Al-Bathan village is located seven kilometers north-east of the city of Nobles.  The name of the village can be traced to two origins; the first one being from the name of the commander of the army, whose name was Bathan.  Bathan passed through the valley, and filed it with gardens and fountains. As a result, the village was named after him. The second explanation goes back to a Farsi word which means "a ground of a great deal of water".  The village has a natural area of fifteen million square acres extending from Nablus municipality up to the village of Nasarieh and from the large Bilal’s Mountain, which the settlement of Elon Moreh is built upon, to the mountains of Yassid and Fara, ranging between latitudes of 40-500. Meanwhile, the topography varies and combines between mountains, as well as many plains and valleys. Pine trees, plants, and wild flowers such as Narcissus, Aldhnoun, and Ghazal are spread throughout the horn in the mountains.  Every day the water channels through outlines which encompass the formation of the valleys and the vegetation and especially through bush wattle reeds and poplar trees and willows.

The village has two pump stations producing about six hundred cubic meters of water per hour to the city of Nablus, which is distributed by camps at  Taluzah Village and North Asira. The drinking water obtained by Nablus municipality, is distributed by the seven-springs producing an average of 5.25 million cubic meters of fresh water which meets to form other resources at Al-Bathan valley.  The village is characterized for its rare fruit trees such as grapes, apples and Al-Qarasih, as well as its grape leaves. The average rainfall is between 300-600 mm per year and its temperatures vary between moderate in summer to warm in the winter. The village has about 1500 acres of natural fields; three fields spreading on the western, eastern, and southern districts of the village, as well as an accommodation area of about 150 acres, in addition to the 130 acres which has already been licensed for accommodations. These include 250 house units. The urbanized area is unique due to its distribution on the whole area of the village in spots which concentrate on intervals. The number of the population, according to the statistics in 2005, is about 3,200 people, originally from nine different families, Salahat, Debabseh, Fares, Darawshe, Barahmeh, Jnajrah, Balatah, Awaisah and Shnableh, many of whom are connected to the neighboring villages. The figure adds those who became owners and those who lived in the village coming from the city of Nablus and the neighboring refugee camps, which estimates to around 300 people. The population has been forced to work inside the Green Line, in industries such as agriculture and tourism, due to the severity of the current political situation, as well as constant closures and sieges.  The closure of Al-Bathan, the main route to Nablus, has especially affected them.

All of the income levels have been affected, and tourism was completely stopped, and the work inside the Green Line was reduced by more than 90%. This has led to the deterioration of living conditions of the affected population and the erosion of critical town institutions.    

  The location of Al-Bathan has been well known since the fossil age, as shown by archaeological surveys conducted on the existence of life in the era of the East Assyrian, meaning before 1200 BC. In the time of Alkanan, the location was a passageway linking Shkim, Fara Hill, and Bussan which was known as Wadi Al-Badan.  During the era of the Alexander the Great it was an important center for trade and a vital link for trade routes. Throughout the Ottoman Empire, as a result of the large water mills built, the village was frequented by people from the coast of Palestine to the Jordan River for milling wheat and grain. During the British Mandate, it was considered as a resting area, and as a result cafes spread throughout the area.  During the 1936 revolution it served as an important transit route.  The village witnessed many battles between the rebels and the army throughout this time.  The most well known battle was one which saw the explosion of the two main passageways which cut off the existing supply roads.  Since then the notorious "death rock" has become famous, which is symbolic of the large number of people that were executed by the British army. During the era of Jordanian rule, the village began to expand and a greater number of shops and cafes emerged.  It benefited from being such an important station for travel and trade between the two shores. From the occupation of 1967 until the arrival of the Palestinian National Authority, the occupation forces refused to recognize the village and refused to grant building permits. Many houses were demolished as a result of this policy.  Since the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority, the village has expanded steadily. The population and urbanization of the village has increased. The official bodies, the civil and the scientific sects, started to consider it strategically because of its location, the terrain, the environmental and water resources,

 as well as the permanent cover of vegetation. The village has organized numerous conferences which have resulted in important working papers and some studies which examine the region in a holistic manner, using methods which they hope will attract investment.  Their methods focus on the themes of water and tourism.

Education

In the past, education in the village was generally focused only on the primary stages.  In 1959, the first two rooms for teaching were built.  Students who wished to further their education were compelled to travel to surrounding areas, especially to the city of Nablus. At the time, and until the coming of the national authority, it wasn’t possible to build a constructive qualified school, but only to make additions to the rooms which existed. This was the most significant problem which the villager's faced. 900 students attended school from the village, in two mixed sessions, one in the morning and the other in the evening.  Approximately 750 of these students studied in crowded and hygienically unsuitable environments. The other 150 students were scattered throughout the neighboring cities, which led the inhabitants, and the council, with the use of more than seven years of savings, to purchase a five acre piece of land suitable for construction.  Local planners were faced with the task of building a school for the village' students. Afterward, we were able to secure the necessary licenses from the ministry of education and the ministry of local government. Currently, the organization is still waiting for financial support from donor institutions and benevolent individuals.

Kindergartens

The village has two newly completed kindergartens; one, as a result of a charitable donation from the council, and one from the contributions of private donors. The annual average student population varies from 90 – 120 children.

Secondary School and University Education

The percentage of village students pursuing university education after secondary school in the village remained low until the eighties, due to the economic conditions and the inclination of the youth to work. The years after were met with a rapid increase in the interest of students in pursuing higher education. The latest statistics indicate that more than 300 students carry a secondary certificate, 70 carry a diploma degree and 150 carry a B.A or a master's degree. Lately, there has been a decline in students’ enrollment at universities, due to both the direct effects of the system of checkpoints and closures, as well as the indirect effects, which include difficult economics conditions.