The village stood on a hill that extended from the eastern side of a mountain; it overlooked wide areas east of the Jordan Valley. A highway that led to Baysan and Tiberias passed west of the village, and a secondary road linked it to adjacent villages. Arab al-Bawati was founded by a branch of the Arab al-Ghazzawiyya Bedouin tribe. Its houses, built of adobe brick, reeds, and cane, were scattered throughout the site and interspersed with a few goat-hair tents. The entire population was Muslim. In the southern portion of the village were several springs that supplied water for domestic use as well as irrigation. Some of the lands were planted in grain, vegetables, and fruit; some were devoted to animal grazing; and some were reserved for fisheries. Agriculture was both irrigated and rainfed. In 1944/45 a total of 3,135 dunums was allotted to cereals; 2,225 dunums were irrigated or used for orchards. The people of al-Bawati relied on Baysan for commercial, educational, and administrative services. Khirbat al-Bawati, on the village site, contained the ruins of walls, pillars, the foundations of buildings, and Roman milestones.
