Making good quality soap that cleans but doesn’t burn the skin, and doesn’t smell of animal fats, requires careful preparation and specific vegetable oil concentrations. Zehavi stated that the soap made in the home factory in ancient Rahat was made with olives based on the many olive pits found at the site. Evidence also indicates that the soap makers of ancient Rahat may have taken advantage of saltwort (salsola soda,) a local plant known to be rich in potassium and potash.
