Hirschfeld and Meir (2004) report that the eastern wing of the basilica constructed during the sixth century CE was probably destroyed in "the earthquake of 749 CE". The excavated rooms contained a collapse layer with numerous roof tiles, including some nearly complete examples, together with large quantities of plaster and fragments of a plain mosaic floor. Among the finds within this destruction debris were a large bronze goblet-like mortar and pestle discovered in the collapse of one of the rooms.