Literary Motif - An earthquake after the death of a a famous person
An earthquake reported at the death of a famous or holy person, sometimes accompanied by an event in the sky such as a storm or darkness, appears to be a literary motif present in a variety of ancient literature reported at the deaths of Buddha, Julius Caesar, Jesus, and Muhammed.BuddhaIn a section titled The World's Echo in Maha-parinibbana Sutta: Last Days of the Buddha we can read:
And when the blessed on had passed away; simultaneously with his Parinibbana, there came a tremendous earthquake, dreadful and astounding, and the thunders rolled across the heavens.
- Maha-parinibbana Sutta: Last Days of the Buddha. translated from the Pali by Sister Vajira & Francis Story Part 6 - The Passing Away in subsection "The World's Echo" (p. 78)Notes Maha-parinibbana Sutta: Last Days of the Buddha - Embedded
- See The World's Echo Verse 12 scrolled down about 80%
Julius CaesarVirgil wrote the Georgics in ~29 BCE. At the end of Book One, he wrote about events after the assassination of Julius Caesar. In Book One Lines 461-497 we can read
The Portents At Julius Caesar’s Death
So, the sun will give you signs of what late evening brings,
and from where a fair-weather wind blows the clouds,
or what the rain-filled southerly intends. Who dares to say
the sun tricks us? He often warns us that hidden troubles
threaten, that treachery and secret wars are breeding.
He pitied Rome when Caesar was killed,
and hid his shining face in gloomy darkness,
and an impious age feared eternal night.
At that time earth, and the level sea,
troublesome dogs, and fateful birds, gave omens.
How often Etna inundated the Cyclopes’s fields,
streams of lava pouring from her shattered furnace,
hurling gouts of flame and molten rock!
In Germany they heard the clash of weapons,
across the sky, the Alps shook with strange quakes.
A great shout was heard, openly, in the silent groves,
and pale ghosts in strange forms were seen in the dark of night,
and, ah horror, creatures spoke like men.
Rivers stopped, earth split, and sad, the ivories wept
in the temples, and the bronze sweated.
Eridanus, king of the rivers, washed away forests
in the whirl of his maddened vortex, and swept
cattle and stables over the plains. Nor at that time
was there any lack of ominous marks in the dark entrails,
blood flowing in the wells, and mighty cities
echoing at night with the howls of wolves.
Never did greater lightning flash from a clear sky,
never did fatal comets shine more often.
So Philippi again saw Roman armies clash
amongst themselves, with equal weapons:
And the gods thought it not unfitting that Emathia and the broad plain
of Haemus, should twice be enriched with our blood.
And a time will come, when in those lands,
the farmer labouring at the earth with curved plough,
will come upon spears eaten by scabrous rust,
or strike an empty helmet with his heavy hoe,
and wonder at giant bones in the opened grave.
Online Versions and Further Reading ReferencesNotes Blog Post by Garyquotes from a blog post by Gary
Virgil reported that the Alps quaked at the murder of Caesar. Indeed, when Lucian wants to burlesque the death of a famous man, he combines an earthquake with a talking vulture flying off to heaven as signs that greeted his departure.–NT scholar, Raymond Brown, The Death of the Messiah, p. 1122Georgics - Embedded
- See BkI:461-497 The Portents At Julius Caesar’s Death
JesusThe Gospel of Matthew reports that there was an earthquake in the moment after Jesus died on the cross.
Muhammad
The History of the Caliphs by Jalal al-Din As-Suyutial-Suyuti was a prolific Arabic language writer who wrote in Cairo in the 15th century CE. His book The History of the Caliphs covers the Rashudin Caliphate. In that book, as-Suyuti reports seismic shaking in Mecca after Mohammed died on 7 June 632 CE and after Abu Bakr, the first Rashudin Caliph died on 23 August 634 CE. The first account of an earthquake after Mohammed (referred to as the Messenger of Allah) died is reproduced from page 58 of The History of the Caliphs below:
Al-Hakim narrated in his Mustadrak that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:Later on page 75, as-Suyuti describes an earthquake after Abu Bakr died on 23 August 634 CE.When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, Makkah was shaken with an earthquake and Abu Quhafah heard that and said, ‘What is this?’ They said, ‘The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has died.’ He said, ‘A momentous thing. Who has undertaken the command after him?’ They said, ‘Your son.’ He said, ‘Are Banu 'Abd Manaf and Banu al-Mughirah contented with that?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘No-one may put down what they raise up and no-one may raise up what they put down.’Al-Waqidi narrated in a variety of ways that 'A’ishah, Ibn Umar, Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab and others relate that Abu Bakr was pledged allegiance on the day that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, on Monday the 12th night of Rabi al-Awwal in the eleventh year of the Hijrah [JW: 7 June 632 CE].Ibn Sa'd narrated that Said ibn al-Musayyab said that Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, prayed over Abu Bakr between the grave (of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the minbar, and said four takbirs over him.If seismic shaking in Mecca after Abu Bakr's death is the same earthquake as the Sword in the Sky Earthquake, this would date the Sword in the Sky Earthquake to late August 634 CE differing slightly with other author's dates of September 634 CE.
He narrated that Urwah and al-Qasim ibn Muhammad said that Abu Bakr left as his last wish to A’ishah that he should be buried by the side of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. When he died, they dug a grave for him and put his head at the shoulder of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the niche (wherein the body was laid) touuched the grave of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
He narrated that Ibn Umar said: Umar, Talhah, Uthman and Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr got down into Abu Bakr’s grave (to place the body in the niche). He narrated by many different routes that he was buried at night.
He narrated that Ibn al-Musayyab said that when Abu Bakr died, Makkah was shaken by an earthquake, and so Abu Quhafah said, What is this?’ They said, ‘Your son has died.’ He said, ‘A great misfortune! Who has undertaken the command after him?’ They said, ‘Umar.’ He said, ‘His companion.’
Notes The History Of The Caliphs by as-Suyuti - Embedded
- See Page 58 2nd Paragraph