Wikipedia's first sentence called it “site of the remains of an ancient city located in the palestinian city of nablus in the west bank”. Today it says “archaeological site in the west bank near nablus”.
Measured, not asserted. Every count, date and revision on this page was taken from Wikipedia's own history and checked against the live article. The words quoted are theirs.
Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
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The opening as it read in 2025
Site of an ancient Canaanite/Israelite city in the West Bank Tell Balata ( Arabic : تل بلاطة ) is an archaeological site in the West Bank near Nablus , Palestine , that includes the remains of an ancient Canaanite and Israelite ( Samaritan ) city, identified since 1913 with the Biblical city of Shechem . The built-up area of Balata , a Palestinian village and suburb of Nablus, covers about one-third of the tell , and overlooks a vast plain to the east. The Palestinian village of Salim is located 4.5 kilometers (2.8 mi) to the east. The site is listed by UNESCO as part of the Inventory of Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites of Potential Outstanding Universal Value in the State of Palestine . Experts estimate that the towers and buildings at the site date back 5,000 years to the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages .
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 1290239484.
The opening as it stood in 2010
The site is listed by UNESCO as part of the Inventory of Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites of Potential Outstanding Universal Value in Palestine . Experts estimate that the towers and buildings at the site date back 5,000 years to the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages . Traditionally, the site has been associated with biblical Shechem , based on circumstantial evidence such as its location and preliminary evidence of habitation during the late Bronze and early Iron Ages . No inscriptional evidence to support this conclusion has been found in situ , and other sites have also been identified as the possible site of biblical Shechem; for example, Yitzhak Magen locates it nearby on Mount Gerizim itself.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 364250878.
The opening as it stood in 2015 2 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
The built-up area of Balata , a Palestinian village and suburb of Nablus, covers about one-third of the tell, and overlooks a vast plain to the east.The Palestinian village of Salim (biblical Salem) is located 4.5 kilometers (2.8 mi) to the east. The site is listed by UNESCO as part of the Inventory of Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites of Potential Outstanding Universal Value in the Palestinian Territories . Experts estimate that the towers and buildings at the site date back 5,000 years to the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 668907249.
The opening as it stood in 2020
The built-up area of Balata , a Palestinian village and suburb of Nablus, covers about one-third of the tell, and overlooks a vast plain to the east. The Palestinian village of Salim (biblical Salem) is located 4.5 kilometers (2.8 mi) to the east. The site is listed by UNESCO as part of the Inventory of Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites of Potential Outstanding Universal Value in the Palestinian Territories . Experts estimate that the towers and buildings at the site date back 5,000 years to the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages . Excavations done at former Israelite capital Shechem Haaretz service and Cnaan Liphshiz (2 March 2010).
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 964731167.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023
Site of an ancient Canaanite/Israelite city in the West Bank Tell Balata ( ) is the site of the remains of an ancient Canaanite and Israelite city, identified since 1913 with the Biblical city of Shechem .It is located in the West Bank . The built-up area of Balata , a Palestinian village and suburb of Nablus, covers about one-third of the tell , and overlooks a vast plain to the east. The Palestinian village of Salim is located 4.5 kilometers (2.8 mi) to the east. The site is listed by UNESCO as part of the Inventory of Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites of Potential Outstanding Universal Value in the Palestinian Territories . Experts estimate that the towers and buildings at the site date back 5,000 years to the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages . Excavations done at former Israelite capital Shechem Haaretz service and Cnaan Liphshiz (2 March 2010).
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1174875951.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “site of the remains of an ancient city located in the palestinian city of nablus in the west bank”. Today it says “archaeological site in the west bank near nablus”. Read the current article and compare.
2010
2015
2020
Oct '23
2025
Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2010, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
site of the remains of an ancient city located in the palestinian city of nablus in the west bank
Now
archaeological site in the west bank near nablus
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.