Archaeologists in have discovered a 1300-year-old soap-making workshop near Rahat in the . It was found at a site inside a wealthy home dating back to the Islamic period, during an extensive archaeological excavation managed by the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The production of olive oil soap was a significant industry in the region from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century. During the soap-making process, olive oil was utilized as the base material, combined with ashes produced by burning salsola soda plants, which contain potash and water. The mixture was cooked for approximately seven days, then transferred to a shallow pool where the soap hardened for around ten days until it could be cut into bars. These bars were piled for additional drying, and the final product was completed after an additional curing period of two months. The site at Rahat showcases facilities associated with this historic industry.
“This is the first time that a soap workshop as ancient as this has been discovered, allowing us to recreate the traditional production process of the soap industry,” says Dr. Elena Kogen Zehavi, excavation director at Israel Antiquities Authority. “For this reason, it is unique. We are familiar with important soap-making centers from a much later period – the Ottoman period. These were discovered in Jerusalem, Nablus, Jaffa, and Gaza.”
Furthermore, farmhouses and a pair of ancient board games were uncovered at the excavation site, where local Bedouin residents, university students, and pre-military preparatory students worked. Among these finds was a round limestone disc used for a strategy game called the “Windmill,” which dates back to the second and third centuries. Additionally, a second game board known as “Hounds and Jackals,” or “Fifty-eight Holes,” was also identified; this game has origins stretching back at least 4000 years. Rahat’s mayor, Fahiz Abu Saheeben, hopes to eventually build a visitors’ center that celebrates the region’s rich history.
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