 Later travelers who visited Bayt Jibrin during that time were very impressed both by the "shaykh" of Bayt Jibrin, as well as by his "castle" or "manor".At the time, the remains of the Crusader fortress still served for defensive purposes in the village.According to Bayt Jibrin's "shaykh", in 1863, he was in command of 16 villages in the area and pledged "to provide as many as 2,000 men to the government if necessary."