Oldest weather report in the world was about the explosion in Santorini
Nadine Moeller and Robert Ritner from the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago presented a new translation of the inscription on the Tempest Stela that represents the words of the Egyptian pharaoh Ahmose that may be the oldest weather report ever known and changes ancient history.
The researchers believe that the description on the calcite pillar is indicative of the after effects of the explosion of the island of Santorini that were experienced in Egypt 3,514 years ago.
The researchers opted for a literal interpretation of the inscription on the Tempest Stela as opposed to the traditional metaphoric interpretation that implies an invasion of the Hyksos (Canaanite) people.
The research pushes the time of the rule of Ahmose forward by 30 to 50 years. The interpretation is supported by geological evidence from Santorini and the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus from the reign of Ahmose that describes the same weather events.
The inscription on the Tempest Stela in all probability reports the effects of tidal waves on the Egyptian coast and the Nile Delta that resulted from the volcanic explosion of Santorini. The new study also realigns ancient history including the fall of the Hyksos rule in Egypt, the rise of the Hittites in the Middle East, and the fall of the Babylonian empire.