UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13G

                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                                (Amendment No. )*

                          First Sentinel Bancorp, Inc.
                          ----------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)


                     Common Stock, par value $.01 per share
                     --------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)


                                   33640T 10 3
                                 --------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)


                                December 31, 2000
               --------------------------------------------------
               (Date of Event which Requires Filing of Statement)


Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
is filed:

                  [x]   Rule 13d-1(b)
                  [ ]   Rule 13d-1(c)
                  [ ]   Rule 13d-1(d)

* The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).

SEC 1745



CUSIP No. 33640T 10 3                 13G                      Page 2 of 4 Pages


________________________________________________________________________________
1.   NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (entities only)

     First Savings Bank Employee Stock Ownership Plan
     IRS ID No. 13-3672366
________________________________________________________________________________
2.   CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP
     (See Instructions)
     (a) __
     (b) __

________________________________________________________________________________
3.   SEC USE ONLY


________________________________________________________________________________
4.   CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
     Employee stock benefit plan established by a New Jersey-chartered savings
     institution.

________________________________________________________________________________
  NUMBER OF    5.   SOLE VOTING POWER

   SHARES           1,236,266
               _________________________________________________________________
BENEFICIALLY   6.   SHARED VOTING POWER

  OWNED BY          917,737
               _________________________________________________________________
    EACH       7.   SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

  REPORTING         2,154,003
               _________________________________________________________________
   PERSON      8.   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

    WITH            0
________________________________________________________________________________
9.   AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

               2,154,003

________________________________________________________________________________
10.  CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES
     CERTAIN SHARES (See Instructions) _
________________________________________________________________________________
11.  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
     6.6% of 32,749,994 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2000.
________________________________________________________________________________
12.  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (See Instructions)
     EP
________________________________________________________________________________




                                                               Page 3 of 4 Pages

                                  SCHEDULE 13G

Item 1(a):  Name of Issuer:

                          FIRST SENTINEL BANCORP, INC.
                  ----------------------------------------------------

Item 1(b):  Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

                  1000 Woodbridge Center Drive
                  Woodbridge, New Jersey 07095
                  ----------------------------------------------------

Item 2(a):  Name of Person Filing:
                  First Savings Bank
                  Employee Stock Ownership Plan
                  ----------------------------------------------------

Item 2(b):  Address of Principal Business Office or,
                  if none, Residence:

                  1000 Woodbridge Center Drive
                  Woodbridge, New Jersey 07095
                  ----------------------------------------------------

Item 2(c):  Citizenship:

                  New Jersey-chartered savings institution's employee stock
                  benefit plan organized in New Jersey
                  ----------------------------------------------------

Item 2(d):  Title of Class of Securities:

                     Common Stock, par value $.01 per share
                  ----------------------------------------------------

Item 2(e):  CUSIP Number:
                              33640T 10 3
                  ----------------------------------------------------

Item 3:     The person filing this statement is an employee benefit plan which
            is subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income
            Security Act of 1974.

Item 4:     Ownership: As of December 31, 2000, the reporting person
            beneficially owned 2,154,003 shares of the issuer. This number of
            shares represents 6.6% of the common stock, par value $.01, of the
            issuer, based upon 32,749,994 shares of such common stock
            outstanding as of December 31, 2000. As of December 31, 2000, the
            reporting person had sole power to vote or to direct the vote of
            1,236,266 of the shares and shared voting power over 917,737 shares.
            The reporting person has the sole power to dispose or direct the
            disposition of 2,154,003 shares of common stock.



                                                               Page 4 of 4 Pages

Item 5:     Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:

                              N/A
                  ----------------------------------------------------

Item 6:     Ownership of More Than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person:

                              N/A
                  ----------------------------------------------------

Item 7:     Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired
            the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding Company:

                              N/A
                  ----------------------------------------------------

Item 8:     Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:

                              N/A
                  ----------------------------------------------------

Item 9:     Notice of Dissolution of Group:

                              N/A
                  ----------------------------------------------------

Item 10:    Certification:

                  By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge
                  and belief, the securities referred to above were acquired and
                  are held in the ordinary course of business and were not
                  acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with the
                  effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of
                  the securities and were not acquired and are not held in
                  connection with or as a participant in any transaction having
                  that purpose or effect.


SIGNATURE

      After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete, and
correct.



/s/ LINDA SHULTZ                                     FEBRUARY 14, 2001
- --------------------------------------              -----------------------
Signature                                            Date

Trustee, First Bankers Trust Company
- --------------------------------------
Title