A substantial body of evidence and findings has accumulated regarding earthquakes that have affected Israel and its surroundings over the past 3,000 years. These data have been collected and analyzed in catalogues, focused studies, and various compilations. We propose a reassessment of the available evidence and findings, with particular emphasis on the second millennium CE, a period for which historical documentation is relatively reliable. The updated inventory points towards 71 earthquakes that affected Israel and its surroundings, 46 events that occurred outside the region but were previously misattributed as having affected Israel, alongside 41 events considered questionable. The principal contribution of this reassessment lies in the rigorous filtering of historical reports and systematic cross-examination with paleoseismic and archaeoseismic evidence, resulting in a robust and reliable catalogue than those previously available.
Based on this catalogue, recurrence intervals for earthquakes during the second millennium CE that caused moderate, high, and severe damage were estimated at approximately ~45, ~55, and ~170 years on average, respectively, though not at regular intervals. These estimates decrease the commonly cited recurrence threshold of ~100 years per destructive events that has prevailed in Israeli public discourse. In addition, the findings indicate that sites in Israel and its surroundings experienced repeated damage over several centuries. Prominent examples include Tyre, Acre, Safed, Tiberias, Beth Shean, Shechem, Jerusalem, Ramla, Lod, Jaffa, Ashkelon, and Gaza. Overall, the distinctive contribution of our careful reassessment focuses on updating the list of historical earthquakes that affected Israel and its surroundings as well as identifying recurring spatial and temporal damage patterns. Furthermore, the catalog is essential for urban planning, seismic hazard mapping, revision of building codes and preparedness for future earthquake events.