▁In ▁ 1 8 3 8 , ▁it ▁was ▁noted ▁as ▁a ▁Muslim ▁village ▁in ▁the ▁Jerusalem ▁District . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁Victor ▁Gu ér in ▁found ▁Raf at ▁to ▁have ▁one ▁hundred ▁and ▁twenty ▁inhabitants , ▁and ▁was ▁▁ ▁located ▁on ▁a ▁m ound . ▁It ▁had ▁ ▁mos que ▁is ▁dedicated ▁to ▁She ikh ▁Ah med . ▁He ▁further ▁noted ▁that ▁in ▁ ▁some ▁houses ▁several ▁stones ▁looked ▁of ▁ ▁an ▁ancient ▁appearance . ▁In ▁one ▁house ▁he ▁found ▁a ▁fragment ▁of ▁a ▁broken ▁column . ▁ ▁An ▁Ott oman ▁village ▁list ▁from ▁about ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁showed ▁that ▁ra f at ▁had ▁ 3 5 ▁houses ▁and ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 0 0 , ▁though ▁the ▁population ▁count ▁included ▁men , ▁only . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 3 , ▁the ▁P EF ' s ▁Survey ▁of ▁Western ▁Palest ine ▁( SW P ) ▁ ▁described ▁Raf at ▁as : ▁" a ▁small ▁ham let ▁on ▁a ▁r idge , ▁with ▁a ▁spring ▁to ▁the ▁west , ▁and ▁many ▁rock ▁cut ▁tomb s ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁ ▁Raf at ▁ ▁was ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁about ▁ 1 9 5 ▁persons . ▁ ▁British ▁Mand ate ▁era ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁census ▁of ▁Palest ine ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁Mand ate ▁authorities , ▁Raf at ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 1 9 ▁Muslim s , ▁while ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁