Khirbet Kishda (also spelled Khirbet Keshda) is a village in Palestine and an archaeological site and collection of ruins located in the Tubas Governorate of the West Bank. It is situated approximately 4 kilometers southwest of the city of Tubas, and is considered one of its dependencies.
Geography The site sits at an elevation of roughly 335 meters above sea level on a strategic vantage point overlooking the surrounding valleys. Its proximity to Tubas and the ancient routes through the he hill country made it a point of interest for historical surveys.
Archaeology Archaeological surveys of Khirbet Kishda have identified several layers of human occupation. Ceramic fragments recovered from the surface date back to the Byzantine, Medieval (Islamic), and Ottoman periods.Zertal, Adam. The Manasseh Hill Country Survey. Volume 1: The Shechem Syncline. Culture and History of the Ancient Near East 21/1. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2004, pp. 349-350
The ruins include a prominent stone tower with a preserved dome ceiling, probably dating to the eighteenth or nineteenth century. Built of dressed stone, it preserves voussoirs above the entrance and a domed roof.
The Reḥov mosaic inscription from the Byzantine period lists Kephar Kasadiya (כפר כסדיה) among the Jewish settlements of the Sebaste district, whose inhabitants were exempt from agricultural laws governing produce because of the territory’s ambiguous status.
Modern history In 2021, the Palestinian Health Ministry opened a treatment facility for Covid-19 patients at the village. The center was equipped for both intensive and regular hospitalization.
In January 2025, the village was the target of an IDF raid. References