In 1596, it was named as a village,
Majadil, in the
Ottoman nahiya (subdistrict) of
Tibnin under the ''
liwa''' (district) of
Safad, with a population of 54 households, all Muslim. The villagers paid taxes on agricultural products, such as goats and beehives, in addition to occasional revenues and a fixed sum; a total of 6,450
akçe. In 1875,
Victor Guérin noted: "Here are seen at this day several great wine-presses, each composed of two compartments cut in the rock. One of these presses was lined within by small square cubes, making a mosaic. Here are also fine rock-cut tombs, some containing
sarcophagi covered with arched
arcosolia and other loculi destined for sarcophagi; and there are other tombs hollowed like simple graves, and covered by heavy blocks more or less squared. There are several broken sarcophagi, and especially a great piece of rock cut as to form a double sarcophagus, the sides of which are sculptured carefully, and ornamented with
garlands, discs, trees, rose-work, and a beautiful garland supported in the centre by little columns. There are
cisterns and two tanks, one square and the other circular, probably the work of the most ancient people who came to live in this place." In 1881, the
Palestine Exploration Fund's
PEF Survey of Palestine described it as "A village, built of stone, with a few ruined houses, containing about 150
Metawileh. It is situated on a hill, surrounded by figs, olives, and arable land. Water supplied from a spring, cisterns, and brisket."
Location The village is surrounded by several villages including
Deir Intar,
Ash-Shihabiyah,
Mahrounah,
Jwaya. ==Demographics==