Although no source explicitly mentions an earthquake or violent destruction at the Early Byzantine synagogue north of Tell es-Sultan, several archaeological details invite a careful consideration of how the building went out of use. Baramki’s excavation describes only the foundations and floors remaining and notes that the apse was “destroyed to below floor-level,” with no surviving evidence of its pavement (Baramki 1936:73–76). Such loss could result from long-term abandonment, but it does not preclude an episode of structural failure. The damaged entry area and missing superstructure likewise offer no definitive causal signal, yet they remain compatible with either gradual decay or an unrecorded destructive event.

More informative are the associated small finds gathered in the deliberate gap along the north-west aisle. Baramki reports nine Early Arab ( Cufic) coins, a late Roman coin, three intact glass bottles, additional fragments, and bronze lamp fittings, all dating between the fifth and early eighth centuries (Baramki, 1936:73–76 and Gideon Foerster in Stern et al., 1993 v.2). Taken together, the evidence points to continued occupation or accessibility of the synagogue into the early Islamic period, followed by abandonment. While no destruction layer is described, the building’s disappearance after the eighth century leaves open the possibility—unconfirmed but plausible—that structural damage, whether gradual or sudden, contributed to its final desertion.