Chronicon Ad Annum 1234
Background and Biography Background and Biography
Excerpts English from Hoyland (2011)There was at Damascus and the whole of its region an earthquake which lasted for days and which shook the city and made it quiver. At Beth Qubayeh there was a palace built by Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, on which he had lavished much care and expense; it collapsed from top to bottom and more than 800 persons were fell and were buried in it. In the city itself many perished. In the Ghuta and Darayya innumerable people died in this earthquake. Bostra, Nawa were entirely swallowed up. At Baalbek much of it collapsed and the sources of water became as though blood were in them. In the sea there was an extraordinary and unusual storm such that its waves reached so it seemed to the sky and its foam boiled like a cauldron on the fire, making a terrifying and fearful noise. It gushed forth and surpassed its usual limits, destroying many villages on the coast. Many other things are narrated which, if recorded, would make much work for their writer and the reader. In the region of the Balqa', that is, Moab, there was a palace situated on the sea: inhabited by Yemeni Arabs, which was struck by the waves of the sea, uprooted from its foundations and flung three miles away.
This earthquake destroyed the city of Tiberias, except for the villa of a man named `Isa Galba. It knocked down thirty synagogues of the Jews and some wonderful natural sites there. The baths, a fine structure erected by Solomon the King) collapsed and fell down. There was there a healing spring given by God for the health of men, above which marvellous buildings had been erected and all around it was everything necessary for the use of those who came in search of a purge. They say that placed there were earthen jugs skillfully arranged, on each one of which was written how many times it flushed the stomach of the one who drank it. Thus each person chose a jug according to how much he desired to be purged. All those buildings have now been destroyed and expunged. Near Mount Tabor a village was moved and transported four miles, along with its houses and contents, without a stone or a piece of plaster falling from its buildings and without a man or beast dying, not even a hen.
The spring of water next to Jericho, the one on which were built palaces, gardens and mills by Sulayman ibn 'Abd al-Malik, remained in place, but the river from which it arose was transported and moved six miles. away from its place where it had been flowing. All the structures which Sulayman had erected on this river were thus destroyed. At Mabbug there was destruction everywhere and many people perished as a result of it. At its church, at the time of the sacrifice of our Lord, while the priest was standing with his hands held over the offering, suddenly perdition struck them; it (the church) fell down and they were unable to get out of the holy building and all who, were in it were trampled and destroyed, priests as well as lay people. Instead of hymns and spiritual psalms, sighs and lamentations were heard throughout the city. Also the walls collapsed down to their foundations. When these things had come to pass, and even greater things, men still did not refrain from wicked and impious deeds. The affairs of the church were particularly troubled at this time. For this reason people were crushed by much affliction: heavy taxes, poor harvests, wars and shedding of blood in all regions.English from Ambraseys (2009)
On the insurrections and ruin which happened at this time in the West, and the fall of the city of Mabbug. For in the year 1060 of the Greeks, 134 of the Arabs, great upheaval afflicted the world . . .
- from Ambraseys (2009)
- Ambraseys (2009) added a header and removes the bowel purging in Tiberias part of the account
And there was an earthquake at Damascus and in the whole surrounding area, which lasted for days, and in which the area trembled and was shaken. It also [affected] Beth Cubaye, a citadel which had been built by Hagag the son of Joseph with much effort and at great expense. This was overturned and was destroyed down to its foundations, and more than eighty people were killed and buried in the middle of it. And in the same city many people died. Likewise in Gutah [a suburb] of Dareya, countless people died in this earthquake. Bosra and Neve (sic.) were razed to their foundations. And a great part of Baalbek collapsed, and the springs of water there became like blood.
There was an unusual and unexpected storm in the sea. The waves were seen to be lifted up to the sky: like a pot boiling over a blazing fire, the waves boiled with a terrible sound which made those who heard them tremble. And [the sea] rushed up and overflowed its bounds, destroying many coastal villages. Many other things are also told which, if they were recorded, would be a great burden for the writer and his readers.
They say also that in the region of Belca or the Moabitide, a certain citadel located on the shore of the sea, inhabited by Yemenite Arabs, was razed down to its foundations when waves poured into it from the depths; and it was hurled three miles. This earthquake completely overthrew the city of Tiberias, except for the house of a monk called ‘Isa. Also thirty synagogues of the Jews were overturned there and some natural wonders which were in that city. The baths built by King Solomon, a wonderful edifice, were completely overthrown and collapsed. There was also in that city a purgative spring of water given by God for the health of man. And above it had been erected fine buildings . . . These buildings were all razed and destroyed. And another village, near Mt Tabor, was moved and shifted four miles from its site, with its houses and goods, and not a single stone or piece of adobe fell; and not a man or animal died, not even a chicken.
And a spring of water situated close to Jericho, near which there were citadels, gardens and mills founded by Solomon the son of Abdamalich, itself stayed where it was, but the river which has its source there moved six miles back from the place in which it flowed, so that all that Solomon had built by this river perished.
And Mabbug [became] no insignificant ruin, and many people died there; for at the time of the Sunday sacrifice, as the priest stood raising his hands over the oblation, the church collapsed, killing those on whom it fell, and all who were inside were crushed and perished, the priests together with the people; and instead of canticles and spiritual psalms, crashes and lamentation were heard in the entire city. The foundations of the walls were also shattered. (Chron. 1234, 325–327/254–255).Latin
- bookmarked to the page which describes the earthquake
Syriac
- bookmarked to the start of the secular section
Chronology
Chronicon Ad Annum specifies conflicting years for this earthquake in two different calendars producing dates which are in disagreement. Like Elias of Nisibis and unlike Pseudo Dionysius of Tell-Mahre, Chronicon Ad Annum 1234 states that the church collapsed in Mabbug on a Sunday at the time of Mass. Chronicon Ad Annum 1234 also states that the church fell down at the exact moment whenthe priest was standing with his hands held over the offeringhowever it also states that everyone died. So, there were no witnesses to specify the moment of the church collapse.
Year Reference Corrections Notes 26 August 751 -17 July 752 CE A.H. 134 none
- Calculated with CHRONOS
1 Sept. 748 - 31 Aug. 749 CE A.G. 1060 none Seismic Effects Seismic Effects TableChronicon Ad Annum 1234 is almost identical to Michael the Syrian's account. The only notable exception is that, unlike Michael the Syrian, there is no mention of seismic damage in Constantinople, Nicea, and other cites in Anatolia due to an unrelated earthquake(s). Ambraseys (2009) suggests the possibility that the account of the destruction of a fortress in Moab where the Yemenite Taiyayê tribe lived may refer to a possible earthquake in Yemen in 742 CE (see Ambraseys et al, 1994:25-26). This table should not be used for developing Intensity Maps.
Location Damage Description Comments Damascus an earthquake which lasted for days and which shook the city and made it quiver Beit Qubayeh a palace built by Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, on which he had lavished much care and expense; it collapsed from top to bottom and more than 800 persons were fell and were buried in it.In the city itself many perished. location unknown making it hard to identify which earthquake was responsible. Ghautah and Dareya innumerable people died Bosrah, and Nawa entirely swallowed up Ba'albek much of it collapsed and the sources of water became as though blood were in them" Sea sea there was an extraordinary and unusual storm such that its waves reached so it seemed to the sky and its foam boiled like a cauldron on the fire, making a terrifying and fearful noise. It gushed forth and surpassed its usual limits, destroying many villages on the coast. In the region of the Balqa', that is, Moab In the region of the Balqa', that is, Moab, there was a palace situated on the sea: inhabited by Yemeni Arabs, which was struck by the waves of the sea, uprooted from its foundations and flung three miles away. Confusing Geography as Balqa' is north of Moab Tiberias destroyed the city of Tiberias. It knocked down thirty synagogues of the Jews and some wonderful natural sites there. All those buildings [around the healing spring] have now been destroyed and expunged. Holy Desert Quake Village near Mount Tabor (likely mis-located - see Theophilus) Translational Landslide Jericho The spring of water next to Jericho, the one on which were built palaces, gardens and mills by Sulayman ibn 'Abd al-Malik, remained in place, but the river from which it arose was transported and moved six miles. away from its place where it had been flowing. All the structures which Sulayman had erected on this river were thus destroyed. The location of Jericho suggests the Holy Desert Quake however the Byzantine sources associate this with the Talking Mule Quake and did not specify a location for the movement of the spring. Mabboug Churches and Walls collapsed Talking Mule Quake Locations
- Damascus
- Beit Qubayeh - Location unknown
- Ghautah
- Dareya
- Bosrah
- Nawa
- Ba'albek
- Sea - which one (Mediterranean Coast, Sea of Galilee, and/or Dead Sea) is not clear
- Balqa'/Moab1 (Dead Sea or Sea of Galilee)
- Tiberias
- Village near Mount Tabor (very likely mis-located)
- Jericho
- Mabbug
Footnotes1 Balqa' is north of Moab and encompasses Amman. Thus, when one says
Balqa' which is in Moab, you introduce some geographical ambiguity such that when describing the effects of a seismic sea wave, the location could be either the Dead Sea or the Sea of Galilee.Sources Sources
Online Versions and Further Reading References