The famous lachish letters, discovered in 1937, contain correspondence between the commanders of azekah and lachish during the last days before the babylonian captivity. They were found in what was left of a small room under the eastern outer gate at lachish. Tel lachish is adjacent to moshav lachish, 9km southeast of the city of kiryat gath. The mound is surrounded by deep valleys, providing a natural defense.
The lachish letters were written on potsherds pottery fragments just before the babylonians came and destroyed jerusalem around 600 b. Jeremiah records that near the end of the invasion, only. The letters also mention the names of biblical figures, possibly even the prophet jeremiah. It is first mentioned in the amarna letters as lakishalakisa ea 287, 288, 328, 329, 335. The earliest reference to lachish is in the amarna letters about 1400 b. Eighteen potsherds were found in the ruins of a gate room in the. More than a century later, during the ministry of jeremiah, nebuchadnezzar of babylon invaded judah and laid siege to its most important citesincluding again, lachish. Lachish was a canaanite city taken by joshua joshua 10. It afterwards became, under rehoboam, one of the strongest fortresses of judah 2 chronicles 10. Tel lachish, the mound of the ancient city of lachish, is located in the lowlands of the judean hills, some 40 km. For more information about this chart, please see this post. Soldiers storm the town walls while prisoners are marched out of the. Tel lachish testimony to approaching disaster the lachish letters historical.
The documents found early in 1935 on the ancient biblical site of lachish, and now known as the lachish letters, were brought to london on the return of. Ganor and others published going to the bathroom at. The lachish letters oxford university research archive. For the first time ever, discover objects from the british museums collection from prehistory to. One of the tablets, of which a translation is given below p. Anciently this site occupied a strategic position on the.
From the next siege, this time by the babylonians in 587 bce, eighteen hebrew ostraca pottery shards were recovered. It is located in the foothill region of judea the shephelah, hidden between low hills near the valley of nahal lachish wadi ghufr. In preparation for tomorrows sunday school lesson, here is a printable version of the creation chart. Full text of selections from the tell elamarna letters.
One of the lachish letters warns of the impending babylonian destruction. Adamondiahman, far west, and liberty jail lachish letters amarna letters wikipedia 16 excavation sites in israel you need to know logostalk the lachish letters. The lachish letters also show that jaush josh was an authentic hebrew mans name from lehis time. Read polite language in the lachish letters, vetus testamentum on deepdyve, the largest online rental service for scholarly research with thousands of academic publications available at. Lachish is located in the shephelah region of israel between mount hebron and the mediterranean coast. Real discoveries blogger the lachish letters or lachish. Pdf social and historical aspects of the lachish letters john w. They inherited it from the british who purchased the site for excavation. Unearthed in the twentieth century, the letters form one. In 1938 olga tufnell found 3 more to make a total of 21 ostraca.
Tel lachis, is the site of an ancient near east city, now an archaeological site and an israeli national park. Genesis moses abraham again, this chart is freely distributable under. Ancient hebraic texts, the lachish letters were the first ever records that described the culture of the ancient kingdom of judah. Lachish invincible, a city lying south of jerusalem, on the borders of simeon, and belonging to the amorites, the king of which joined with four others, at the invitation of adonizedek king of jerusalem, to chastise the gibeonites for their league with israel. Mention is made therein of zimrida, governor of lachish, who in one of the tell elamarna letters professes loyalty to the egyptian king, and is also referred to in one. Yadin presents new interpretation of the famous lachish letters. Destruction, excavation and restoration in english pdf of the complete book. The mound of the city was first excavated during the 1930s. Traces of these activities may be unearthed through excavation and illuminate much about ancient cultures. New gate discovered at tel lachish biblical archaeology.
It was taken and destroyed by the israelites joshua 10. The city is mentioned in some of the amarna letters, but these did not aid in its precise identification. History from both the victors and defeated the siege of lachish was an event that happened in 701 bc. The discovery of the lachish letters in 1935 of eighteen ostraca clay tablets with writing in ink written in an ancient hebrew script, from the 7th century bc reveal important information concerning the last days of the southern kingdom of judah. Three fragments of pottery have been found, which are inscribed in the phenicianhebrew script used in the famous lachish letters, as well as scribings on the. Photos of the new northeast entrances may become available later this year. The town is mentioned over twenty times in the ot, a number of times in the tellelamarna q. His thesis is that various parallels between the letters and the book of mormon are as alike as two different postcards of the eiffel tower. Lachish definition of lachish by the free dictionary. The lachish letters are in room 57 of the british museum case 10.
The lachish lettersreider the letters are presented in photograph, transcription, transliteration, and english translation, followed by a philological commentary and general remarks about their contents. Lachish synonyms, lachish pronunciation, lachish translation, english dictionary definition of lachish. Letters, some passages of the book of jeremiah, and ezekiel chapter 17. The lachish letters or lachish ostrak reveals the name of god. They were a series of correspondence written in an ancient form of hebrew from the time of jeremiah describing how. A map of the biblical kingdom of judah and the location of sites. The abundance of water sources and the fertile valleys of the area favored the existence of a prosperous city over a considerable period of time. The lachish letters or lachish ostraca, sometimes called hoshaiah letters, are a series of.
Macmillan and the encyclopedia judaica publishing, jerusalem, 1972. In the book of matthew, the savior explains to his apostles that the time was soon at hand when they would see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by daniel the prophet matthew 24. Polite language in the lachish letters, vetus testamentum. Hugh nibley, the book of mormon, and the lachish letters. The lachish letters or lachish ostraca, sometimes called hoshaiah letters, are a series of letters written in carbon ink in ancient hebrew on clay ostraca. In an article published in 1982 hugh nibley proposes to demonstrate that the lachish letters are the star witness for the correctness of the book of mormon, the opening scenes of which take place in exactly the same setting and time as the letters. It is not found in the bible but is in the lachish letters p.
Lachish was the second most important city in ancient judah after jerusalem. Bible history online lachish letters biblical archaeology. Why were leaving qeiyafa and going to lachish, garfinkel, hasel and klingbeil. They were discovered at lachish tell edduweir among the ruins of an ancient guard room just outside the lachish city gate. Plan of tel lachish showing the excavation areas mentioned in the text and the three canaanite temples uncovered at the site. Remains of lachish palace complex from the sixchambered gate 19474011088. Biblical ostraca lachish letters pixelmasterdesign. These letters confirm events that occurred during king zedekiahs reign.
Social and historical aspects of the lachish letters1 john w. The lachish letters are the first personal documents found, reflecting the mind, the struggles, sorrows and feelings of ancient judah in the last days of the kingdom torczyner et al. Starkeys excavations of the moat on the west side of the tell revealed a rich collection of finds in the late bronze age fosse temples. During this incident, the israelite settlement of lachish was besieged and conquered by the assyrians.
A watchman would look for the signal fires of azekah each day and then write a report for the king of lachish, saying something like, i can still see the fires of azekah. In 1935, a collection of letters written on pottery was unearthed in the biblical city of lachish. The texts were published by harry torczyner of the hebrew university in the lachish letters lachish i, london, 1938, and teudot lakhish jerusalem, 1940. The letters are of great linguistic and historic value. Lachish is frequently mentioned in the bible joshua 10. Three fragments of pottery have been found, which are inscribed in the phenician hebrew script used in the famous lachish letters, as well as scribings on the. It was assaulted and probably taken by sennacherib 2 kings 18. They were found among ash and charcoal, interpreted as the final babylonian destruction in the year 587 bce.
Lachish letters have more or less been regarded as a homogenous group of. The lachish relief depicts the assyrian army laying siege in 701 bc to the town of lachish, about 40 kilometres from jerusalem. Evidence confirms the book of jeremiah bible history. The lachish letters and the use of iron inks in antiquity. The museum of the world an interactive experience through time, continents and cultures, featuring some of the most fascinating objects in human history. It was evidently one of the important canaanite cities of the time. The hebrew army under joshuas command defeated the king of lachish, killed him and conquered his city joshua 10. The lachish letters ora oxford university university of oxford. One prime example is the famous collection of lachish letters found in the southwestern gate of tel lachish back in the 1930s.
Lachish the amarna letters lachish, located at the site of tell edduweir between the coastal plain and the highlands of judah, was a canaanite and then an israelite city spanning over 1,000 years. Also at lachish was found a seal with the inscription of gedaliah who is over the house. An ancient city of southern palestine southwest of jerusalem. There is a large scattered bibliography, for which see torczyners second publication, pp. The letters were discovered at the excavations at lachish tell edduweir the ostraca were discovered by james leslie starkey in januaryfebruary, 1935 during the third campaign of the wellcome excavations. Lachish is the only tell in the country that is owned by the israel antiquities authority. The lachish ostraca, or the lachish letters as they were called by professor n. Lachish article about lachish by the free dictionary. This amazing discovery in januaryfebruary, 1935, by james leslie starkey, written in carbon ink in ancient hebrew on clay ostraca, reveals the divine name of yahweh lord and was written when the babylonian army went forward to jerusalem in the time of zedekiah, the biblical character, the last king of judah before the. The most important lesson from 83,000 brain scans daniel amen tedxorangecoast duration.
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