An ancient city of southern Palestine southwest of Jerusalem. It was probably inhabited as early as 3200 B.C.
Lachish
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La·chish (lā'kĭsh)  |
An ancient city of southern Palestine southwest of Jerusalem. It was probably inhabited as early as 3200 B.C.
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| Bible Guide: Lachish |
An important ancient city in the foothills of the Hebron mountains, first mentioned in the El Amarna Letters of the 14th century B.C. and in a contemporary letter from Tel el-Hesi. Lachish played a prominent role at the time of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites, when it joined four other cities in a coalition against joshua. With the defeat of the coalition, Lachish was conquered (Josh 10:5, 26, 32-33), and its territory allotted to the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:39). After these events, nothing is heard of Lachish until its fortification by Rehoboam son of Solomon (II Chr 11:9). Amaziah king of Judea fled to Lachish from conspirators in Jerusalem, and was killed there (II Kgs 14:19; II Chr 25:27). When Sennacherib of Assyria conducted a campaign in Judea in the days of King Hezekiah in 701 B.C., the capture of Lachish was one of his chief victories. The siege of Lachish is documented in great detail in biblical sources (II Kgs chap. 18; Is chap. 36; II Chr chap. 32), in Assyrian documents and in its outstanding representation in a series of reliefs which decorated Sennacherib's palace at Nineveh. Just over a century later, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon conducted a campaign against Judah which extinguished the kingdom. Lachish and its neighbor Azekah were the last cities captured (Jer 34:7). Lachish was abandoned, but resettled after the return from Babylonia (Neh 11:30). After the Persian period, Lachish was abandoned forever.
The site of Lachish has been identified with Tell ed-Duweir, a prominent tell (mound) in the Shephelah. Excavations have revealed various layers of settlement. The mound was occupied from the Early Canaanite period. In the Middle Canaanite period a massive defensive earthwork was constructed around the mound and a large brick palace was built inside this fortified settlement. In the Late Canaanite period the previous fortifications went out of use. The outstanding structures of this time are two temples, one on the summit, the other in front of the earthwork fortifications.
The earliest Israelite occupation, in the days of King Rehoboam, was without a defensive wall; a square palace was built at its center. The following layer is a well-constructed Judean royal city, defended by massive fortifications. The palace was rebuilt, its size more than doubled, and supplemented by a large courtyard with two sets of storehouses on two of its sides. This city seems to have been destroyed by an earthquake, but was soon rebuilt. The city wall and its monumental gateway, with two gate houses enclosing a protected space, were in use, as was the palace now enlarged by an extension. This was the city of King Hezekiah, besieged and destroyed by Sennacherib in 701 B.C.. The immense conflagration that followed the capture of the city is evidenced in heavily burnt bricks and charred objects. Remnants of an Assyrian siege rampart, so clearly visible in the Lachish relief, were found at the southeastern corner of the mound. Other finds – numerous arrow heads, sling stones, scales or armor and even some crests of Assyrian helmets – testify to fierce fighting. Lachish was again rebuilt and fortified with a new wall and gate but the palace was not reconstructed. This city was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 588/6 B.C. It was finally rebuilt in the Persian period, and may have been a provincial capital with a wall, a gate and a small palace.
Of the numerous objects found at Lachish, mention should be made of the exceptional number of inscriptions. (See INSCRIPTIONS) The Lachish Ostraca – 21 inscribed pottery sherds found in a guardroom in the city gate – were written in the last days of King Zedekiah, shortly before the city fell to the Babylonians. Most of the letters were addressed to "my lord Yaush", perhaps the military commander of Lachish, by a lower officer stationed somewhere in the vicinity.
Concordance
Josh 10:3, 5,23, 31-35; 12:11; 15:39. II Kgs 14:19; 18:14, 17; 19:8. II Chr 11:9; 25:27; 32:9. Neh 11:30. Is 36:2; 37:8. Jer 34:7. Mic 1:13
| Columbia Encyclopedia: Lachish |
Lachish (lā'kĭsh), city, S ancient Palestine, SW of Jerusalem, in present-day Israel. It is mentioned in the Tell-el-Amarna letters and was one of the Amorite cities allied against the Gibeonites and destroyed by Joshua. Rehoboam fortified it, and Amaziah was murdered there. It was besieged (701 B.C.) by Sennacherib. Later, Micah denounced it. Excavations were begun in 1935; they show that Lachish had been populated since c.3200 B.C. and was a thriving community as early as the 17th cent. B.C. The finds include 21 ostraca, or potsherds, written in ink. They were written (c.589 B.C.) in Hebrew by local commanders to their officers when Lachish was being threatened by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. The letters are of great linguistic and historic value. Lachish is frequently mentioned in the Bible (Joshua 10; 15.39; 2 Kings 14.19; 18.14, 17; 19.8; 2 Chron. 11.9; Neh. 11.30; Micah 1.13).
| Wikipedia: Lachish |
This article is about the ancient town. For other uses, see Lakhish.
Lachish (Hebrew: לכיש; Latin: Lachis) was a town located in the Shephelah, or maritime plain of Philistia (Joshua 10:3, 5; 12:11). This town was first mentioned in the Amarna letters as Lakisha-Lakiša (EA 287, 288, 328, 329, 335). The Israelites captured and destroyed Lachish for joining the league against the Gibeonites (Joshua 10:31-33), but the territory was later assigned to the tribe of Judah (15:39).
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History
Under Rehoboam, it became the second most important city of the kingdom of Judah. In 701 BC, during the revolt of king Hezekiah against Assyria, it was captured by Sennacherib despite determined resistance (see Siege of Lachish). The town later reverted to Judaean control, only to fall to Nebuchadnezzar in his campaign against Judah (586 BC).
During Old Testament times Lachish served an important protective function in defending Jerusalem and the interior of Judea. The easiest way to get a large attacking army (such as an Assyrian army, see Isaiah 36:2, Isaiah 37:8 and Jeremiah 34:7) up to Jerusalem was to approach from the coast. Lachish was one of several city/forts guarding the canyons that lead up to Jerusalem and greater Judea. In order to lay siege to Jerusalem an invading army would first have to take Lachish, which guarded the mountain pass. During the reign of Hezekiah, King of Judah, the Assyrians, under King Sennacherib, attempted to take Jerusalem, and, in that campaign, succeeded in taking Lachish (see 2 Chronicles 32:9 and Isaiah 36:2). Modern excavation of the site has revealed that the Assyrians built a stone and dirt ramp up to the level of the Lachish city wall, thereby allowing the soldiers to charge up the ramp and storm the city. Excavations revealed approximately 1,500 skulls in one of the caves near the site, and hundreds of arrowheads on the ramp and at the top of the city wall, indicating the ferocity of the battle.
Biblical references to Lachish include Joshua 10:3, 5, 23, 31-35; Joshua 12:11; Joshua 15:39; 2 Kings 14:19; 2 Kings 18:14, 17; 2 Kings 19:8; 2 Chronicles 11:9; 2 Chronicles 25:27; 2 Chronicles 32:9; Nehemiah 11:30; Isaiah 36:2; Isaiah 37:8; Jeremiah 34:7; and Micah 1:13.
Archaeology
Identification
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Lachish was identified with Tell el-Hesi from a cuneiform tablet found there (EA 333). The tablet is a letter from an Egyptian official named Paapu, reporting cases of treachery involving a local kinglet, Zimredda.
Blast furnace
Excavations at Tell el-Hesy were conducted by Petrie and Bliss for the Palestine Exploration Fund during the years 1890 - 1892, and among other discoveries was the remains of what was identified as an iron blast furnace, with slag and ashes, which was dated to 1500 BC. If the theories of experts are correct, the use of the hot-air blast instead of cold air was known at an extremely early age.
Classical Hebrew ostraca
See also: Paleo-Hebrew alphabet
More recent excavations have identified Tell ed-Duweir as Lachish beyond reasonable doubt. Excavation campaigns by James Leslie Starkey recovered a number of ostraca (18 in 1935, three more in 1938) from the latest occupational level immediately before the Chaldean siege. They then formed the only known corpus of documents in classical Hebrew.
LMLK seals
Another major contribution to Biblical archaeology from excavations at Lachish are the LMLK seals, which were stamped on the handles of a particular form of ancient storage jar. More of these artifacts were found at this site (over 400; Ussishkin, 2004, pp. 2151-9) than any other place in Israel (Jerusalem remains in second place with more than 300). Most of them were collected from the surface during Starkey's excavations, but others were found in Level 1 (Persian and Greek era), Level 2 (period preceding Babylonian conquest by Nebuchadnezzar), and Level 3 (period preceding Assyrian conquest by Sennacherib). It is thanks to the work of David Ussishkin's team working at the site from 1973 - 1994 that eight of these stamped jars were restored (Ussishkin, 1983), thereby demonstrating lack of relevance between the jar volumes (which deviated as much as 5 gallons or 12 litres), and also proving their relation to the reign of Biblical king Hezekiah.
The 1898 Reference by Bliss, contains numerous drawings, including examples of Phoenician, etc. pottery, and items from pharaonic Egypt, and other Mediterranean, and inland regions.
See also
Further reading
- Bliss, Frederick. Numerous artifact drawings, also "Layer by Layer" drawings of Tell el-Hesy. Also an original attempt of the only el Amarna letter found at site, Amarna Letters, EA 333. A Mound of Many Cities; or Tell El Hesy Excavated, by Frederick Jones Bliss, PhD., explorer to the Fund, 2nd Edition, Revised. (The Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund.) c 1898.
- Grena, G.M. (2004). LMLK--A Mystery Belonging to the King vol. 1. Redondo Beach, California: 4000 Years of Writing History. ISBN 0-9748786-0-X.
- Ussishkin, David (1983). "Excavations at Tel Lachish 1978-1983, second preliminary report". Tel Aviv 10 (2): 160–3.
- Ussishkin, David; Gabriella Bachi and Jared L. Miller (2004). The Renewed Archaeological Excavations at Lachish (1973 – 1994) Volumes 1 and 4. Tel Aviv, Israel: Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv University. OCLC 71663330.
External links
- Jewish Encyclopedia: Lachish
- Photo gallery of Lachish (Tell ed-Duweir)
- Images of the Assyrian Reliefs of Lachish
- Pictures of Tel Lachish
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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Mentioned in
- Dilean
- Horam
- Migdal Gad
- Libnah (place, ancient city – in the Old Testament)
- Lahmas (Lahmam)
- Bozkath (Boscath)
- Japhia (in the Old Testament)
- Cabbon
- Zenan
- Ashnah
- Joktheel
- Amaziah (in the Old Testament)
- Eglon (king in the Old Testament)
- Jehucal, Jucal
