| Heshbon |
possible |
≥ 8 |
Stratum 14 Earthquake (Mitchel, 1980) - 1st century BCE - 2nd century CE -
Mitchel (1980) identified a destruction layer in Stratum 14
which he attributed to an earthquake. Unfortunately, the destruction layer is not precisely dated. Using some assumptions,
Mitchel (1980) dated the
earthquake destruction to the 130 CE Eusebius Mystery Quake,
apparently unaware at the time that this earthquake account may be either
misdated as suggested by Russell (1985) or mislocated as
suggested by Ambraseys (2009).
Although Russell (1985) attributed the destruction layer
in Stratum 14 to the early 2nd century CE Incense Road Quake, a number of
earthquakes are possible candidates including the 31 BCE Josephus Quake.
Mitchel (1980:100)'s 130 CE date for
the causitive earthquake rests on the assumption that the "fills" were deposited soon after bedrock collapse. If one discards this assumption,
numismatic evidence and ceramic evidence suggests that the "fill" was deposited over
a longer period of time - perhaps even 200+ years - and the causitive earthquake was earlier. Unfortunately, it appears that the terminus ante quem
for the bedrock collapse event is not well constrained. The terminus post quem appears to depend on the date for lower levels of Stratum 14 which seems to have
been difficult to date precisely and underlying Stratum 15
which Mitchel (1980:21) characterized as
chronologically difficult. |
| Caesarea |
possible |
6-7 |
Late 1st/ Early 2nd century CE Earthquake - Using ceramics, Reinhardt and Raban (1999) dated
a high energy subsea deposit inside the harbor at Caesarea to the late 1st / early 2nd century CE. This, along with other supporting evidence, indicated
that the outer harbor breakwater must have subsided around this time. They attributed the subsidence to seismic activity. However,
Dey et al(2014) noted that the subsidence and tilting could also be due to undercutting by current scour from large-scale storms (or tsunamis) and not
exclusively seismic activity.
Dey et al(2014) concluded that
Our data from the inner harbor cannot definitively ascribe the destruction of the harbor at the end of the first century A.D. to a seismic event,
although some of the data support this conclusion. However, regardless of the exact mechanism, our sedimentological evidence from the inner harbor
and the remains of the late first century A.D. shipwreck indicate that the submergence of the outer breakwater occurred early in the life of the
harbor and was more rapid and extensive than previously thought.
Goodman-Tchernov and Austin (2015) examined and dated cores taken seaward of the harbor and identified 2 tsunamite deposits
(see Tsunamogenic Evidence for the Incense Road Quake) including one which dates to
to the 1st-2nd century CE. Although, it is tempting to correlate the 1st-2nd century CE tsunamite deposits of
Goodman-Tchernov and Austin (2015) to the L4 destruction phase identified in the harbor (
Reinhardt and Raban, 1999), the chronologies presented
by Goodman-Tchernov and Austin (2015) suffer from some imprecision
due to the usual paucity of dating material that one encounters with cores. |
| Masada |
possible |
≥ 8 |
2nd - 4th century CE Earthquake - Netzer (1991:655) reports that a great earthquake [] destroyed
most of the walls on Masada sometime during the 2nd to 4th centuries CE.
In an earlier publication, Yadin (1965:30) noted that the
Caldarium was filled as a result of earthquakes by massive debris of stones .
Yadin concluded that the finds on the floors of the bath-house represent the last stage in the stay of the Roman garrison at Masada .
The stationing of a Roman Garrison after the conquest of Masada in 73 or 74 CE
was reported by Josephus in his Book
The Jewish War where he says in Book VII Chapter 10 Paragraph 1
WHEN Masada was thus taken, the general left a garrison in the fortress to keep it, and he himself went away to Caesarea; for there were now no enemies
left in the country, but it was all overthrown by so long a war.
Yadin (1965:36)'s evidence for proof of the stationing of the Roman garrison follows:
We have clear proof that the bath-house was in use in the period of the Roman garrison - in particular, a number of "vouchers" written in Latin and coins
which were found mainly in the ash waste of the furnace (locus 126, see p. 42). Of particular importance is a coin from the time of Trajan,
found in the caldarium, which was struck at Tiberias towards the end of the first century C.E.*
The latest coin discovered from this occupation phase was found in one of the northern rooms of Building VII and dates to 110/111 CE (Yadin, 1965:119)**.
Yadin (1965:119) interpreted this to mean that, this meant that the Roman garrison stayed at Masada at least till the year 111 and most probably several years later.
Russell (1985) used this 110/111 coin as a
terminus post quem for the
Incense Road Earthquake while using a dedicatory inscription at Petra for a
terminus ante quem of 114 CE. Masada may be subject to seismic amplification due to a topographic or ridge effect as well as a slope effect for those structures
built adjacent to the site's steep cliffs. |
| Khirbet Tannur |
possible |
≥ 8 |
End of Period I Earthquake - 1st half of 2nd century CE - Glueck (1965:92)
found Altar-Base I from Period I severely damaged probably by an earthquake which may have precipitated the rebuild that began Period II.
McKenzie et al (2013:47) dated Period II construction, which would have occurred soon after the End of Period I
earthquake, to the first half of the 2nd century CE.
McKenzie et al (2002:50) noted that a bowl found underneath paving stones that were put in place soon before Period II construction
dates to the late first century CE along with two other bowls which date to the first half of the second century CE.
This pottery and comparison to other sites led them to date Period II construction to the first half of the second century CE. |
| Emmaus/Nicopolis |
no evidence |
|
There is no evidence that I am aware of |
