The village stood on the edge of Tall Shafa, a high hill on the eastern side of a valley that extended in a north–south direction until it joined Wadi al-Birah to the north. Several secondary roads connected it to nearby villages. One of these roads passed near al-Marsas (grid ref. 195218) and led south to a main road that connected to the town of Baysan (Beit She’an). The Iraq Petroleum Company pipeline, which ran to the Haifa refinery, passed just south of the village.

It is said that al-Birah is the site mentioned in the records of the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III during his military campaign in Palestine in 1468 BCE. Some biblical scholars have suggested that the site corresponds to a place named Beer in the Old Testament. The name suggests the existence of a fortress that once stood at the location. While early Islamic sources do not mention the village, the 14th-century geographer Abu al-Fida referred to al-Birah, describing its formidable fortress and extensive lands. During the Crusader period, the site was known as Lubrium.

In 1596, al-Birah was a village in the subdistrict of Shafa (Liwa’ al-Lajjun), with a population of 297. It paid taxes on a variety of agricultural products including wheat, barley, and olives, in addition to livestock such as goats and beehives.

The village had a rectangular layout, and most of its houses were built of stone. Its population was entirely Muslim. There were only a few shops in the village, so residents relied heavily on Baysan, which served as their commercial and administrative center. The village economy was based mainly on agriculture, particularly rain-fed grain crops. In 1944–1945, a total of 1,667 dunums were devoted to cereals and 48 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards. Al-Birah was also known for its grazing lands in the surrounding mountainous areas.

The Village Today

Only the stone walls of the village houses remain. The site is deserted and overgrown with wild grass, prickly plants, and cacti. Fig and mulberry trees grow near a spring located in the valley below the village site. The surrounding land is currently used as pasture for livestock.

Zionist Settlements on Village Lands

There are no Israeli settlements established on the lands of the village.