An earthquake is when the ground shakes or trembles. It happens because of volcanic activity or movement in the earth's crust.
Earthquakes often happen in Palestine. This is mostly because of volcanoes near the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. Earthquakes are most common in these areas:
Upper Galilee
The Samaritan country near Shechem
The western edge of the Judean Mountains near Lydda
In Hebrew, the word for "earthquake" means a great noise or loud roaring. This shows that the Israelites noticed the rumbling sound of earthquakes.
The Bible mentions several earthquakes:
At Mount Sinai when God gave Moses the law (Exodus 19:18)
During the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites when Korah rebelled against Moses (Numbers 16:31–33)
Among the Philistines when Jonathan and his armor bearer fought them (1 Samuel 14:15)
After Elijah killed Baal's prophets and he ran from Jezebel, when he was sitting under a juniper tree feeling sorry for himself (1 Kings 19:7–9, 11)
When Jesus died on the cross (Matthew 27:51–54)
When Jesus rose from the dead (Matthew 28:2)
In Philippi when Paul and Silas were in jail (Acts 16:26)
The Bible also talks about earthquakes happening in the future:
On the "Day of the Lord" (Zechariah 14:4–5)
At the end of this age (Revelation 6:12–17; 11:19; 16:18)