0 ▁Greek - Or th odox ▁Christians . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 1 , ▁the ▁P EF ' s ▁Survey ▁of ▁Western ▁Palest ine ▁( SW P ) ▁described ▁Ar rab et ▁al ▁But tau f ▁as ▁ ▁" A ▁large ▁stone - built ▁village , ▁containing ▁about ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁Mos le ms ▁and ▁Christians , ▁and ▁surrounded ▁by ▁gro ves ▁of ▁ol ives ▁and ▁a rable ▁land . ▁Water ▁is ▁obtained ▁from ▁a ▁large ▁bir ke h ▁and ▁c is tern s . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁place ▁where ▁D h ah er ▁el ▁Am r ´ s ▁family ▁was ▁founded , ▁and ▁was ▁long ▁occupied ▁by ▁them ." ▁ ▁A ▁population ▁list ▁from ▁about ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁showed ▁that ▁ ▁Ar rab et ▁ ▁had ▁ 9 7 0 ▁inhabitants ; ▁about ▁ 8 0 % ▁ ▁Muslim ▁and ▁ 2 0 % ▁Catholic ▁Christians . ▁ ▁British ▁era ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁census ▁of ▁Palest ine , ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁Mand ate ▁authorities , ▁Ar ra be h ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 9 8 4 , ▁ 9 3 7 ▁Muslim ▁and ▁ 4 7 ▁Christian , ▁of ▁the ▁Christians , ▁ 4 2 ▁were ▁Mel k ite , ▁ 4 ▁Orth odox ▁and ▁one ▁was ▁Ang lic an . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁census , ▁Ar ra ba ▁had ▁ 2 5 3 ▁occupied ▁houses ▁and ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 1