It was referred to as Barka by the Greeks and Bareca by the Romans during their rule over the ancient Philistine city.

It was occupied and depopulated on May 13, 1948 during Operation Barak, a Yishuv offensive in southern Palestine just prior to the outbreak of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

It is likely that Barqa was built on the site of the Greek town of Barka, which the Romans called Baraca.

They paid a fixed tax-rate of 25% on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, fruit trees and sesame; the taxes totalled 2,100 akçe.

[12][13] In 1882 the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine described Barqa as an "ordinary" village, with the tomb of Neby Burk.

The other, a stone house with rectangular doors and windows and a flat roof, stands deserted in the midst of wild vegetation.