Reconstituted North Gate dedicatory inscription- from photo by Jefferson Williams taken at the archaeological park of Jerash

Russell (1985) suggested that a civic dedication from the north gate of Jerash might reflect imperial aid provided by Trajan after a destructive earthquake, possibly the Incense Road Earthquake. Kraeling (1938:47) dated the construction of the new north gate to 115 CE on the basis of the dedicatory inscription, which he found in six fragments and which, once reassembled, referred to Trajan as the “savior and founder” of the city (Kraeling 1938:401). However, Kraeling himself interpreted the dedication not as earthquake relief but as commemorating improvements to the road system, especially the route to Pella, which linked Jerash directly with the coastal cities of Caesarea and Ptolemais (Acre). The orientation of the gate’s northern façade toward Pella may support this interpretation. If the Incense Road Earthquake originated on the Araba fault, seismic effects at Jerash were likely modest.