In Stratum IIA at Tel Masos, a sudden and violent destruction event affected the settlement’s domestic and public sectors alike. In Area A, several four-room houses were buried beneath debris from their upper stories. According to Aharon Kempinski in Stern et. al. (1993 v. 3:987), the destruction was so abrupt that the fallen pillars and lintels of massive stone slabs collapsed in the same direction, while debris reached a height of 1.7 m in some places. The ground floors survived only because they had been constructed on high stone socles. Raphael and Agnon (2018:775) note that House 2004 in Area A (Level II), dated to the second half of the 12th–end of the 11th century BCE, had walls preserved to 1.30 m due to the collapse of its upper floor, which covered the entire structure. No ash or weapons (apart from a dagger) were found. They noted that Givon (1996:9–10) concluded that “the house was probably destroyed in an earthquake.” House 167 likewise contained 0.80 m of debris ( Raphael and Agnon, 2018:775 citing Fritz and Kempinski, 1983:22-23).

Aharon Kempinski in Stern et. al. (1993 v. 3:987) reports that in Area C, the public buildings—the fort and Building 480—remained in use until the end of Stratum IIA. Here too, the destruction layer was substantial. Aharon Kempinski in Stern et. al. (1993 v. 3:987) reports that the area was later leveled and rebuilt atop the debris. Raphael and Agnon (2018:775) document 1.50 m of debris in House 480 (Area C1, Level III), dating to the end of the 13th– second half of the 12th century BCE, as well as damage in Storage House 2102. Following the destruction, private houses were erected over the ruins, marking a major shift in settlement organization.

Area H shows the destruction of the house with the cultic room, though signs of continued activity in Stratum I suggest that occupation resumed shortly after the event ( Aharon Kempinski in Stern et. al., 1993 v. 3:987). Site-wide, Kempinski (1978) concluded that “the settlement was destroyed either by an enemy attack or by an earthquake.” The uniform direction of collapse in Area A and thick accumulations of debris in both domestic and public buildings collectively favor a seismic explanation.