[4] According to le Strange, the name Urtas is probably a corruption of Hortus, which has the same meaning as Firdus (Paradise),[5] while E.H. Palmer thought it was a personal name.

It is bordered by Hindaza to the east, Ad Duheisha camp to the north, Al-Khader to the west, and Wadi Rahhal to the south.

Artas and the surrounding area is characterized by the diversity of landscapes, flora and fauna due to its location at a meeting place of ecosystems.

[8] Nasir Khusraw (1004–1088) wrote that "a couple of leagues from Jerusalem is a place where there are four villages, and there is here a spring of water, with numerous gardens and orchards, and it is called Faradis (or the Paradises), on account of the beauty of the spot.

The villagers paid a fixed amount of 5,500 akçe in taxes, and all of the revenue went to a Muslim charitable endowment.

[14] The residents of Artas refused to pay tributes to Ibrahim Pasha in 1831 under the pretext that they had been exempt since the time of Solomon.

He responded by demolishing their homes, which they later rebuilt[15] In 1838, Robinson and Smith described Artas as a Sunni Muslim village south of Wadi er-Rahib.

[23][24] In 1883, the PEF's Survey of Western Palestine described Artas as "a small village perched against hill-side...with a good spring behind it whence an aqueduct led to Jebel Furedis...remains of a reservoir Humman Suleiman.

[26] According to German explorer and orientalist Gustaf Dalman, in the early 20th-century, Artas supplied the Jerusalem marketplace with peaches, apricots and green pears.

She therefore changed the focus of her research to a full investigation of the customs, habits and ways of thinking of the people of that village.

[30] In 1944, archaeologist Grace M.Crowfoot, while researching Palestinian weaving techniques, recorded two lullabies being sung in Artas:[31] O pigeon of the rivers, Give sleep to both eyes.

[40] The Artas Folklore Center (AFC) was established in 1993 by Mr. Musa Sanad[41] to document, preserve and share the rich heritage of the village.

Artas is a popular destination for visitors to Bethlehem who want to experience traditional Palestinian life, and for groups interested in ecotourism.