BSY_FB_05_p.68

68

Khirbet el-Khaṭîb November 4, 1899

This small ruined town is situated
in the valley between the northern end of
the mountains of the Djebel Berîsha and
the cluster of foothills which lie to the
north. It is distant about an hour
from Bashmishli and on the way to it
one must pass through the extensive ruins
of Burdj Baḳirhā and Bāḳirḥā itself.

The town presents few well preserved
specimens of architecture, the houses being
almost all in the plain quadrated style.

The church is small and much fallen;
it was built in the simplest plan with sq.
east end flanked by chapels. S.E. of the
churches is a small square building which
doubtless served as a baptistry, here are
remains of a font-basin in a niche in the
East wall. The fallen lintel bears a
(536 A.D.) Semitic insc (Syriac) ^ (E.L. insc. 5) ^ with letters upside
down showing a second use of the stone in
the 12th century ? Col. with cubical plinth on hill.