 In 1838 Robinson noted "Beit Sufafa" as a Muslim village in the "Beni Hasan" district, west of Jerusalem.Victor Guérin visited the village in 1863, and described it as having some thirty houses, some solidly built and very old.An Ottoman village list from about 1870 showed that Beit Safafa had a population of 169, with a total of 41 houses, though the population count included men, only.