House in the New Testament

In New Testament times, houses were frequently built around a courtyard. These houses were often only one storey high. In cities there were often residential blocks, whereas out in the countryside houses were detached. Richer people would have a villa built that was inspired by Roman building conventions.

The most frequently used building materials were natural stones and bricks made of dried clay. Which material was used depended on what was available in any given region.
Houses in Galilee and the Golan were mostly built out of basalt stone, whereas houses in the hills were made of limestone. In areas where clay was plentiful, that is, the lowlands and the valleys, most houses were built of clay bricks and then plastered.
The roof was made of wood. The floors were tamped soil, sometimes hardened with flat stones.