The Siege of Lachish: History from Both the Victors and Defeated

The siege of Lachish was an event that happened in 701 BC. During this incident, the Israelite settlement of Lachish was besieged and conquered by the Assyrians. It is often said that “History is written by the victors,” but the siege of Lachish is different from many other ancient battles in that we have information about this event from the perspective of both the victors (the Assyrians) and the losers (the Israelites). For the former, there is a set of Assyrian stone panels known as the Lachish Reliefs, whilst for the latter, there is the Hebrew Bible. 

A Short History of Lachish

Lachish (called today Tell ed-Duweir or Tel Lachish) is a site located about 40km (24.9 miles) to the southwest of Jerusalem between Mount Hebron and the Mediterranean coast. This site is said to have been occupied since the Pottery Neolithic (5500 – 4500 BC). During the 2nd millennium BC, a Canaanite settlement was established at Lachish.