a journal published by the Seismological Society of America. Damage The epicenter was located south of the head of the Gulf of Aqaba where the countries of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia converge. Damage to buildings occurred in the coastal cities of Eilat, Israel and Aqaba, Jordan and a small tsunami was observed by witnesses there. Farther down the coast and closer to the epicenter in the Egyptian city of Nuweiba several well-built, modern, concrete reinforced homes were completely destroyed. The earthquake's effects were felt as far north as Lebanon and Syria and it was the strongest event in the Jordan Rift Valley since the 1927 Jericho earthquake which was centered near the Dead Sea. The heaviest damage occurred in the resort town of Eilat where seven hotels and 50 other buildings were damaged, and cracks formed in the sidewalks. Fifteen people were treated there for injuries or shock and one man died of a heart attack in Aqaba. In Saudi Arabia two women were reported dead and five deaths were reported in Egypt, with three of them occurring in the gulf resort town of Nuweiba. Eight buildings collapsed in Cairo where, just several years before, the much smaller 1992 Cairo earthquake had a much more destructive impact. One person was killed and two were injured slightly at Al-Bad', Saudi Arabia and damage was reported there as well as the towns of Al-`Ula and Haql. In Eilat, Israel, one person died of a heart attack, several people were injured and property damage, power cuts and liquefaction was observed. In the capital Jerusalem, some damage was also observed. Past events The Gulf of Aqaba lies between the Sinai Peninsula and the Arabian Peninsula, both mostly desert regions with very few permanent settlements. The seismologists who work with historical events gather macroseismic data from written records from cities that may not have been anywhere near the epicentral area. This can result in the mislocation of events when significant damage was reported in a particular location which were not actually where the earthquake occurred. The records of these events have been influenced by the distribution of the population (where the people were) and this has caused difficulty in creating a complete and accurate index of historical events. Several studies in the 80s and 90s indicate that there were two or possibly three large earthquakes in the region in the last 2000 years