The southern Levantine earthquake of 418/419 AD and the archaeology of Byzantine Petra

Abstract

This article provides a critical review of the archaeological, geological and historical evidence concerning the southern Levantine earthquake of 418/419 AD, specifically its effects on Petra. Historical accounts indicate that the earthquake caused destruction in Jerusalem and elsewhere, but archaeological evidence is sparse. Numerous destruction layers at sites in the Galilee were attributed to the 418/419 earthquake, but these attributions have all been questioned due to the presence of material in these layers post-dating the early 5th century AD. To the south, the attribution of the destruction of the Spätrömisch II phase at al-Zantur, in Petra, to this earthquake has largely been accepted. This paper reviews the published evidence and determines that this, too, has been dated too early. Based on this evidence, I suggest that the destruction of al-Zantur Spätrömisch II occurred in the 6th century and argue that the 418/419 earthquake was a relatively minor event, primarily affecting the Jerusalem region. This has bearing on the dating of diagnostic artifact types found in this phase, notably the Negev wheel-made lamp, which I argue should be considered a reliable indicator of dates in the 6th–7th century AD. This, in turn, has implications for the dating of other sites, notably the Petra Church.