86 | SITZUNGEN

damaging earthquakes frightened and often unsettled people, but they eventually
kept returning to their land and rebuilt their homes. The intervals between earth-
quakes are longer than people’s memory. In the modern time we are aware of the
hazard and try to understand and even mitigate lt. Common wisdom holds that
earthquakes will occur in the same places and the same patterns as in the past.
The region has a remarkable record of historical and sedimentological paleo-
seismicity going back to about 70,000 years. Several earthquakes, such as the one that
occurred in the Dead Sea region around 2000 years ago, may have even changed the
course of history of this region. Places such as Jericho, the oldest city in the world,
which are located within the valley formed by the fault, were affected immensely by
seismic activity.
The study ofseismicity along the DSF is benefited from several advantages.The
tectomc framework is relatively simple with a single major plate boundary — the DSF.
Arid climate entails excellent exposures. Sedimentary basins preserve Sediments that
potentially record tectonic events. In addition, area has been inhabited throughout
history. Written accounts on vanous phenomena, in particular earthquakes, are rela-
tively abundant.

180 190 200 210


Figure 2.
Relief map of the Dead Sea
basin. The basin is divided
into two sub-basins. The
northern one is covered by a
lake with a depth of around
300 m and the Southern one
is exposed.