Vertical tabsMonastery name, type, categorySite Name: Ḥorvat Kasif; Khirbet Kuseifa; Khirbet QuseifaIdentification: The site has been identified as Malathis Oppidum mentioned by Hieronimus (On. 15:2). Variant names: ; Khirbet Malhata; Ḥ. Kseife; el-Ksēfe; el-Kusēfe; Kuseifeh. Monastery name: Monastery (?)Monastery type: CenobiumMonastery category: Village LocationCoordinates, ITM system: 20,634.0057,387.00 Coordinates, ICS system: 15,633.007,390.00 Geographical region: Beer Sheba ValleyProvincial affiliation: Palaestina IIBishopric: ElusaTopographical location: Low hillSoils: LoesDistance from nearest bishop-seat: ca. 36 km (Elusa)Distance from Roman roads: ca. 0.5 km east of the road leading from the Hebron hills to the eastern Negev. Source of knowledgeArchaeological remainsSurveyed siteSurveyors: NameDate Guerin1868-69 Conder and Kitchener1871-1877 Musil 1901 Mader1911-1914 Govrin1985 Excavated siteExcavators: NameDate Shmueli2009 Bibliograpy: Guérin, V., 1869188 Palmer, E. H., 187141 Conder, C. R. and Kitchener, H. H., 1883411 Blanckenhorn, M., 189537 Musil, A., 1908II: 2; 18 Mader, A. E., 1918225-28 Ovadiah, A., 1970121 Avi-Yonah, M., 197678 Avi-Yonah, M., 1984169 Govrin Rosen, Y., 198584-85 Tsafrir, Y., Di Segni, L. and Green, J., 1994169 Figueras, P., 19951 Israel, Y. and Schuster, Y., 2000125-27 (English summary 92*-93*) Bagatti, B., 2002103 Magen, Y. and Kagan, E. D., 2012310-313 Abbreviation for Journals and SeriesState of certainty: Uncertain / Questionable General descriptionState of preservation/which parts were uncovered: The church, a basilica was surveyed several times. It was tentatively identified as belonging to a monastery. Some of the walls were in a good state of preservation at the time of the surveys (the apse wall reaching a height of ca. 2 m). General descriptionChurche/s: The basilica (21 x 12.4 m) has a narthex. A cistern is located in the southwest corner. Two pastophoria flank the apse. Small finds Comments, discussion and summary: In the surveys, a basilica was found with two square structures adjoining the walls, one along the northern wall, the other against part of the southern wall. These structures, along with the location of the church outside the settlement led the surveyors to suggest that the church belonged to a monastery. The evidence in this case seems a bit tenuous as no components associated with a monastery were actually found with the exception of the church. Detailed descriptionStructureMaterials applied (walls): Limestone ComponentsMonastery church: Church typeDiakonikonLink to church sectionChurch location basilicalGround floor Water installations: Cisterns Architectural evolutionPhase 1 Abandonment Phase dateCentury: Early Christian / Byzantine Phase dateCentury: Unknown
