Towering over an ancient highway, Tel Lachish is an amazing place of archaeology and nature, offering a glimpse into a city that witnessed centuries of power struggles, evident in its layers. Once a key fortress guarding the trade route between Egypt and Assyria, Lachish played a starring role in biblical stories and housed prosperous civilizations for millennia.

Lachish’s early days as a fortified city date back to the Bronze Age (around 3300-1200 BCE).  Letters inscribed on clay tablets found in Egypt, known as the El Amarna letters, reveal Lachish’s prosperity during Egyptian rule of Canaan in the 14th century BCE. The Bible itself mentions Lachish numerous times, including its conquest by Joshua, as well as its fortification by King Rehoboam of Judah after the Judean and Israelite kingdoms split.

The city became a pawn in the grand chess game of empires. In 701 BCE, the Assyrian king Sennacherib conquered Lachish, an event depicted  both in the Bible and on reliefs in his palace in Nineveh (located in Iraq of today). During his conquest, Jerusalem, led by King Hezekiah, successfully resisted the Assyrians. Lachish, however, wasn’t so lucky. 

Around a hundred years later, Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king (well-known for destroying Jerusalem and the first Jewish temple) captured the city in 598 BCE.  Remarkably, letters written on pottery shards, known as the Lachish Letters, detail this very siege.  

Tel Lachish boasts a rich collection of archaeological finds.  A 44-meter deep well from the Bronze Age hints at the city’s engineering innovation. Defensive structures like a moat and an embankment show us the need and strive the city had for its own protection. The unearthed palace fort and “For the King” handle seals, stamped on storage jars,  offer a glimpse into Judean reality and public administration. Even remnants of an Assyrian siege ramp and a sun temple from the Persian period  whisper stories of battles and changing times. A truely wonderful archeological tel, less famed than some of the others in Israel, yet not less important, with still much to unearth.

Today, Tel Lachish National Park  welcomes visitors to explore its fascinating past.  A comfortable trek, suitable for families, winds its way through this important archaeological site. Go stand where global history unfolded, providing echoes of regional and worldly empires rising and falling.