Horbat Qastra is situated in the southern part of Haifa, on the western spurs of the Carmel mountain range. The extensive excavations conducted at the site during 1993-1997 exposed an area of some 8.5 acres. The predominantly Christian city that was revealed existed from the early Byzantine period to the early Islamic period (fourth-eighth centuries CE).

The excavations were renewed during the 2000-2001 season by Dr. Gerald Finkielsztejn, who extended the excavations toward the east. His excavations uncovered a residential structure of the Byzantine period and a ritual bath from the Roman period - finds that clearly indicate the existence of a Jewish settlement. A special find is a ceramic bread seal, bearing the inscription in square script: "shevi'it [seventh]," that connects it with shemittah, the seventh or Sabbatical year.