Wechsler et al. (2008) report that a makeshift house found inside the seismically damaged synagogue was presumed to represent post-abandonment occupation of the site. Agricultural tools such as spades, hoes, and sickles were found below a collapse layer, which suggests a second unexpected destruction event. Dray et al. (2017:221) report that "the fill of room L1240 revealed an assemblage of complete pottery vessels, including an intact juglet and a cooking-pot lid on top of a jug inside a cooking bowl, within which another intact juglet was found". Since these vessels are described as being in the fill of the secondary structure (aka makeshift house), they would have presumably been buried during the first earthquake when the site was possibly abandoned. Those vessels "dated to the first half of the eighth century CE". Since none of the agricultural implements found in the collapsed house were dated, the second earthquake can only be specified as striking after the mid-8th century CE.

Fig. 5 - The synagogue suffered two damaging events. The firs led to its abandonment, as evidenced by a makeshift house (marked with dashed line), which was built on the floor of the synagogue using many of its finely carved stones. The second event caused the destruction of this house and triggered the abandonment of the whole site, as evidenced by absence of post mid-8th century artifacts - Wechsler et al (2008) - Click on image to open in a new tab