▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁in ▁ 1 5 1 7 , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁census ▁of ▁ 1 5 9 6 , ▁the ▁village ▁was ▁located ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁nah i ya ▁of ▁S ara ▁in ▁the ▁li wa ▁of ▁La j j un . ▁It ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 9 ▁households , ▁all ▁Muslim . ▁It ▁paid ▁a ▁fixed ▁tax ▁of ▁ 2 5 % ▁on ▁agricult ural ▁products , ▁including ▁whe at , ▁bar ley , ▁o live ▁trees , ▁go ats ▁and ▁be eh ives , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁occas ional ▁reven ues ; ▁the ▁tax es ▁total led ▁ 4 , 3 0 0 ▁ak ç e . ▁ ▁French ▁travel er ▁Victor ▁Gu ér in ▁visited ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁and ▁noted ▁that ▁" There ▁are ▁now ▁not ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 5 0 ▁residents , ▁and ▁it ▁s its ▁on ▁a ▁hill ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁view ▁en comp ass es ▁a ▁considerable ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Je z re el ▁Valley ." ▁ ▁He ▁further ▁noted ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁" dist inct ▁traces " ▁of ▁ancient ▁buildings . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁the ▁Palest ine ▁Ex pl oration ▁Fund ' s ▁Survey ▁of ▁Western ▁Palest ine ▁described ▁S alem ▁as ▁a ▁" small ▁village ▁standing ▁above ▁the ▁road , ▁with ▁a ▁well ▁on ▁the ▁north ". ▁ ▁British ▁Mand ate ▁era ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁census ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁village ▁was ▁ 4