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502 CE Fire in the Sky Quake

Night of the 21st or before dawn on the 22nd of August 502 CE

by Jefferson Williams








Introduction & Summary

Ancient sources record an earthquake which caused significant damage in Acre (aka Akko aka Ptolemais), Sidon, and Tyre. Minor damage was also reported in Beirut. Based on areas reporting damage, the epicenter could have been offshore of the Lebanese coast. Russell (1985) noted the possibility of archeoseismic damage from this earthquake in Gush Halav however the chronology of the excavations at Gush Halav is debated. Archaeoseismic evidence from the Negev and Paleoseismic evidence from the Dead Sea for an earthquake around ~500 CE may have been due to the hypothesized Negev Quake of ~500 CE rather than the Fire in the Sky Quake of 502 CE. The ancient reports also describe a "great fire in the sky" on the same night as the earthquake which Russell (1985) interpreted as aurora borealis and Guidoboni et al (1994) suggested could be due to Earthquake lights - a hypothesized phenomenon possibly due to gas ionization that would explain why such 'lights' are anecdotally reported as preceding some earthquakes. The fact that the "fire in the sky" was reported in the northern part of the sky and was reported as far north as Edessa, far from the presumed epicenter, suggests aurora borealis as the cause.

Textual Evidence

Text (with hotlink) Original Language Biographical Info Religion Date of Composition Location Composed Notes
Chronicle of Pseudo Joshua the Stylite Syriac
Biography

Christian probably soon after 506 CE Northern Mesopotamia Nighttime earthquake reported coincident with a "fire in the sky" seen to the north in Jerusalem and observed to the north in Akko, Sidon, and Tyre. Total destruction reported in Akko. The English translation of Pseudo Joshua the Stylite states that residents of Sidon and Tyre reported that "half of their cities fell". This could mean that half of Sidon and half of Tyre fell or it could mean that half of the cities of Phoenicia fell (e.g Sidon and Tyre fell while Beirut and Byblos did not). There is also a report that the only damage reported in Beirut was that a synagogue fell.
Chronicle of Edessa Syriac
Biography

Christian middle of the 6th century CE Edessa Only mentions the "fire in the sky" seen to the north, presumably from Edessa, on 22 Aug. 502 CE.
Ecclesiastical History by John of Ephesus Syriac
Biography

Syriac Orthodox Church ca. 588 CE Ephesus Although Ambraseys (2009) reports that John of Ephesus (John Eph. NA 463) implies that Tyre and Sidon were in fact totally destroyed, the extant part of John of Ephesus' Ecclesiastical History does not, according to Brock (1979:6-7), cover the year 502 CE and I could find no mention of this earthquake in the English translation by Payne Smith (1860). Ambraseys (2009) was possibly referring to another author or another work where John is quoted.
Chronicle of Zuqnin by Pseudo-Dionysius of Tell-Mahre Syriac
Biography

Eastern Christian 750-775 CE Zuqnin Monastery Nighttime earthquake reported coincident with a "fire in the sky" seen to the north from an unspecified location. Reports that Akko, Sidon, and Tyre were overturned and that a synagogue in Beirut "utterly collapsed".
Romanos Melodos Greek
Biography

Christian - convert from Judaism 6th century CE ? Constantinople ? Contains a vague poetic reference to a "storm of earthquakes" which Grosdidier de Matons (1981) suggests could refer to the 551 CE Beirut Quake as well as an earthquake which struck Constantinople in 554 CE.Gatier (1983), on the other hand interpreted the text as alluding to the Fire in the Sky Quake which struck Akko (Ptolemais) in 502 CE.
Text (with hotlink) Original Language Biographical Info Religion Date of Composition Location Composed Notes
Chronicle of Pseudo Joshua the Stylite

Background and Biography

Background and Biography

Excerpts
English from Trombley and Watt (2000)

The year 813 (= 501/2 A.D.)

...But now, listen to the horrors which took place this year and to the sign which became visible on the day they occurred, because you have required us (to write about) this too. On the twenty-second of August this year, on the night preceding Friday,235 we saw a huge fire [274) burning in the northern quarter (of the sky) all night and accordingly thought that the whole earth was going [to be consumed] by a torrent of fire that night.236 The mercy of our Lord preserved us unharmed, but a letter was sent to us by some acquaintances of ours who were on their way to Jerusalem, in which it was (said) that the city of Ptolemais, otherwise known as Acre, was flattened on the night that the huge blazing «fire was seen, and nothing in it was left standing. Furthermore, some days later some Tyrians and Sidonians came to us and told us that parts of their cities, i.e., part of Tyre and part of Sidon, also fell down on the same day as the fire appeared and Ptolemais was flattened.237In Beirut238, on the day when Acre was destroyed, only the synagogue of the Jews collapsed,239 but the (entire) population of Nicomedia was handed over to Satan to be punished:240 many of them were attacked by evil spirits, until they recalled the words of our Lord,241 remained constant in fasting and prayer, and (thus) received healing.242
Footnotes

235 I.e., Thursday night. The day of the week is correct. Ginzel, Handbuch der Chronologie, 129-131.

236 This appearance of the aurora borealis is also reported in Chron. Edessenum, anno 813 (Guidi, 8) (version), but with no apocalyptic detail. Chinese sources indicate increased sunspot activity at this time. Schove-Fletcher, Eclipses and Comets, 32If. It is conceivable that these phenomena were causally related to the seismic disturbances reported at Tyre, Sidon, Acre and Ptolemais. (Oral communication from Gareth Leyshon and Antonio Irranca.)

237 All these towns lay on the coast of Phoenice I. M. Mundell Mango, ‘Sidon’ and ‘Tyre*, ODB, 1892f., 2134. Cf. Grumel, Chronologie, 478, who adds Neocaesarea in Pontus Polemoniacus (present-day Niksar) to the list. The latter town was more probably destroyed with Nicopolis in Armenia I in September 499. Cf. above, §§ 34-35, and Theophanes, Chronographia AM 5995 (Mango-Scott, 223, n. 3).

238 The provincial capital of Phoenice I. M. Mundell Mango, ‘Berytus’, ODB, 284f.

239 A law given on 15 February 423 for the praetorian prefect of Oriens forbade the construction of new synagogues and required old ones to be left in their present state. Cod. Theod. 16.8.25. Its implications for the building in Beirut are not clear.

240 Nicomedia, provincial capital of Bithynia in northwestern Asia Minor. Cf. C. Foss, ‘Nikomedia*, ODB, 1483f. ‘Nicomedia’, PECS, 623f.

241 Cf. Matt. 17:21; Mk. 9 : 29.

242 On ‘possession* as a phenomenon of Anatolian religious psychopathology, see the provisional remarks of S. Mitchell, A

English from Wright (1882)

XLV. The year 813 (A.D. 501-2).

...

XLVII. Now then listen to the calamities that happened in this year, and to the sign that appeared on the day when they happened, for this too you have required at my hands. On the 22d of Ab (August) in this year, on the night preceding [37] Friday 23, a great fire appeared to us blazing in the northern quarter the whole night, and we thought that the whole earth was going to be destroyed that night by a deluge of fire; but the mercy of our Lord preserved us without harm. We received, however, a letter from some acquaintances of ours, who were travelling to Jerusalem, in which it was stated that, on the same night in which that great blazing fire appeared, the city of Ptolemais or 'Akko was overturned, and nothing in it left standing. Again, a few days after, there came unto us some Tyrians and Sidonians, and told us that, on the very same day on which the fire appeared and Ptolemais was overturned, the half of their cities fell, namely of Tyre and Sidon. In Berytus (Beirut) only the synagogue of the Jews fell down on the day when 'Akko was overturned.

...

XLIX. The year 814 (A.D. 502-3).
Footnotes

23. * We would say, "on Thursday night." This display of the aurora borealis must have been unusually magnificent.

English from Wright (1882) - embedded



Chronology
Fire in the Sky
Year Reference Corrections Notes
night of Thursday 22 August 502 CE On the 22d of Ab in this year (A.G. 813), on the night preceding Friday none
  • A.G. 813 went from 1 Oct. 501 to 30 Sept. 502 CE (calculated using CHRONOS)
  • 22 Ab is 22 August
  • Julian day calculations indicate that 22 Aug. 502 CE fell on a Thursday ( calculated using CHRONOS)
Earthquake
Year Reference Corrections Notes
night of Thursday 22 August 502 CE on the same night in which that great blazing fire appeared, the city of Ptolemais or 'Akko was overturned none
  • A.G. 813 went from 1 Oct. 501 to 30 Sept. 502 CE (calculated using CHRONOS)
  • 22 Ab is 22 August
  • Julian day calculations indicate that 22 Aug. 502 CE fell on a Thursday ( calculated using CHRONOS)
Seismic Effects Fire in the Sky Locations Online Versions and Further Reading
References

Notes
What was the "fire in the sky" ?

Russel (1985) suggested that the "fire in the sky" was aurora borealis ('Northern lights'). Guidoboni et al (1994) suggested that the "fire in the sky" preceding the earthquake was possibly earthquake lights - a manifestation of an air ionization effect that may occasionally precede some earthquakes. See Tributsch (2013), Tributsch (1982), or other references for more details on earthquake lights. Trombley and Watt (2000:49 n.236) discuss both possibilities as follows:

This appearance of the aurora borealis is also reported in Chron. Edessenum, anno 813 (Guidi, 8) (version), but with no apocalyptic detail. Chinese sources indicate increased sunspot activity at this time. Schove-Fletcher, Eclipses and Comets, 32If. It is conceivable that these phenomena were causally related to the seismic disturbances reported at Tyre, Sidon, Acre and Ptolemais. (Oral communication from Gareth Leyshon and Antonio Irranca.)
JW: Figure out where this account came from to see if Earthquake lights is a possibility. Earthquake Lights are geographically more localized than aurora borealis.

Chronicle of Edessa

Background and Biography

Background and Biography

Excerpts

An earthquake is not mentioned but a "fire in the sky" is in an English translation published in 1864
English from a publication in 1864

79. An. 813, a great fire appeared on the side of the north, which blazed all night on the twenty-second of Ab (August).

English from a publication in 1864 - embedded

  • see 79. starting with 79. An. 813, a great fire appeared on the side of the north
  • from tertullian.org


Chronology
Fire in the Sky
Year Reference Corrections Notes
night of 22 August 502 CE On the night of the 22nd of Ab in A.G. 813 none
  • A.G. 813 went from 1 Oct. 501 to 30 Sept. 502 CE (calculated using CHRONOS)
  • 22 Ab is 22 August
Fire in the Sky Locations Online Versions and Further Reading
References

Ecclesiastical History by John of Ephesus

Background and Biography

Background and Biography

Excerpts

Although Ambraseys (2009) reports that John of Ephesus (John Eph. NA 463) implies that Tyre and Sidon were in fact totally destroyed, the extant part of John of Ephesus' Ecclesiastical History does not, according to Brock (1979:6-7), cover the year 502 CE and I could find no mention of this earthquake in the English translation by Payne Smith (1860). Ambraseys (2009) was possibly referring to another author or another work where John is quoted.

Seismic Effects Locations Online Versions and Further Reading
References

Chronicle of Zuqnin by Pseudo-Dionysius of Tell-Mahre

Background and Biography

Background and Biography

Excerpts
English from Harrak (1999)

[501-502]

The year eight hundred and thirteen:

A mighty earthquake took place and Ptolemais (Acco) was overturned as well as Tyre and Sidon. Also in Beirut1, the synagogue of the Jews was utterly collapsed and destroyed. On the same night of the earthquake that occurred in the month of Ab (August), on the twenty-second, at the dawn of Friday, a sign was seen on the north side (of the sky) in the likeness of a blazing fire.1
Footnotes

1 MS seems to have [] although the [] of the first verb seems to be a confused [] and the first two letters [] seem to have been written over a word, perhaps []. Chabot managed to read [], but in Chabot, Chronicon I, 274:13 = Wright, Chronicle, XLVI1:44 the words [] "also in Beirut it collapsed" are attested. Assemani used the latter source to correct the present passage; BO i 271 n.l.

2 Chronicon Edess. LXXIX 9:5-7 [8:27-28]; Michael VI 257 [II 154].

Syriac - embedded



Chronology
Fire in the Sky
Year Reference Corrections Notes
dawn of 22 August 502 CE dawn of Friday of the 22nd of Ab in A.G. 813 none
  • A.G. 813 went from 1 Oct. 501 to 30 Sept. 502 CE (calculated using CHRONOS)
  • 22 Ab is 22 August
  • Julian day calculations indicate that 22 Aug. 502 CE fell on a Thursday ( calculated using CHRONOS)
Earthquake
Year Reference Corrections Notes
night of 22 August 502 CE On the night of the 22nd of Ab in A.G. 813 none
  • A.G. 813 went from 1 Oct. 501 to 30 Sept. 502 CE (calculated using CHRONOS)
  • 22 Ab is 22 August
  • Julian day calculations indicate that 22 Aug. 502 CE fell on a Thursday ( calculated using CHRONOS)
Seismic Effects Fire in the Sky Locations Sources
Sources

Background Information
Pseudo-Dionysius of Tell-Mahre vs. Dionysius of Tell-Mahre

Online Versions and Further Reading
References

Hymn 51 by Romanos Melodos

Background and Biography

Background and Biography

Excerpts
English from Grosdidier de Matons (1981)

Hymn : Of the Ten Virgins
Date : Holy Tuesday

...

9

The night before the night, and before the shadows darkness has suddenly seized all men, and now we are as of old the Egyptians imprisoned in the cloud of plagues, storm of earthquakes, darkness of warsl. And wrath will not be satisfied with this: the Red Sea awaits all men2, Gehenna there, not temporarily, but for eternity. For Jesus our Savior was greatly irritated that they had not believed in him when he was working miracles. So he in return visited with scourges the iniquities of the unbelievers, so that at least at this price we are convinced and proclaim: "Open"
Footnotes

1. The words [Greek Text] correspond to the three terms that, in the Septuagint, describe the ninth plague of Egypt: [Greek Text] (Ers. 10, 22). The Hebrew text ignores this storm.

2. Ino Mikhaïlidou understands [Greek Text] as a future tense: "the Red Sea will receive us all". But [Greek Text] still has the sense of "waiting" in Romanos.

French from Grosdidier de Matons (1981)

HYMNE des Dix vierges (ler hymne)
DATE : Mardi Saint

...

9

La nuit avant la nuit, et avant les ombres l'obscurité ont saisi brusquement tous les hommes, et maintenant nous sommes comme jadis les Égyptiens emprisonnés dans la nuée des plaies, la tempête des tremblements de terre, les ténèbres des guerresl. Et de cela la colère ne sera pas satisfaite : la mer Rouge attend tous les hommes2, la géhenne de là-bas, non point temporairement, mais pour l'éternité. Car Jésus notre sauveur fut grandement irrité de ce qu'on n'avait pas cru en lui alors qu'il faisait des miracles. Aussi a-t-il en retour visité avec des fouets les iniquités des incroyants, pour qu'au moins à ce prix nous soyons convaincus et clamions : « Ouvre »
Footnotes (note de bas de page)

1. Les mots [Greek Text] correspondent aux trois termes qui décrivent dans la Septante la neuvième plaie d'Égypte : [Greek Text] (Ers. 10, 22). Le texte hébreu ignore cette s tempête.

2. Ino Mikhaïlidou comprend [Greek Text] comme un futur : "la mer Rouge nous recevra tous". Mais [Greek Text] a toujours le sens de "attendre" chez Romanos.

Chronology

Grosdidier de Matons (1981) noted that the vague reference to a storm of earthquakes could refer to the 551 CE Beirut Quake as well as an earthquake which struck Constantinople in 554 CE. Gatier (1983), on the other hand, interpreted Romanos' text as alluding to the Fire in the Sky Quake which struck Akko (Ptolemais) in 502 CE.

Seismic Effects Locations Online Versions and Further Reading
References

Archaeoseismic Evidence

Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Gush Halav possible - debated chronology ≥ 8 Meyers, Strange, Meyers, and Hanson (1979) attributed seismic destruction at the end of Stratum VII phase b to the 551 CE Beirut Quake. Russell (1985) suggested this destruction may have rather been due to the Fire in the Sky Quake of 502 CE. The seismic chronology stemming from excavations at Gush Halav 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 the 1st synagogue was built on the site no earlier than the second half of the fifth century. Meyers, Strange, Meyers, and Hanson (1979) dated construction of the first synagogue on the site to ~250 CE. While Magness (2001a) agreed that earthquake destruction evidence was present in the excavation, she dated the end of Stratum VII phase b destruction evidence to some time after abandonment of the site in the 7th or 8th centuries CE. Strange (2001) and Meyers (2001) went on to rebut Magness (2001a) to which Magness (2001b) responded again. Although based on epicentral distance and the magnitude, it is possible that Gush Halav suffered seismic destruction during the Fire in the Sky Quake of 502 CE and/or the 551 CE Beirut Quake, the chronology from this excavation is not clear.
Avdat/Oboda possible ≥ 8 The previous earthquake of Korjenkov and Mazor (1999) was dated by Negev (1989) to between ~300 CE and 541 CE and by Erickson-Gini (2014) to the early 5th century. An early 5th century date may suggest the Monaxius and Plinta Quake of 419 CE while Negev (1989)'s wider date range entertains the possibility that damage was caused by the Fire in the Sky Quake of 502 CE or the hypothesized Negev Quake of ~500 CE. Korjenkov and Mazor (1999) did not produce an Intensity estimate for the previous earthquake. The Intensity estimate presented here is based on Seismic Effects associated with rebuilding. A Ridge Effect is likely present at Avdat
Shivta possible ≥ 6 Byzantine Earthquake - Margalit (1987) excavated the North Church at Shivta and discovered two building phases.
  1. The first basilica was a monoapsidal church erected in the mid-fourth century A.D.
  2. After the first church was damaged, most probably by an earthquake, a new one was erected in the beginning of the sixth century A.D.
This rebuilding evidence suggests that an earthquake damaged Shivta around or just before the beginning of the sixth century A.D.. Negev (1989 provided epigraphic support for this ~500 CE date. The Intensity Estimate is based on the construction of revetment or support walls as other seismic effects would have likely been obscured by rebuilding. Construction of support walls suggests wall tilting during a previous seismic event. A site effect at Shivta is unlikely due to a hard carbonate bedrock.
Haluza possible ≥ 7 Korjenkov and and Mazor (2005) surmised that the first earthquake struck in the Byzantine period between the end of the 3rd and the mid-6th centuries A.D.. This was based on dates provided by Negev (1989). The Intensity estimate presented here is based on Seismic Effects categorized as Earthquake Damage Restorations by Korjenkov and and Mazor (2005)
Rehovot ba Negev possible ≥ 7 Korzhenkov and Mazor (2014) identified an earthquake which they referred to as the Late Roman Earthquake. It likely struck between ~500 and ~600 CE; after initial construction (~460 - 470 CE) of the northern church (Tsafrir et al, 1988) where many of the Seismic Effects of Korzhenkov and Mazor (2014) were observed. Korzhenkov and Mazor (2014) estimated the same Intensity (VIII–IX) for 4 seismic events (~500 - ~600 CE Earthquake, 7th century Earthquake, 7th - 8th century Earthquake, and Earthquake(s) in Turkish-British times) and the same direction of the epicenter (ESE). Rehovot ba Negev has a probable site effect as much but not all of Rehovot Ba Negev was built on weak ground (confirmed by A. Korzhenkov, personal communication, 2021). Because of this site effect, the Intensity estimate has been downgraded from ≥8 to ≥7.
Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Gush Halav



Avdat



Shivta



Haluza



Rehovot ba Negev



Tsunamogenic Evidence

No tsunamite deposits due to this earthquake have, as yet, been identified.

Paleoseismic Evidence

Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Jarmaq Trench possible ≥ 7 Nemer and Meghraoui (2006) date Event Z to after 84-239 CE. They suggested the Safed Earthquake of 1837 CE as the most likely candidate.
al-Harif Syria possible ≥ 7 Sbeinati et. al. (2010) report a seismic event X which they dated to 335 CE ± 175 years.
Tabarja Benches possible Mw = ~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 Mw = ~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.
Bet Zayda possible ≥ 7 Event CH3-E2 (Modeled Age 505-593 CE) is an excellent fit for the 551 CE Beirut Quake. The Fire in the Sky Quake of 502 CE is just outside the modeled age ( Wechsler at al., 2014).
Dead Sea - Seismite Types n/a n/a n/a
Dead Sea - En Feshka possible 5.6-8.8
(Heifetz/Wetzler)

7.0-8.6
(Modified Williams)		 Kagan et. al. (2011) identified several seismites at En Feshka which could have been caused by the Fire in the Sky Quake of 502 CE or the hypothesized Negev Quake of ~500 CE.
Top Depth (cm.) Thickness (cm.) Seismite Type Modeled Age (± 1σ) Modeled Age (± 2σ)
210 2 4 500 AD ± 52 491 AD ± 115
212.5 1 Questionable Seismite 491 AD ± 52 480 AD ± 115
220 2 4 462 AD ± 54 452 AD ± 118
228 2 4 430 AD ± 58 422 AD ± 126
Dead Sea - En Gedi possible 7.9-8.8 Migowski et. al. (2004) assigned a 502 CE date from the in the 1997 GSI/GFZ core in En Gedi (DSEn) to a 0.7 cm. thick Type 4 mixed layer seismite at a depth of 229.91 cm. (2.2991 m). This date assignment matches with the Fire in the Sky Quake of 502 CE or the hypothesized Negev Quake of ~500 CE.
Dead Sea - Nahal Ze 'elim possible 8.4-9.3 At site ZA-2, Kagan et. al. (2011) assigned a 17 cm. thick intraclast breccia and liquefied sand seismite at a depth of 315 cm. to the 551 CE Beirut Quake. However the Inscription at Areopolis Quake was significantly closer and fits within the modeled ages (± 1σ - 537 AD ± 70, ± 2σ - 540 AD ± 88). It is more likely that the seismite at 315 cm. depth was created by the Inscription at Areopolis Quake. The age range for this seismite also matches with the hypothesized ~500 CE Negev Quake and, less likely due to distance, the Fire in the Sky Quake of 502 CE.
Location (with hotlink) Status Intensity Notes
Jarmaq Trench

Nemer and Meghraoui (2006) date Event Z to after 84-239 CE. They suggested the Safed Earthquake of 1837 CE as the most likely candidate.



Displaced Aqueduct at al Harif, Syria

Sbeinati et. al. (2010) report a seismic event X which they dated to 335 CE ± 175 years.



Tabarja Benches

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 Mw = ~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.



Bet Zayda (aka Beteiha)

Event CH3-E2 (Modeled Age 505-593 CE) is an excellent fit for the 551 CE Beirut Quake. The Fire in the Sky Quake of 502 CE is just outside the modeled age ( Wechsler at al., 2014).



Dead Sea - Seismite Types



Dead Sea - En Feshka

Kagan et. al. (2011) identified several seismites at En Feshka which could have been caused by the Fire in the Sky Quake of 502 CE or the hypothesized Negev Quake of ~500 CE.

Top Depth (cm.) Thickness (cm.) Seismite Type Modeled Age (± 1σ) Modeled Age (± 2σ)
210 2 4 500 AD ± 52 491 AD ± 115
212.5 1 Questionable Seismite 491 AD ± 52 480 AD ± 115
220 2 4 462 AD ± 54 452 AD ± 118
228 2 4 430 AD ± 58 422 AD ± 126
Note: Although Kagan et. al. (2011) listed/labeled the Fire in the Sky Quake of 502 CE as 500/502 CE in their paper, the 500 CE part of this date appears spurious. See the discussion titled "Conflation with 500 CE Earthquake" in the Notes section of this report.



Dead Sea - En Gedi

Migowski et. al. (2004) assigned a 502 CE date from the in the 1997 GSI/GFZ core in En Gedi (DSEn) to a 0.7 cm. thick Type 4 mixed layer seismite at a depth of 229.91 cm. (2.2991 m). This date assignment matches with the Fire in the Sky Quake of 502 CE or the hypothesized Negev Quake of ~500 CE.



Dead Sea - Nahal Ze 'elim

At site ZA-2, Kagan et. al. (2011) assigned a 17 cm. thick intraclast breccia and liquefied sand seismite at a depth of 315 cm. to the 551 CE Beirut Quake. However the Inscription at Areopolis Quake was significantly closer and fits within the modeled ages (± 1σ - 537 AD ± 70, ± 2σ - 540 AD ± 88). It is more likely that the seismite at 315 cm. depth was created by the Inscription at Areopolis Quake. The age range for this seismite also matches with the hypothesized ~500 CE Negev Quake and, less likely due to distance, the Fire in the Sky Quake of 502 CE.



Notes

Conflation with 500 CE Earthquake

The earthquake catalog (Table A1) presented in Kagan et. al. (2011) appears to erroneously conflate an unknown and potentially spurious earthquake with an epicenter in or around Antioch in 500 CE with the Fire in the Sky Earthquake of 502 CE. Kagan et al (2011) lists 5 sources for an earthquake which struck Antioch, Acre, Sidon, Tyre, and Beirut in 500 or 502 CE. Those sources are



  • Ambraseys (2009) does not have an entry for a 500 CE earthquake - only a 502 CE earthquake which struck Acre, Sidon, Tyre, and Beirut. No mention is made of Antioch.


  • Guidoboni et al (1994) does not have an entry for a 500 CE earthquake - only a 502 CE earthquake which struck Acre, Sidon, Tyre, and Beirut. No mention is made of Antioch.


  • Amiran et. al. (1994) have an entry for 502 CE in their main catalog and an entry for 500 CE in Appendix 1 (distant earthquakes felt in Israel). The 502 CE main catalog entry lists destruction in Antioch and Latrun (Nicopolis) in addition to Acre, Sidon, Tyre, and Beirut. Destruction in Antioch and Latrun is based on Ben-Menahem (1979). Amiran et al (1994)'s 502 CE entry is listed below

    502, Aug. 19

    Beirut: some houses collapsed; Tyre, Sidon: severe; `Akko: destructive;

    (22 Av) Latrun (Nicopolis): destroyed (BM: 286); possibly damage to a church at Shivta in the Negev (22).

    The sources for this entry are listed as Yellin (1927), Margallit (1987), the Chronicle of Pseudo Joshua the Stylite, and Ben-Menahem (1979:286).
    In Appendix 1, Amiran et al (1994) list an earthquake in 500 CE as a distant earthquake felt in Israel. This entry reads as follows:
    Safed: peripheral effect of a severe earthquake in Syria.

    The sources for this entry are Plassard and Kojoj (1962 and 1968), Willis (1928 and 1933), and Ben-Menahem (1979:277).
  • Sbeinati et al (2005) - Sbeinati et al (2005) does not have an entry for an earthquake in 500 CE but does have an entry (on page 355) for an earthquake in 502 CE. All references in the entry suggest an earthquake which struck Acre, Sidon, Tyre, and Beirut but not Antioch except for a tiny reference to Ben-Menahem (1979).


  • In Table 3, Ben-Menahem (1991) lists an earthquake with a epicenter (36.2 N, 36.1 E) in Antioch which struck in 500 CE. Sources listed at the bottom of the tables are Brittanica (1910), Ergin et al (1967), and Plassard and Kojoj (1976). In Table 5d, the following entry can be found :
    August 21, 502 CE - off coast of Acre.
    Acre destroyed. Destruction at Sur, Sidon, Beirut (synogogue damaged), and Byblos.

    Sources - Alsinawi and Galib (1975), Amiran (1951), Ergin et al (1967), and Plassard and Kojoj (1968), Sieberg (1932 a & b), and Willis (1928)




Further exploration of catalog sources follows:



  • Ben-Menahem (1979:276) lists the following earthquake in 500 CE
    Destruction of Antioch; Damage in Safed; Felt in Turkey and Greece.
    Sources - Plassard and Kojoj (1962), Sieberg (1932 a & b), Amiran (1950/51), and Willis (1928, 1933)
    Ben-Menahem (1979:285) lists the following earthquake in 502 CE
    502 Aug. 21 off coast of Acre
    Acre destroyed; Destruction at Sur, Sidon, Beirut (synagogue damaged), and Byblos. Latrun (Nicopolis) destroyed.
    Sources - Plassard and Kojoj (1962), Amiran (1950/51)
  • Plassard and Kojoj (1981) have an entry for an earthquake in 502 CE based on Chronicon by Joshua the Stylite. It is compatible with the report of Joshua the Stylite listing destruction and/or damage in Acre, Sidon, Tyre and Beirut. There is no mention of an earthquake in 500 CE.

  • Sieberg (1932a) does not have an entry for an earthquake in 500 or 502 CE

  • Willis (1928,1933) does not list the 502 CE earthquake and has the following for an earthquake in 500 CE
    Macedonia, Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Edessa, Seleuke, Antioch, Sarde, etc.: big shock.
    source - Arvanitakis (1903)

  • Arvanitakis (1903) does not list the 502 CE earthquake and has the following for an earthquake in 500 CE
    Macedonia, Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Edessa, Seleuke, Antioch, Sarde, etc.: big shock.
    source - not listed

Conclusion - It is difficult to determine the source for the 500 CE catalog entry but it appears to be based on Willis (1928) and Arvanitakis (1903) who did not provide a source. The 500 CE earthquake description, which describes damage to what seems to be an excessively large area, seeped into Ben-Menahem's and Amiran's catalogs and led to some of the additions to the 502 CE Fire in the Sky Quake. Such additions include claims that Byblos, Safed, Latrun (Nicopolis), and/or Antioch were damaged or rattled. It should be noted that Migowski et al (2004) also list two earthquakes - one in 500 CE and one in 502 CE. They based this on two sources - Amiran et al (1994) and Ben-Menahem (1991). These are the same sources that seem to be the source of conflation in Kagan et al (2011). Wechsler et al (2014) listed a 500 CE date instead of 502 CE.

Ambraseys (2009)

AD 502 Aug 22 Acre

An earthquake on the Lebanese and Palestinian littoral on the night of 22 August 502 devastated Ptolemais (Acre, Akko), and caused the collapse of half of the towns of Tyre and Sidon. Berytus (Beirut) was probably affected too, but it seems, with the exception of the collapse of the synagogue, to have suffered little damage. The absence of any evidence of damage in the hinterland suggests an offshore epicentre.

This event is noted by [pseudo-]Joshua the Stylite, a contemporary. He heard from travellers that an earthquake had destroyed Ptolemais on the same night (a.S. 813 Thursday 22 Ab¯ = 22 August 502) as ‘a great fire’ blazing in the ‘northern quarter’ of the sky, i.e. the aurora borealis. He adds that ‘a few days later’ some people came from Tyre and Sidon and said that on the same night as the aurora borealis an earthquake had destroyed ‘half’ of Tyre and Sidon. Beirut, about 40 km north of Sidon, reportedly suffered damage only to its synagogue (Chron. Ps.Dion. ii. 4/3.).

A later author (John Eph. NA 463) implies that Tyre and Sidon were in fact totally destroyed, while others (Chron. Ps.Dion. CH 202; Vict. Tunn. PL 949) simply note the event (Yelin 1927, 1265).

Note

‘(a.S. 813) On the 22nd of Ab [August] in this year, on the night ¯ preceding Friday, a great fire appeared to us blazing in the northern quarter the whole night, and we thought that the whole earth was going to be destroyed that night by a deluge of fire; but the mercy of our Lord preserved us without harm. We received, however, a letter from some acquaintances of ours, who were travelling in Jerusalem, in which it was stated that, on the same night in which that great blazing fire appeared, the city of Ptolemais or ‘Akko was overturned, and nothing in it left standing. Again, a ¯ few days after, there came unto us some Tyrians and Sidonians, and told us that, on the very same day on which the fire appeared and Ptolemais was overturned, the half of their cities fell, namely of Tyre and Sidon. In Berytus (Beirut) only the synagogue of the Jews fell down on the day when ‘Akko was overturned ¯ .’ (Josh. Styl. xlvii/37).

References

Ambraseys, N. N. (2009). Earthquakes in the Mediterranean and Middle East: a multidisciplinary study of seismicity up to 1900.

Guidoboni et al (1994)

(197) the night of 22 August 502

  • Berytus,
  • Ptolemais
  • Sidon
  • Tyre
  • escape of gas?
sources 1
  • [Ios. Styl.] Syr. versio 43-4
sources 2
  • [Dion. Tellinahr.] 4
literature
  • Gatier (1984)
  • Russell (1985)
catalogues
  • Amiran (1950-51)
  • Grumel (1958)
  • Ben-Menahem (1979)
Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite's Chronicle includes the following amongst disasters occurring in 501-502:
"Now then listen to the calamities that happened in this year [813 of the Greeks; i.e. 501-502 AD.], and to the sign that appeared on the day when they happened, for this too thou hast required at my hands. On 22 Ab [August] in this year, on the night preceding Friday, a great fire appeared to us blazing in the northern quarter the whole night, and we thought that the whole earth was going to be destroyed that night by a deluge of fire; but the mercy of our Lord preserved us without harm. We received, however, a letter from some acquaintances of ours, who were travelling to Jerusalem, in which it was stated that, on the same night in which that great blazing fire appeared, the city of Ptolemais or Akko was overturned, and nothing in it left standing. Again, a few days after, there came unto us some Tyrians and Sidonians, and told us that, on the very same day on which the fire appeared and Ptolemais was overturned, the half of their cities fell, namely of Tyre and Sidon. In Berytus only the synagogue of the Jews fell down on the day when Akko was overturned".
The Chronicle of Edessa simply mentions the fire from heaven, which Russell (1985, p.43) thinks should be interpreted as aurora borealis; but that seems rather unlikely at the latitude of the countries concerned. It seems more satisfactory to suggest that the phenomenon is to be related to pre-earthquake phenomena and the effect of ionisation of the air.

Although this earthquake seems to have principally struck the coast of southern Lebanon, Russell (1985, pp.43-4) points out that places in Palestine were also affected. Hence he also relates it to a small hoard of coins struck during the reign of Anastasius I (491-518) found at Gush Halay.

References

Guidoboni, E., et al. (1994). Catalogue of Ancient Earthquakes in the Mediterranean Area up to the 10th Century. Rome, Istituto nazionale di geofisica.

Paleoclimate - Droughts

References

References

Scientific Literature

Ambraseys, N. (2009). Earthquakes in the Mediterranean and Middle East: a multidisciplinary study of seismicity up to 1900. Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press.

Ben-Menahem, A. (1991). "Four Thousand Years of Seismicity along the Dead Sea rift." Journal of Geophysical Research 96((no. B12), 20): 195-120, 216.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/91JB01936/abstract

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248793364_Four_Thousand_Years_of_Seismicity_Along_the_Dead_Sea_Rift

Gatier P.L. 1984, Tremblements du sol et frissons des hommes. Trois seismes en Orient sous Anastase, in Tremblements de terre..., pp.87-94. Grumel V. 1958, Traite d'etudes byzantines. 1. La chronologie, Paris. Grumel V. 1958, Traite d'etudes byzantines. 1. La chronologie, Paris.

Guidoboni, E., et al. (1994). Catalogue of ancient earthquakes in the Mediterranean area up to the 10th century. Rome, Istituto nazionale di geofisica.

http://books.google.com/books?id=BS3mngEACAAJ&dq=bibliogroup:%22Catalogue+of+ancient+earthquakes+in+the+Mediterranean+area+up+to+the+10th+century%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fIMtU4GcA-SGyQHp3YDgBg&ved=0CDMQ6wEwAQ

http://books.google.com/books/about/Earthquakes_in_the_Mediterranean_and_Mid.html?id=x2veAAAACAAJ

Karcz, I., et al. (1977). "Archaeological evidence for Subrecent seismic activity along the Dead Sea-Jordan Rift." Nature 269(5625): 234-235.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242863909_Archaeological_evidence_for_Subrecent_seismic_activity_along_the_Dead_Sea-Jordan_Rift
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v269/n5625/abs/269234a0.html
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/269234a0
https://www.academia.edu/4321286/Archaeological_evidence_for_Subrecent_seismic_activity_along_the_Dead_Sea-Jordan_Rift





Meyers, E. M., et al. (1990). Excavations at the Ancient Synagogue of Gush Ḥalav, American Schools of Oriental Research.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Q-vWh51B1AMC
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1356647?uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21104524261833

Migowski, C., et al. (2004). "Recurrence pattern of Holocene earthquakes along the Dead Sea transform revealed by varve-counting and radiocarbon dating of lacustrine sediments." Earth and Planetary Science Letters 222(1): 301-314.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X0400130X

Russell, K. W. (1985). "The Earthquake Chronology of Palestine and Northwest Arabia from the 2nd through the Mid-8th Century A.D." Bulletin of the American School of Oriental Research 260: 37-59.

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1356863?uid=2129&uid=2134&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21103904944403

Tributsch, H. (1982). "When the snakes awake: animals and earthquake prediction."

https://books.google.com/books/about/When_the_Snakes_Awake.html?id=gHKvOAAACAAJ&source=kp_cover

Tributsch, H. (2013). "Bio-Mimetics of Disaster Anticipation Learning Experience and Key-Challenges." Animals 3(1): 274-299.

http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/3/1/274

Tributsch, Helmut, 2013, The escaping "pneuma" - gas of ancient earthquake concepts in relation to animal, atmospheric and thermal precursors EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts. 15: 1269.

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013EGUGA..15.1269H

Turcotte, T. a. A., E. (1993). Catalog of Earthquakes in and around Israel. Preliminary Safety Analysis Report: Appendix 2.5A Revision 1. Tel Aviv, Israel Electric Corporation Ltd.: 1-18.

A. Yellin: The Earthquake in Palestine in the Beginning of the Sixth Century, Zion 2 (1927), pp. 125-127

Wechsler, N., et al. (2014). "A Paleoseismic Record of Earthquakes for the Dead Sea Transform Fault between the First and Seventh Centuries C.E.: Nonperiodic Behavior of a Plate Boundary Fault." Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

http://www.tau.ac.il/~shmulikm/Publications/Wechsler-BSSA-2014.pdf
http://www.bssaonline.org/content/early/2014/05/20/0120130304.abstract

Ancient Texts

Anonymous "The Chronicle of Edessa."

The Chronicle of Edessa is one of the most important and authoritative early Chronicles. It was probably written in the mid 6th century using the city archives. It is extant in a single manuscript, now in the Vatican (Syr. 163).

https://archive.org/details/ChronicleOfEdessaed.Assemani
http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/chronicle_of_edessa.htm
Chronicle of Edessa (English Translation)
http://roger-pearse.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Chronicle_of_Edessa

Margoliouth, J. P. (2009). Eclesiastical History of John Bishop of Ephesus, BiblioBazaar.

http://books.google.com/books?id=EYEH6YoBsEEC
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08470c.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_Ephesus
http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/index.htm#John_of_Ephesus

Joshua, et al. (2000). The Chronicle of Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite, Liverpool University Press.

http://books.google.com/books?id=I0NJmAfgrjMC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_the_Stylite
https://archive.org/details/chronicleofjoshu00josh
http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/index.htm#Joshua_the_Stylite