Ottoman era

In 1596, Talfit appeared in Ottoman tax registers as a village in the Nahiya of Jabal Qubal in the Liwa of Nablus. It had a population of 12 Muslim households. The villagers paid a fixed tax-rate of 33,3% on wheat, barley, summer crops, olives, and goats or beehives; a total of 1,500 akçe.^[7] Potsherds from the early Ottoman era has also been found here.^[4]

In 1838 Edward Robinson noted Telfit located in El-Beitawy district, east of Nablus.^[8]

The PEF's Survey of Western Palestine noted in 1882 that the place resembled Kabalan, the latter being described as a village of moderate size, on high ground, surrounded by olive trees. Talfit was supplied with water from a well called 'Ain Telfit.^[9]

British Mandate era

In the 1922 census of Palestine, conducted by the British Mandate authorities, Talfit had a population of 352, all Muslims,^[10] increasing in the 1931 census to 464, still all Muslim, in 116 occupied houses.^[11]

In the 1945 statistics, Telfit had a population of 610 Muslims,^[12] with 6,258 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey.^[13] Of this, 3,309 dunams were plantations and irrigable land, 1,228 used for cereals,^[14] while 49 dunams were built-up land.^[15]

Jordanian era

In the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, and after the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Talfit came under Jordanian rule.

The Jordanian census of 1961 found 904 inhabitants.^[16]

1967-present

After the Six-Day War in 1967, Talfit has been under Israeli occupation.

After the 1995 accords, 97% of the village land is classified as Area B land, while the remaining 3% is Area C.^[3]

Local origins

Locals trace their origins to the area of Damascus, in Syria.^[17]