Though secularist love to castigate the Bible as being little more that a book filled with myths and fairy tales, according to the Israeli news site Haaretz, geologists working in Israel have found paleo-geological signals that confirms earthquake recorded in Amos and Zechariah.

There has also been significant archaeological evidence confirming the earthquake mentioned by these Old Testament prophets that hit northern Israel around 760 BC. This included collapsed buildings indicated by the dozens of artifacts found beneath ceilings that had smashed onto the floor.

They have also found standing walls that were leaning. As well, the massive stones in the walls that surrounded the city of Gezer were actually cracked and while the large carved stones on the lower part of the wall had shifted outward off the foundation by several inches, the upper part of the wall had fallen inside the city.

Based on their study, scientists estimate the earthquake that hit Israel at that time was around 8 in magnitude, making it a major earthquake.

Josephus (37 to 100 AD), an early Jewish historian, who undoubtedly had access to records unavailable today says the earthquake impacted Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple:

“A great earthquake shook the ground, and a rent was made in the temple, and the bright rays of the sun shone through it; and fell upon the king’s face; insomuch that the leprosy seized upon him immediately. And before the city, at a place called Eroge, half the mountain broke off from the rest on the west.”

But the recent scientific studies have only confirmed what the Bible recorded as taking place several centuries earlier.

The prophet Amos, a sheep herder in Israel at the time, specifically writes:

1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he ^[a]envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

Israel was divided in two at this time, the Northern Kingdom also called Israel was being ruled by Jeroboam II and Southern Kingdom made up of Judah being ruled by Uzziah.

Led by a wicked King, Israel was basically falling away from God and the prophet delivered some of his prophetic word outside of Bethel, where King Jeroboam had set up a golden calf temple.

The prophet warned of the coming earthquake that would shake the land (Amos 8:8), destroy homes (Amos 6:11), crack altars  and even destroy the pagan Bethel temple.

Though the Middle East is often hit by earthquakes, the Prophet Amos pointed to this one as being specifically a judgement from God as did the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 14:5).

As the prophets looked to the end of the age, many also spoke of earthquakes being part of the end times judgement.

Joel wrote:

The Lord roars from Zion
And utters His voice from Jerusalem,
And the heavens and the earth tremble.
But the Lord is a refuge for His people
And a stronghold to the sons of Israel. (Joel 3:16 NASV)

As well when Jesus said one of the signs that His return was soon was several great earthquakes (Luke 21:11). Along a similar vein, in his vision of the end-times, the Apostle John spoke of one great earthquake in connection with several other end-time signs, a blood moon, a blackening of the sun (possible eclipse), and several asteroid hits (Revelation 6:12-13) that would stand out from the rest.

Sources:

• Geologists find evidence of quake document by prophet Amos: WND.com
• The scientific and scriptural impact of Amos’ earthquake: ICR.org