Tel Lachish

Lachish

תל לכיש (Hebrew)
Main gate of Lachish
Shown within Israel
Location	Southern District, Israel
Region	Shephelah
Coordinates	31°33′54″N 34°50′56″E / 31.56500°N 34.84889°E / 31.56500; 34.84889Coordinates: 31°33′54″N 34°50′56″E / 31.56500°N 34.84889°E / 31.56500; 34.84889
Type	Settlement
Area	20 ha (49 acres)
History
Abandoned	587 BCE
Events	Siege of Lachish (701 BCE)
Site notes
Excavation dates	1932–1938, 1966, 1968, 1973–1994, 2013-2016
Archaeologists	James Leslie Starkey, Olga Tuffnell, Yohanan Aharoni, David Ussishkin, Yosef Garfinkel
Condition	Ruined
Ownership	Public
Public access	Yes

Tel Lachish (Hebrew: תל לכיש‎‎; Greek: Λαχις; Latin: Tel Lachis; Arabic: Tell ed-Duweir‎‎), is the site of an ancient Near East city, now an archaeological site and an Israeli national park. Lachish is located in the Shephelah region of Israel between Mount Hebron and the Mediterranean coast. It is first mentioned in the Amarna letters as Lakisha-Lakiša (EA 287, 288, 328, 329, 335). According to the Bible, the Israelites captured and destroyed Lachish for joining the league against the Gibeonites (Joshua 10:31-33). The territory was later assigned to the tribe of Judah (15:39) and became part of the Kingdom of Israel.

Of the cities in ancient Judah, Lachish was second in importance only to Jerusalem. One of the Lachish letters warns of the impending Babylonian destruction. It reads: "Let my lord know that we are watching over the beacon of Lachish, according to the signals which my lord gave, for Azekah is not seen." According to the prophet Jeremiah, Lachish and Azekah were the last two Judean cities before the conquest of Jerusalem (Jer. 34:7). This pottery inscription can be seen at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Occupation at the site of Lachish began during the Pottery Neolithic period (5500–4500 BCE). Major development began in the Early Bronze Age (3300–3000 BCE). During the Middle Bronze II (2000–1650 BCE), the Canaanite settlement came under strong Egyptian influence. The next peak was the late Late Bronze Age (1650–1200 BCE), when Lachish is mentioned in the Amarna letters. This phase of the city was destroyed in a fire ca. 1150 BCE. The city, under protection of the New Kingdom of Egypt, was rebuilt by the Caananites. One of the two discovered temples was built at the northwest corner of the mound, outside the city limits and within the disused moat, which led the archaeologists to call it the Fosse Temple. However, this settlement was soon destroyed by another fire, perhaps from an invasion by the Sea Peoples or Israelites. The mound was abandoned for two centuries.