, ▁it ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁eight ▁villages ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁to ▁have ▁between ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁inhabitants . ▁Ann ual ▁tax ▁re venue ▁from ▁the ▁town ▁amount ed ▁to ▁ 1 7 , 3 0 0 ▁ak ces . ▁▁ ▁Pierre ▁Jac ot in ▁named ▁ ▁the ▁village ▁De ir ▁K ▁H elle h ▁on ▁his ▁map ▁from ▁ 1 7 9 9 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 8 , ▁De ir ▁el - Bel ah ▁was ▁noted ▁as ▁a ▁Muslim ▁village ▁in ▁the ▁Gaz a ▁district . ▁ ▁A ▁substantial ▁part ▁of ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah ' s ▁inhabitants ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁because ▁of ▁st agn ant ▁drink ing ▁water ▁origin ating ▁from ▁the ▁town ' s ▁sw amps . ▁The ▁sw amps ▁were ▁season al , ▁forming ▁each ▁winter ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁flo oding ▁which ▁failed ▁to ▁bre ach ▁the ▁sand stone ▁r idge . ▁A ▁year ▁later , ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁May ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁French ▁expl orer ▁Victor ▁Gu ér in ▁wrote ▁that ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah ▁was ▁a ▁small , ▁partly ▁ru ined ▁village ▁with ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 3 5 0 . ▁Date ▁far ming ▁was ▁the ▁principal ▁economic ▁activity ▁that ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁engaged ▁in . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁the ▁P EF ' s ▁Survey ▁of ▁Western ▁Palest ine ▁noted ▁De ir ▁al - Bal ah ▁had ▁grown ▁to