**In the year** 4877 there was a great earthquake and terror in Italy and Ashkenaz, and great buildings fell. And there was a hot summer and great heat, and springs and rivers dried up. And there were two dark spots on the moon and several times the moon was very red, and this color was seen several times throughout the entire surface and sphere of the firmament. And there were great winds and thunder and lightning and fire catching and hail that struck all the produce of the earth, man and beast [(Tzeda LaDerech chapter 72)].