Clark (1990:176) observes that “it is clear from the archaeological record that the structure [Church of Bichop Isaiah] was destroyed by a single event, which threw all of the columns down towards the northeast, both those in the nave and those in the narthex.” He further notes that “one collapsed arch was found in articulation,” a detail that shows the arch dropped intact as a single unit rather than breaking apart over time. Inside the church, “the entire interior of the building was filled with collapsed masonry, lying directly upon the floor,” and this heavy debris sealed pottery that was still in use at the moment of destruction. According to Clark (1990:176), “the pottery and coins sealed by this collapse suggest a mid 8th century date”.

Clark (1986:313) notes that collapsed masonry was exposed both inside the church and in trenches F.XIV and F.XVI immediately outside it. He also observed indications that repairs were underway before the destruction. Stacked roof tiles, tools, and plaster-working basins were all found under the destruction debris. According to Clark (1986:313), “the church was undergoing repairs to the roof, and perhaps to the interior of the walls, at the time of destruction.” A weakened or partially dismantled roof may explain the oriented column fall, as it would have allowed ground motion to act directly on the columns with minimal restraint, producing a northeastward collapse consistent with an epicentral direction. Notably, the eastern carceres of the Hippodrome—also unrestrained—collapsed northward during what appears to be the same earthquake. Similarly, the columns in the eastern half of the Church of Saint Theodore show a northward-oriented collapse that likewise seems attributable to the same event.

After the earthquake, the church appears to have been left in ruins and was not reoccupied until the Mamluk period (Clark, 1986:315).

Deformation Map - Click on image to open in a new tab - Modified by JW from Fig. 3 of Clark (1986)