In 1875, Victor Guérin found here 250 Metuali inhabitants.[2] He further noted: "Here I found an ancient press, the lid of a sarcophagus with acroteria, and a broken sarcophagus, at one of whose ends is a projection resembling an altar. Near it is a great grave with room for two bodies, with a partition wall left in the rock; and beside this an enormous detached block, hollowed out for two bodies, and resting on a surface purposely planed.'[3]
Close to Silah, Guérin also found the ruins of a small village, completely destroyed, known as Kh. Fenian.[4]
In 1881, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine (SWP) described it as: "a village, built of stone and of good materials, containing about 200 [..] Metawileh, on hill, with figs, olives, and arable land. Water from cisterns and a spring near."[5] They further noted that it had a perennial spring, built up with masonry,[6] and that it was "an ancient site; there is a terraced hill; there are six sarcophagi and two olive-presses near the village."[4]
Demographics
In 2014 Muslims made up 99.65% of registered voters in Selaa. 98.56% of the voters were Shiite Muslims.[7]
