1,200-Year-Old Soap ‘Factory’ Unearthed In Beduin City Of Rahat In Israel

AncientPages.com | August 18, 2020 | Archaeology, News

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - A 1,200-year-old soap factory has been unearthed in the Negev Desert by a team of Israel Antiquities Authority researchers, and local high school students.

Israel’s most ancient and first identifiable soap factory was discovered in an excavation site in the Beduin city of Rahat.

The 'Windmill' board game. Credit: Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority

The fact that the soap was made of olive oil is an indication of Islam’s influence in the region even as it started making roots in Israel.

The soap making workshop - found inside a wealthy home of the Islamic period (about 1300 years ago) was not the only finding that offered insights on life in the region in the 9th century CE: the materials to play very popular board games were also uncovered, the IAA informed.

The production of olive oil soap is mentioned in writings since the 10th century CE and it has been a significant industry from the Middle Ages and until the early 20th century. During the soap-making process, olive oil was used as the base material, added with ashes produced by burning salsola soda (saltwort) plants, which contain potash and water.

Israel Antiquities Authority excavation of the earliest soap factory in Israel, in Rahat, a Beduin city in the Negev Desert. (Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority)

Excavation of the earliest soap factory in Israel, in Rahat, a Beduin city in the Negev Desert. Image credit: Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority

The mixture was cooked for about seven days, after which the liquid material was transferred to a shallow pool, where the soap hardened for about ten days until it could be cut into bars. These were piled for additional drying, and the final product was ready after an additional period of two months. The site at Rahat displays facilities associated with this industry. The Antiquities Authority’s researchers obtained samples from the finds, to identify the materials used within the production process.

“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. For this reason, it is quite unique," said

Dr. Ilana Kogen Zehavi, the excavation manager on behalf of the Antiquities Authority.

"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.”

Another game found at the site was called “Hounds and Jackals,” or “58 Holes". Credit: Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority

Over the last six months, hundreds of youth and adults have been employed at the large archaeological excavation site managed by the Israel Antiquities Authority, including participants from among the local Bedouin residents, university students, and students in pre-military preparatory programs.

The excavation is supervised by Dr. Ilana Kogen-Zehavi, with the help of Dr. Yael Abadi-Rice and Avinoam Lehavi. The purpose was to re-establish the connection between the community and its own local history.

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer

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