363 CE Cyril Quake Open site page in a new tab Open Cyril of Jerusalem text page in a new tab Open Jerome text page in a new tab Open text page in a new tab

Cyril of Jerusalem reported that “more than half of ‘RDQLY’” was “overthrown” during the 363 CE Cyril Quake. The toponym RDQLY has been interpreted as either Areopolis or Archelais. Jerome added that the walls of Areopolis collapsed in this earthquake and may have preserved an oral tradition linking the 363 CE Cyril Quake with flooding—possibly even implying a localized Dead Sea tsunami. However, Jerome’s account appears to conflate the 363 CE Cyril Quake with the tsunamis triggered by the 365 CE Crete Earthquake, producing an ambiguous and blended narrative.

By Jefferson Williams