Stratum 14 at Tell Hesban ended with a widespread collapse of bedrock caves and silos, especially in Areas B and D. Channels, stairs, and passages once connecting underground systems were tilted or sealed by debris, marking a sudden, site-wide destruction horizon. Mitchel (1980) and Mitchel (1992) attribute this to a strong earthquake rather than gradual decay. Fills sealing the collapse lack silt or water-laid layers, showing that they were deposited quickly after the event and that rebuilding followed soon afterward. Stratum 13 architecture in Areas A and D was founded directly on leveled debris.

Because Stratum 14 material appears in both primary and secondary contexts, chronological reconstruction is difficult. Mitchel (1992:61) noted that “coins recovered at Tell Hesban have correlated poorly with associated pottery.” A coin of Aretas IV (r. 9 BCE – 40 CE) from Silo D.3:57 provides an apparent 9 BCE terminus post quem, possibly excluding the 31 BCE Josephus Quake. Associated ceramics extend the horizon into the second century CE and possibly beyond, with many Early Roman (63 BCE – 135 CE) and a few Late Roman (135 – 324 CE) sherds. Mitchel (1980) and Mitchel (1992) both prefer a terminus ante quem in the second century CE — a reasonable assessment, given that the few Late Roman sherds may be secondary or intrusive. While Mitchel (1980) and Mitchel (1992) both suggested that the ~130 CE Eusebius Mystery Quake was the causative event, the wide date range and the chronological complications introduced by secondary deposition suggest an event sometime between the first century BCE and the early fourth century CE.