▁II ▁( 3 3 7 – 3 6 1 ) ▁he ▁set ▁up ▁the ▁herm itage . ▁Tow ards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁life , ▁the ▁monaster y ▁grew ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁attract ▁numerous ▁visitors . ▁H ilar ion ▁res ided ▁at ▁the ▁monaster y ▁for ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 2 2 ▁years ▁until ▁his ▁departure ▁for ▁Cy pr us ▁where ▁he ▁died ▁in ▁ 3 7 1 ▁AD . ▁The ▁herm itage ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁several ▁small ▁cells ▁constructed ▁of ▁mud ▁brick ▁and ▁pal m ▁tree ▁branches . ▁According ▁to ▁local ▁tradition ▁and ▁observations ▁from ▁Western ▁travel ers ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁the ▁prayer ▁hall ▁of ▁the ▁Mon aster y ▁of ▁H ilar ion ▁is ▁currently ▁occupied ▁by ▁the ▁Mos que ▁of ▁al - K h id r . ▁French ▁expl orer ▁Victor ▁Gu ér in ▁noted ▁that ▁two ▁mar ble ▁columns ▁in ▁the ▁mos que ▁were ▁possibly ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁By z antine - era ▁monaster y . ▁ ▁Early ▁Islam ic ▁period ▁In ▁ 6 3 2 , ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁period ▁of ▁Islam ic ▁rule ▁in ▁Arab ia , ▁the ▁Muslim ▁commander ▁Us ama ▁ibn ▁Z ay d ▁launched ▁a ▁ra id ▁against ▁By z antine - h eld ▁Dar um , ▁which ▁referred ▁not ▁to ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah ▁specifically , ▁but ▁to ▁the ▁area ▁south ▁of ▁Ly dd a ▁which ▁included ▁modern - day ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah . ▁The ▁site ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁places ▁in ▁Palest