BSY_FB_29-57-b

57

V
Kfêr is a ruin to be classed with ir- Râfkah, Tehûleh
and other ancient towns in this locality that
have been recently demolished by Druse builders.
The greater part of the town was rather crudely
built and was inhabited in early Mohammedan
times. There is a large, partly natural, birkeh
near the S. E. angle. Two inscribed alters
found here probably came originally from
Dêr il-Meshḳûḳ where they had all round
the temple enclosure; for there are absolutely no
traces here of a temple structure; not even in
finished blocks of stone. The ruined temple is
not half an hour distant. It is impossible
to conjecture whether these altars, which were certainly
used as building stones, were brought in late
Christian times or under Muslim rule. It may
have been the custom in earlier times, as it is now,
for builders to choose the best stones from various
buildings and make use of them either in construction
or for ornament. The inscribed stones are likely
to be of the best quality. See Theatron Insc. 386