Beita, Nablus
| Beita | |
|---|---|
| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | بيتا |
| • Also spelled | Bayta (official) |
 Beita
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| Coordinates: 32°08′37″N 35°17′15″E / 32.14361°N 35.28750°ECoordinates: 32°08′37″N 35°17′15″E / 32.14361°N 35.28750°E | |
| Palestine grid | 177/172 |
| Governorate | Nablus |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality (from 1996) |
| • Head of Municipality | Arab ash-Shurafa |
| Area | |
| • Jurisdiction | 76,000 dunams (76.0 km2 or 29.3 sq mi) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Jurisdiction | 9,079 |
| Name meaning | Beit, "a house" |
Beita (Arabic: بيتا, translation: "Home") is a Palestinian town in the Nablus Governorate in the northern West Bank located 13 kilometers (8.1 mi) southeast of Nablus. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 9,709 in 2007. It consists of five clans which branch out to thirty families. There are many houses dating back to the Roman era. The current mayor, elected in 2004 is Arab ash-Shurafa.
The town contains four mosques and three clinics.
There are two historical centres in Beita; Beita el-Fauqa ("The upper Beita") to the North-East and Beita et-Tatha ("The lower Beita") to the South-West. In Beita el-Fauqa, pottery sherds from the Iron Age II/Persian, Persian and Mamluk era have been found, while at Beita et-Tatha sherds from the Iron Age II, Persian, Roman/Byzantine, Byzantine, and Mamluk era have been found.
Beita was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in 1517 with all of Palestine, and both in Beita el-Fauqa and Beita et-Tatha sherds from the early Ottoman era have been found. In 1596 Beita appeared in the tax registers as being in the Nahiya of Jabal Qubal of the Liwa of Nablus. It had a population of 50 households, all Muslim. The villagers paid taxes on wheat, barley, summer crops, olive trees, occasional revenues, goats and/or beehives, and a press for olives or grapes.
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