The kibbutz was founded on 5 January 1937 by members of the Sadeh group from the Mikveh Israel agricultural school, as well as immigrants from Austria, Germany and Poland. It was the third kibbutz established as part of the tower and stockade settlement movement. Initially called "Kibbutz HaSadeh," it was later renamed in honour of Nahum Sokolov, a Hebrew writer and Zionist leader.[citation needed]
Ruins of a 5th–6th century Byzantine church has been found in the kibbutz.[citation needed]
The nearby Palestinian village of Saffuriya had been almost emptied of its 4000 inhabitants in July 1948. By early January, 1949, about 500 villagers had filtered back, but "neighbouring settlements coveted Saffuriya lands". The "Northern Front" ordered their eviction, which was carried out the 7th of January 1949. The Saffuriya land was then distributed to its neighbouring Jewish settlements.[2]
In February 1949, 1,500 Dunams of Saffuriya land was given to Sde Nahum.[2]