the Emperor titled "In Praise of Constantine". A dedicated bibliophile, Eusebius managed or had access to the large library in Caesarea yet despite achieving fluency in Syriac and Greek, he apparently never mastered Latin. Eusebius wrote Chronicon in two parts. Although the original Greek text has been lost, later Chroniclers preserved significant parts of the manuscript. Jerome translated all of the second part (Book 2) into Latin.	Christian	between 311 and 316 CE	Caesarea	Describes shaking but no specific damage in Caesarea. Supplies a date of 2 April, Says the earthquake struck in the 3rd year of the Diocletianic Persecutions which equates to ~306 CE.
History Against the Pagans by Orosius	Latin	Biography Paulus Orosius (c. 380 - c.420) was a Roman Priest who wrote several books but his most famous is History Against the Pagans which was completed in ~416/417 CE. Orosius, who may have been born in Spain, spent time in North Africa as a student of Augustine of Hippo and in Palestine where he collaborated with Jerome (Fear, 2010:2-4). History Against the Pagans is a history of the secular world written from a Christian perspective (Fear, 2010:7). Fear (2010:7) notes that the Histories, though well written, do show signs of misunderstanding of their source material, and while, as will be seen, some of these ‘misunderstandings’ are deliberate, others are not.	Christian	~416-417 CE	Palestine and/or Gallaecia (northwest Hispania) and/or places between.	Described an earthquake in Syria where thousands of people throughout Tyre and Sidon were crushed by falling buildings. A date is not specified and the year is not explicitly defined.
Hieronyni Chronicon by Jerome	Latin translation from Greek of the 2nd part of Eusebius' Chronicon. Added a supplement or continuation for the years 325-379 CE.	Biography - Eusebius Eusebius of Caesarea (c.260/265 - 339 CE) also known as Eusebius Pamphilus is regarded as one of the most learned Christians of late antiquity (4th-6th centuries CE). He wrote numerous works of great value to historians including a History of the Church (aka Ecclesiastical History) which earned him a reputation as the "Father" of Church History. Despite this reputation, his works are not necessarily historically accurate and some scholars have accused him of dishonesty. Nevertheless, his writings are of great value due to both the volume of output and Eusebius' habit of quoting earlier works - many of which have been lost. Eusebius was born in Syria or Palestine, probably in Palestine close to Caesarea where he lived from a young age. Sometime before ~300 CE, he completed the first editions of two influential works - a History of the Church and Chronicon - a universal calendar of events from "Creation" until Eusebius' own time. In ~313 CE, Eusebius became Bishop of Caesarea. He also became an adviser to Emperor Constantine (r. 306-337 CE) and wrote a biography of the Emperor titled "In Praise of Constantine". A dedicated bibliophile, Eusebius managed or had access to the large library in Caesarea yet despite achieving fluency in Syriac and Greek, he apparently never mastered Latin. Eusebius wrote Chronicon in two parts. Although the original Greek text has been lost, later Chroniclers preserved significant parts of the manuscript. Jerome translated all of the second part (Book 2) into Latin. Eusebius wrote Martyrs of Palestine recalling the Diocletianic Persecutions of Christians in Palestine. Biography - Jerome Jerome (Hieronymus in Latin) was a Christian Priest who authored and translated many works including an influential translation of the Old and New Testaments from Hebrew and Greek into Latin creating most of what is known as the Vulgate - a text which was used by the Catholic Church for over 1500 years. He was born in Stridon in the Roman province of Dalmatia between 342 and 347 CE. He lived in a monastery in Bethlehem starting in 382 CE and died there in 420 CE.	Christian	ca. 380 CE	Constantinople	Described a horrible earthquake at Tyre and Sidon where many edifices were ruined and an immense number of people were crushed. Provides a variety of chronological markers that specify a year between 300 and 305 CE with 303-305 CE the most likely time span.
Later Authors
Text (with hotlink)	Original Language	Biographical Info	Religion	Date of Composition	Location Composed	Notes

Martyrs of Palestine by Eusebius

Background and Biography

Eusebius of Caesarea (c.260/265 - 339 CE) also known as Eusebius Pamphilus is regarded as one of the most learned Christians of late antiquity (4th-6th centuries CE). He wrote numerous works of great value to historians including a History of the Church (aka Ecclesiastical History) which earned him a reputation as the "Father" of Church History. Despite this reputation, his works are not necessarily historically accurate and some scholars have accused him of dishonesty. Nevertheless, his writings are of great value due to both the volume of output and Eusebius' habit of quoting earlier works - many of which have been lost. Eusebius was born in Syria or Palestine, probably in Palestine close to Caesarea where he lived from a young age. Sometime before ~300 CE, he completed the first editions of two influential works - a History of the Church and Chronicon - a universal calendar of events from "Creation" until Eusebius' own time. In ~313 CE, Eusebius became Bishop of Caesarea. He also became an adviser to Emperor Constantine (r. 306-337 CE) and wrote a biography of the Emperor titled "In Praise of Constantine". A dedicated bibliophile, Eusebius managed or had access to the large library in Caesarea yet despite achieving fluency in Syriac and Greek, he apparently never mastered Latin. Eusebius wrote Chronicon in two parts. Although the original Greek text has been lost, later Chroniclers preserved significant parts of the manuscript. Jerome translated all of the second part (Book 2) into Latin.

Eusebius wrote Martyrs of Palestine recalling the Diocletianic Persecutions of Christians in Palestine.

Excerpts

English from Cureton (1861)

5th paragraph of the Section titled THE CONFESSION OF EPIPHANIUS
from Cureton (1861)

THE CONFESSION OF EPIPHANIUS (Gr. Apphianus)

IN THE THIRD YEAR OF THE PERSECUTION WHICH TOOK PLACE IN OUR DAYS IN THE CITY OF CAESAREA.

THAT bitter viper, and wicked and cruel tyrant, which in our time held the dominion of the Romans, went forth, even from his very commencement, to fight as it were against God, and was filled with persecution and rage against us in a far greater degree than any of those who had preceded him--I mean Maminus : and no little consternation fell upon all the inhabitants of the cities, and many were scattered abroad into every country, and dispersed themselves, in order that they might escape the danger which surrounded them.

...

But that wonderful thing which happened after this act I know will not be believed by those who did not witness the wonder with their own eyes, as I myself did: for men are not wont to give the same credence to the hearing of the ear as to the seeing of eye. It is not, however, right for us also, like those who are in error and deficient in faith, to conceal that prodigy which took place at the death of this martyr of God; and we also call as witnesses to you of these things, which we have written, the whole of the inhabitants of the city of Caesarea, for there was not even one of the inhabitants of this city absent from this terrific sight. For after this man of God had been cast into the depths of the terrible sea, with stones tied to his feet, forthwith a great storm and frequent commotions and mighty waves troubled the vast sea, and a severe earthquake made even the city itself tremble, and every one's hands were raised towards heaven in fear and trembling, for they supposed that the whole place, together with its inhabitants, was about to be destroyed on that day. And at the same time, the sea, even as if it were unable to endure it, vomited back the holy body of the martyr of God, and carried it with the waves and laid it before the gate of the city. And there was at that time vast affliction and commotion, for it seemed like a messenger sent from God to threaten all men with great anger . And this which took place was proclaimed to all the inhabitants of the city, and they all ran at once and pushed against each other in order that they might obtain a sight, both boys and men and old men together, and all grades of women, so that even the modest virgins, who kept to their own apartments, went out to see this sight. And the whole city together, even the very children as well, gave glory to the God of the Christians alone, confessing with a loud voice the name of Christ, who had given strength to the martyr in his lifetime to endure such afflictions, and at his death had shewed prodigies to all who beheld.

Such was the termination of the history of Epiphanius, on the second of the month Nisan, and his memory is observed on this day.

English from Cureton (1861) - embedded

see 5th paragraph of the Section titled THE CONFESSION OF EPIPHANIUS starting with But that wonderful thing which happened after this act
from Cureton (1861)
from tertullian.org

Chronology


Year	Reference	Corrections	Notes
2 April ~306 CE	on the second of the month Nisan IN THE THIRD YEAR OF THE PERSECUTION WHICH TOOK PLACE IN OUR DAYS IN THE CITY OF CAESAREA	none	the 3rd year of the persecution might date this to ~306 CE as the Diocletianic Persecutions began in 303 CE although when they began in Caesarea is another question The calendar being used is suspected to be a local variant of the lunisolar Macedonian calendar with Jewish names (derived from Babylonian names) substituted for the months. This was apparently the calendar which was in use when Eusebius wrote his texts. In this calendar, Jewish Nisan, Babylonian Nisanu, and Macedonian Artemisios would all correspond to April which means this earthquake is dated to April 2.

Seismic Effects

a severe earthquake made even the city [Caesarea] itself tremble
they supposed that the whole place, together with its inhabitants, was about to be destroyed on that day
at the same time, the sea, even as if it were unable to endure it, vomited back the holy body of the martyr of God, and carried it with the waves and laid it before the gate of the city

Locations

Caesarea

Online Versions and Further Reading

References

Delphi Collected Works of Eusebius (Illustrated), Delphi Classics.

History Against the Pagans by Orosius

Background and Biography

Paulus Orosius (c. 380 - c.420) was a Roman Priest who wrote several books but his most famous is History Against the Pagans which was completed in ~416/417 CE. Orosius, who may have been born in Spain, spent time in North Africa as a student of Augustine of Hippo and in Palestine where he collaborated with Jerome (Fear, 2010:2-4). History Against the Pagans is a history of the secular world written from a Christian perspective (Fear, 2010:7). Fear (2010:7) notes that the Histories, though well written, do show signs of misunderstanding of their source material, and while, as will be seen, some of these ‘misunderstandings’ are deliberate, others are not.

Excerpts

English from Fear (2010)

Book 7 Chapter 25 Sections 13-14
from Fear (2010:362-363)

13. Meanwhile, Diocletian in the east and Maximian Herculius in the west ordered that churches be destroyed and Christians be attacked and killed in the ninth persecution after that of Nero. This persecution lasted longer and was more brutal than almost all the previous ones. For ten years there was no end to the burning of churches, the proscription of the innocent, and the slaughter of martyrs.²⁶⁰ 14. An earthquake in Syria followed in which many thousands of men in Tyre and Sidon were killed by falling buildings.²⁶¹ In the second year of the persecution, Diocletian forced Maximian against his will jointly to lay aside the purple and their power, leaving younger men in charge of the state while they retired into private life. And so on the same day, Diocletian laid down his imperial power and its trappings at Nicomedia, while Maximian did the same at Milan.²⁶²

Footnotes

260 For a discussion of this persecution, see Williams (1985) ch. 14 and MacMullen (1969)ch. 1.

261 The persecution and earthquake are drawn from Jerome, Chronicle, A Abr. 2320. This persecution began in AD 303 and lasted until Constantine’s edict of Milan in AD 313.

262 The two abdicated on 1 May AD 305. Orosius’s account is a much-abbreviated version of Eutropius, 9.27.1–2.

Chronology


Year	Reference	Corrections	Notes
~303 CE - 1 May 305 CE		none	Based on the sequence of events in the passage, Orosius appears to date the earthquake to during the Diocletianic Persecutions (303 - 313 CE) and before the abdication of Diocletian and Maximian Herculius on 1 May 305 CE although this is by no means certain Ambraseys (2009), without justification, states that Orosius specified that the earthquake struck at the start of the Diocletianic Persecutions in 303 CE

Seismic Effects

An earthquake in Syria followed in which many thousands of men in Tyre and Sidon were killed by falling buildings

Locations

Syria
Tyre
Sidon

Sources

Sources according to Fear (2010)

Fear (2010:15-16) described Orosius' sources as follows:

The sources Orosius used were probably not great in number, though a specious lustre of wide reading comes from his secondary use of the fragments of authors found in the notes of Jerome’s Chronicle. His main source for Greek history is Justin’s epitome of Pompeius Trogus’s Philippic History.⁸³ Justin composed his epitome in the second or third century AD, while Trogus’s original work dates from the end of the first century BC. Livy, often at second hand via epitomes, the second-century historian Florus, and late fourth-century writer Eutropius form the main base of Orosius’s passages concerning the Roman Republic. In the Imperial period, Eutropius’s work becomes more prominent along with the now lost fourth century ‘History of the Emperors’ or Kaisergeschichte.⁸⁴ Orosius also shows knowledge of Caesar, Sallust, Tacitus, and Suetonius. His approach to these sources was by no means naive. While at times he takes material verbatim or with very minor alterations, they are more often approached with a careful eye for selectivity. Instances of failed prophecy are seized upon as demonstrations of the folly of pagan religion,⁸⁵ while pagan prophecies that seemingly come true are suppressed,⁸⁶ as are accounts of successful pagan divine intervention.⁸⁷ At times more open manipulation occurs. Leonidas’s speech to the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae is carefully edited to give it a sense quite different to the original found in Justin.⁸⁸ Similarly, the sack of the Phoceans’ temples is portrayed as evidence of the impotence of the pagan gods, but Orosius’s source, Justin, presents it as divinely inspired punishment for the Phoceans’ earlier blasphemy.⁸⁹ Later Orosius tells us that the consul Gurges was defeated after the ‘snake of Aesculapius’ was brought to Rome, leaving the reader to infer that there is a causal link between the two events. In Livy, however, who is Orosius’s source, the two events occur in the opposite order.⁹⁰ Pagan sources are used to discredit the oracle of Ammon, and Mithridates’ final speech is also recruited to the cause of refuting paganism by a careful misinterpretation of its actual sense.⁹¹ This studied editing of the pagan past is intended to leave the reader feeling that Christianity’s critics are refuted by the very authors they would claim as their own.

Footnotes

83 For a discussion of this work see Yardley and Heckel (1997) and Yardley (2003).

84 The existence of the Kaisergeschicte was postulated by Enmann (1883). For modern discussions, see Barnes (1970) and Burgess (1995).

85 e.g. 3.22.3 and 4.13.14.

86 e.g. 4.10.3, where the sacred chickens rightly predict the Roman defeat at the battle of Drepanum.

87 For example, at 2.10, Orosius suppresses Justin’s comments that before Salamis Xerxes had sacked Delphi and hence was waging war on the gods as well as the Greeks, as he has no wish to imply that pagan gods could have been a factor in the Greeks’ victory at Salamis. He also suppresses the Delphic oracle’s comments about the wooden walls of Athens being her salvation.

88 2.9.6.

89 3.12.17; cf. the destruction of the Temple of Vesta at 4.11.9.

90 3.22.5–6; Livy, Per. 11.

91 3.16.13 and 6.14.11–17

Online Versions and Further Reading

References

Online English Translation of History Against the Pagans - Book 6

Online English Translation of History Against the Pagans - Book 7

Fear, A. T. (2010). Orosius: Seven Books of History Against the Pagans, Liverpool University Press.

Notes

Calendars used by Orosius

Fear (2010:18) described Chronological Systems used by Orosius.

Given his wish to show that secular events prove the truth of Christianity, it is perhaps not surprising that Orosius uses the common chronological systems of his day rather than one centred on the incarnation. Such a system was not in fact available: the universal Christian chronology used today was devised some 100 years after Orosius’s death by Dionysius Exiguus.¹⁰⁵ However, it is noticeable that Orosius chooses not to date events from the birth of Abraham, as does Eusebius/Jerome’s Chronicle. Rather, prior to the foundation of Rome, Orosius dates events by Olympiads. He then uses, as was common in Roman historiography, the date of Rome’s foundation as the starting point for his chronology.¹⁰⁶ Orosius dates the foundation of Rome to 752 years before the birth of Christ, a year which fell in the sixth Olympiad and 414 years after the fall of Troy.¹⁰⁷ The date of the foundation of Rome was subject to some dispute in antiquity. The commonest accepted date was that posited by the late republican scholar Varro – 754/3 BC. However, Orosius’s date has official sanction in that it is that which was used by the Capitoline Fasti, the official list of Roman magistrates erected in the forum at Rome, and it may be for this reason that he chose it, as it would once again link his account of the Roman past with the ‘official’ version of the day.

Footnotes

105 See Declercq (2002).

106 Normally such dates are styled AUC (Ab Urbe Condita), ‘from the foundation of the City’.

107 2.4.1; 6.22. Eusebius places Rome’s foundation in the fourth year of the sixth Olympiad, 1264 years after the birth of Abraham.

Hieronyni Chronicon by Jerome

Background and Biography

Biography - Eusebius

Biography - Jerome

Jerome (Hieronymus in Latin) was a Christian Priest who authored and translated many works including an influential translation of the Old and New Testaments from Hebrew and Greek into Latin creating most of what is known as the Vulgate - a text which was used by the Catholic Church for over 1500 years. He was born in Stridon in the Roman province of Dalmatia between 342 and 347 CE. He lived in a monastery in Bethlehem starting in 382 CE and died there in 420 CE.

Excerpts

English translation of Jerome's Latin translation of Eusebius' Chronicon Book Two

4th year of the 270th Olympiad
from tertullian.org

270th Olympiad

...

2320 19 (a jubilee according to most) (Margin Note - 304 AD)

After Theonus, Peter is ordained the 21st bishop of the Church of Alexandria, who later in the ninth year of the persecution accomplished a glorious martyrdom.

Diocletian and Maximian Augusti celebrated a triumph at Rome with notable pomp. Before their chariot went the wife, sisters and children of Narses, and all the booty, which they had looted from the Parthians.

In a horrible earthquake at Tyre and Sidon, many edifices were ruined and an immense number of people were crushed.

In the nineteenth year of Diocletian, during the month of March, in the days of Easter, the churches were destroyed. However in the 4th year of the persecution, Constantine began to reign.

English translation of Jerome's Latin translation of Eusebius' Chronicon Book Two - embedded

see 4th year of the 270th Olympiad
from tertullian.org

Chronology

If we discard the outlier of 300 CE and assume the date of the earthquake was 2 April, the above passage suggests the earthquake struck between 303 and 305 CE.


Year	Reference	Corrections	Notes
1 July 304 CE to 30 June 305 CE	4th year of the 270th Olympiad	none	Calculated with CHRONOS alternatively Fall 304 to Fall 305 or 1 Jan 304 -31 Dec 304. Although the Olympiad years started in the summer, Eusebius is thought to have started Olympiad years in the fall. Later authors following in Eusebius Chronicle tradition are suspected to have started the Olympiad Year in January in sync with the Julian Calendar. As these texts were copied numerous times before becoming the translated manuscript we have access to, it is possible that scribes "corrected" dates according to what they thought they should be.
303 CE to 305 CE	The Year of Abraham 2330	corrected to 2320	Calculated with CHRONOS Year of Abraham 2330 is listed but 2320 gives a date which fits within the Diocletianic Persecutions
304 CE	Margin note	none
20 Nov. 302 to 19 Nov. 303 CE	19th year of Diocletian	none	Calculated with CHRONOS Diocletian ruled alone from 20 November 284 – 1 April 286 CE and co-reigned from 1 April 286 – 1 May 305 CE
late 300 CE	Peter is ordained the 21st bishop of the Church of Alexandria	none

Seismic Effects

In a horrible earthquake at Tyre and Sidon, many edifices were ruined and an immense number of people were crushed

Locations

Tyre
Sidon

Online Versions and Further Reading

References

Delphi Collected Works of Eusebius (Illustrated), Delphi Classics.

Archaeoseismic Evidence

Location (with hotlink)

Status

Intensity

Notes

Hippos Sussita

unlikely

Segal et al (2014b) excavated an Odeion at Hippos-Sussita from 2008 - 2010. They report that

On the basis of an analysis of the building methods and materials and according to the numismatic and pottery finds, it can be determined to a great degree of certainty that the odeion was erected during the second half of the 1st century CE. It appears that the odeion was in use during the first three centuries of the Common Era. Its condition as revealed during its exposure by the excavators clearly indicates that it was not destroyed. This conclusion is based on the preserved uniform height of the walls, two or three courses, not including the encompassing wall of which six courses have survived. The lack of decorative items that were broken or burnt, the absence of tiles and sooty remains of the ceiling and roof, all testify that the structure was systematically dismantled. It is safe to assume, on the basis of the numismatic and pottery finds, that the dismantling of the structure was carried out during the 4th century CE, apparently before the earthquake of 363 CE. However, we cannot negate the possibility that the odeion was damaged during this earthquake and that a decision was then made not to renovate but rather to dismantle it.

In summary, they did not encounter a destruction layer. While it is possible that the Odeion was dismantled due to damage caused by an earlier earthquake, the excavators did not suggest this.

Gush Halav

possible

End of Stratum VI Phase a Earthquake - Debated Chronology

Although Meyers, Strange, Meyers, and Hanson (1979) interpret destruction at the end of VIa due to the Eusebius' Martyr Earthquake of ~306 AD, their chronology is debated. Magness (2001a) performed a detailed examination of the stratigraphy presented in the final report of Meyers, Meyers, and Strange (1990) and concluded, based on numismatic and ceramic evidence, that a synagogue was not built on the site until no earlier than the second half of the fifth century. While she agreed that earthquake destruction evidence was present in the excavation, she dated the destruction evidence to some time after abandonment of the site in the 7th or 8th centuries AD. Strange (2001) and Meyers (2001) went on to rebut Magness (2001a) to which Magness (2001b) responded again. One point of agreement however is that earthquake destruction evidence does appear to be present.

Eric M. Meyers in Stern et al (1993) also discussed this earthquake

Although the earthquake of 306 CE apparently did a great deal of damage to the structure, the stylobates were shored up and other repairs undertaken to make the period II building sturdier.

Khirbet Shema

possible

1st Earthquake - Debated Chronology

Although excavators Meyers, Kraabel, and Strange (1976) identified two earthquake events ( Eusebius' Martyr Quake of ~306 CE and Monaxius and Plinta Quake of 419 CE) which destroyed a Synagogue I and then a Synagogue II at Khirbet Shema, subsequent authors ( e.g. Russell, 1980 and Magness, 1997) re-examined their chronology and redated the earthquake evidence. Russell (1980) redated the two earthquake events to the northern Cyril Quake of 363 CE and the Monaxius and Plinta Quake of 419 CE while Magness (1997) concluded that there was no solid evidence for the existence of a Synagogue I on the site and evidence for an earthquake event in ~306 CE was lacking. She posited that Synagogue II was constructed in the late 4th to early 5th century CE and concluded that there was no solid evidence for the 419 CE (or 363 CE) earthquake as well. In Magness (1997) interpretation of the evidence, she suggested that the site had been abandoned when an earthquake brought down Synagogue II sometime before the 8th century CE.

Two sealed loci at the site provide a terminus post quem for the construction of Synagogue II. The latest coin found within a Bema was dated to 337-341 AD during the rule of Constans. The bema was described as "absolutely sealed by the stonework of the bema around and over it" where "contamination by later intrusions is virtually impossible" (Meyers, Kraabel, and Strange 1976:34). A declivity in the northwest corner of Synagogue II contained fill which was "sealed beneath more than a meter of debris, including large fallen architectural members" (Meyers, Kraabel, and Strange 1976: 34). Pottery within the fill below was described as homogeneous Middle-Late Roman. At the lowest levels a coin from Gratian (who ruled from 367-383 AD) was discovered. Meyers, Kraabel, and Strange (1976) interpreted the construction above the declivity to be part of a remodel. If we consider that construction above the declivity could also represent original construction, the terminus post quem for the construction of Synagogue II is between 337 and 383 AD. It is conceivable that Synagogue II was constructed over earthquake damaged remains of an earlier structure due to the presence of "battered architectural fragments built into Synagogue II (including those identified as belonging to the "Torah shrine") (Magness, 1997:216) however, as pointed out by Magness (1997) the provenance of these battered elements is unknown. They could come from another building. Nevertheless, this can be considered as possible archeoseismic evidence which predates the construction of Synagogue II. As for the causative earthquake(s), the Eusebius' Martyr Quake of ~306 AD and the Cyril Quake of 363 AD are both possibilities. Two other fills were examined (east and west of the Stylobate wall) but neither were sealed and neither added chronological precision to the construction of Synagogue II.

en-Nabratein

possible

End of Phase IIIa Earthquake - Debated Chronology

Meyers, et al. (2009) performed excavations of what they labeled Synagogue 2 at en-Nabratein. They subdivided the life of this structure into two phases of Period III (Late Roman, A.D. 250-350/363)

Period	Age	Date	Phase
I	Early Roman	1-ca. 135 CE	‎Period I is pre-synagogue, but it does have structural remains related to those of subsequent periods
II	Middle Roman	ca. 135 - ca. 250 CE	‎(Synagogue 1)
III	Late Roman	ca. 250-363 CE	‎
IIIa	Late Roman	ca. 250-306 CE	‎(Synagogue 2a)
IIIb	Late Roman	ca. 306-363 CE	‎(Synagogue 2b)
IV	Byzantine and Early Arab	ca. 564-700 CE	(Synagogue 3)‎

Meyers et al (1982) dated Period III phase a using ceramics and some coins and end phase a with the Eusebius' Martyr Quake of ~306 AD which they believed damaged the synagogue and led to rebuilding. The rebuilding effort initiated Period III phase b. The end of Period III phase b is not precisely dated with material remains. Ceramics and "an irregular supply of coins dating up to ca. 350 A.D." provide the earliest possible date for the end of Period III phase b. The authors state that the end of Period III phase b "is perhaps to be understood as a combination of factors, mainly the revolt against Caesar Gallus (A.D. 350-52), general economic hardships, and the great earthquake of A.D. 363". By the 7th decade of the 4th century AD, the authors consider the site to have been virtually abandoned until a third synagogue was established towards the end of the Byzantine era in A.D. 564; according to an inscription.

Magness (2010) examined the reports of Meyers, Strange, and Meyers (1982) paying attention to stratigraphic levels and chronological information and concluded that the first (and only) Synagogue built on the site occurred "no earlier than the second half of the fourth century, and point to occupation and activity precisely during the centuries when the excavators claim the site was abandoned." A coin of 341-346 from the east wall and pottery suggests a terminus post quem of the second half of the 4th century for the synagogue's construction. Other evidence leads to a terminus ante quem of the second half of the 5th century or later (mid 6th century). There is also the inscription which states that the synagogue was built or remodeled in 564 AD (Magness, 2010). Meyers and Meyers (2010) rebutted Magness (2010) analysis of the stratigraphy and chronology discussing intricate details of sloping bedrock, lensed stratigraphy, later disturbance of the site, the coin of 341-346 not being in the wall but in earthen fill, etc. etc.

Byblos

possible

Ambraseys (2009) discussed an inscription found in Byblos which may allude to the Eusebius Martyr Quake

There is also an inscription from an altar in Byblus that records the survival of one Apollodorus after an earthquake Dussaud (1896:299). The inscription is dated by Seyrig to the second or third century, which would seem to indicate that it is not connected with this earthquake (H. Seyrig, personal communication 5 July 1972). However, since provincial epigraphy is often slower to change than that in major centres, and there is no other earthquake recorded for this location during the second or third century, the inscription has been very tentatively allocated to this event.

Location (with hotlink)

Status

Intensity

Notes

Location (with hotlink)	Status	Intensity	Notes
Caesarea and Jisr al-Zakra	possible		Neither Reinhardt et. al. (2006) nor Goodman-Tchernov et. al. (2009) nor Goodman-Tchernov and Austin (2015) saw evidence of a tsunami in near shore shelf deposits of Caesarea around 304 CE. Salamon et. al. (2011) noted that a tsunami was reported in a number of earlier earthquake catalogs (e.g. Shalem, 1956, Ben-Menahem, 1991, Amiran et al., 1994) which several of the cataloguers (Shalem, 1956 and Amiran et al., 1994) viewed as doubtful - according to Salamon et al (2011). The alleged tsunami was likely generated from Eusebius' report of the sea casting up the body of the martyrdom of Apphian at the gates of Caesarea at the same time as the [Eusebius Martyr Quake] in Sidon. Salamon et al (2011) noted that a seismic sea wave is not specifically mentioned in Eusebius' text and it is common along the eastern Mediterranean coast, even in normal weather conditions, that the sea casts up dead bodies of drowned people at the shore.
Location (with hotlink)	Status	Intensity	Notes

Paleoseismic Evidence

Location (with hotlink)	Status	Intensity	Notes
Tabarja Benches	possible	M_w = ~7.5	Elias et al (2007) examined uplifted benches on the Lebanese coast between Sarafand and Tripolis; some in the vicinity of Tabarja (~20 km. NE of Beirut). They identified four uplifts from 3 or more [sizeable M_w = ~7.5] earthquakes in the past ca. 6-7 ka. They attributed the latest uplift (B1) to the 551 CE Beirut Quake while the earlier events (B2, B3, and B4) were no more precisely dated than between ~5000 BCE and 551 CE. Bench uplift on the earlier events (B2, B3, and B4) would likely have been due to uplift on the Mount Lebanon Thrust system - as was surmised for Event B1 and the 551 CE Beirut Quake.
al-Harif Syria	possible	≥ 7	Sbeinati et. al. (2010) report a seismic event X which they dated to 335 CE± 175 years. M_W = 7.3-7.6 (based on 4.2 m of slip).
Bet Zayda	probable	≥ 7	The Eusebius Martyr Quake of 303-306? CE is a good fit for Event CH4-E3 (Modeled Ages 250-310 CE) particularly as it relates to other events observed. (Wechsler at al., 2014)
Dead Sea	unlikely	n/a	Mistaken report - Although Wechsler et al. (2018:18) reported that ~303 CE shaking was found in the Dead Sea sediment cores (Kagan et. al., 2011; Migowski et. al., 2004 ), Kagan et. al. (2011) did not assign an event of 300-307 CE to any seismites in En Feshka or Nahal Ze 'elim and Migowski et. al. (2004) did not assign an event between 300 and 307 CE in En Gedi. A simple check on whether a ~303 CE seismite would have been masked or overprinted by the Monaxius and Plinta seismite of 419 CE reveals that this is not a possibility consistent with how this was reported by Migowski et. al. (2004:Table 2). So, there is no Dead Sea Paleoseismic evidence for this earthquake. Considering the distance to the presumed epicenter near the Lebanese littoral, it is unlikely that such an earthquake would have formed seismites in the Dead Sea.
Location (with hotlink)	Status	Intensity	Notes

Eusebius' Martyr Quake

2 April (303 - 306 CE)

by Jefferson Williams

Introduction & Summary

Textual Evidence

Archaeoseismic Evidence

Tsunamogenic Evidence

Paleoseismic Evidence

Notes

Paleoclimate - Droughts

References