Lachish
“Impregnable or invincible”
Summary
A major fortified city in the lowlands of Judah that withstood sieges by Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar, with its capture depicted on Assyrian palace reliefs.
☩Conquest and Location
Lachish was a Canaanite royal city whose king Japhia joined the Amorite confederacy against Joshua after Gibeon made peace with Israel (Joshua 10:3, 5). The city's great strength is indicated by the fact that it required two days to capture, while other cities fell in one day (Joshua 10:31-35). Located in the Shephelah (lowland hills) of Judah between Libnah and Eglon, Lachish was strategically positioned on the route between Egypt and the highlands of Judah. It was assigned to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:39) and later fortified by Rehoboam as a defense against the Philistines (2 Chronicles 11:9).
☩Historical Significance
Lachish served as a major fortress of the southern kingdom. King Amaziah fled there from conspirators and was assassinated at Lachish (2 Kings 14:19). The prophet Micah warned that Lachish was 'the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion' because it introduced northern idolatry into Judah—possibly due to its position as a frontier city with connections to Egypt (Micah 1:13). The city held out against Sennacherib's invasion in 701 BC, though he eventually captured it with 'all his power' (2 Chronicles 32:9). Later, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Lachish during his campaign against Jerusalem (Jeremiah 34:7).
☩Assyrian Reliefs
Sennacherib's siege of Lachish is dramatically depicted on bas-reliefs discovered in his palace at Nineveh, now displayed in the British Museum. The inscription reads: 'Sennacherib, the mighty king, king of the country of Assyria, sitting on the throne of judgment before the city of Lachish. I give permission for its slaughter.' The reliefs show a fortified city with double walls, battlements, and towers, defended with great determination. The surrounding country is depicted as hilly and wooded, producing figs and vines. Captives are shown with distinctly Jewish features, and some prisoners are depicted being tortured or executed.
☩Archaeological Discovery
The site of Lachish was identified with Tell el-Hesy by Conder in 1877, confirmed by excavations conducted by the Palestine Exploration Fund in 1890-93. The mound revealed remains of eight distinct cities built one upon the ruins of another, spanning from around 1700 BC or earlier. A cuneiform tablet discovered at the site, similar to the Tell el-Amarna Letters, contains the name Zimridi, known to have been an Egyptian governor of Lachish, confirming the identification. After the Babylonian destruction, Lachish was resettled by returning Jewish exiles (Nehemiah 11:30).
Related Verses23 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Lachish," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. V (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Lachish," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 3.James Orr (ed.), "Lachish," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).